Calorie deficit, in plain language

A calorie deficit means using a little more energy than you eat, averaged over weeks. Every approach to weight loss works through it, whether or not it mentions calories. The aim is a gap you can live with, not the smallest number you can survive on.

The calorie deficit explainer covers how the gap works, how large it usually needs to be and why the scale does not follow it day by day. Counting calories shows how to log food for a few weeks without chasing precision: round the numbers, count drinks and cooking oil, look at the seven-day average, and stop counting when it starts to cause more anxiety than insight. Hidden calories in drinks looks at lattes, juice and alcohol, which add energy without much fullness. If your weight has stalled despite careful logging, the weight plateau article goes through the usual reasons. These are general explanations. If you have a medical condition or take medication that affects appetite or weight, ask your doctor.