To lose weight, it is scientifically proven that we need to set a calorie deficit that allows us to lose weight : the ideal calorie deficit in order not to lower the metabolism too much is 500 calories per day. This calorie deficit will allow us to lose about half a kilo per week, because to lose one kilo of weight we need to cut 7500 more calories than our usual routine.

We can also create a greater daily deficit to lose more weight , but it is not a route that I recommend: the greater the deficit, the less sustainable the diet and the easier it is to stall, because the metabolism is lowered more. Therefore a greater caloric deficit is contraindicated for health, and also we run the risk of regaining the lost weight if we lose more than half a kilo a week with a greater deficit.

But how to create this daily calorie deficit of 500 calories in an intelligent way?
The best thing to do is to achieve this deficit in two ways: we cut 50 percent of the deficit from our calories, and the other 50% by burning more calories with physical activity. Let’s see how to do it.

CUT 50% FROM THE FEEDING
Corresponds to 250 calories , which in turn correspond to:
– 5 biscuits less, or
– 5 teaspoons less oil, or
– 80 grams of pasta less or 100 grams of bread less, or
– 25 grams of nuts or 35 grams of oil seeds less
So if we cut one of these options from our diet without increasing food from other sources we have already created the ideal deficit for its half. The ideal foods he knows how to cut are carbohydrates or fats, but a lot depends on us: if we eat a lot of carbohydrates, we should make the sacrifice there, if our diet is rich in foods such as eggs, cheeses, sausages, we can perhaps reduce the seasonings.

CUT 50% WITH ACTIVITY 
Corresponds to another 250 calories, which in turn correspond to:
– half an hour of running at maximum speed or an hour of walking at a very fast pace – forty-five minutes of walking with a high incline on the treadmill roulant – an hour of exercise bike or swimming So if we do one of these activities every day we burn 250 calories on average . To avoid misunderstanding, I underestimated calories per activity, starting with the minimum calories burned for a normal weight woman. If you are a man you will burn a little more, but I did an average.

By combining the two, we get the right daily deficit: on the one hand we reduce food, on the other we burn more we get a sustainable and intelligent deficit to lose half a kilo a week.