Calorie deficit and hunger management

There’s a lot of confusion about weight loss, but here’s the good news: every diet works on the same core principle.

That's good news! You don't need to completely change your diet or lifestyle to lose weight.

What is this principle?

…It’s not exercise, although exercise is great for your health.

…It’s not “kickstarting” your metabolism—that’s a myth.

…It’s not cutting out carbs. Carbs aren’t inherently worse than protein or fat for weight loss.

The principle is calorie deficit: consuming fewer calories than your body uses. When you eat more than your body needs, the extra energy is stored as fat. But when you’re in a calorie deficit, your body burns stored fat for energy—exactly what you want!

This has been proven over and over again: when someone eats less than their body needs, they start burning energy from fat stores. Unlike plants, we can’t make energy from sunlight, and unlike nuclear reactors, we can’t split atoms for power! Our bodies rely on food for energy, and if we don’t get enough from what we eat, we turn to stored fat for fuel.

If it's so simple, why is it so hard for many people to lose weight?

Hunger

Your body doesn’t like being in a calorie deficit and tries to conserve energy by making you feel hungry, prompting you to eat more.

That’s why your second goal—after staying in a calorie deficit—should be managing hunger. While you can’t eliminate hunger completely, making smart food choices can help make it much more manageable.

Takeaway: Focus on staying in a calorie deficit and managing your hunger.