What to eat on a calorie deficit?

That’s the million-dollar question, and in this post, you’ll get the answer to that.

Technically, you could have a diet of Pop-Tarts, Doritos, and jelly beans, and you’d still lose weight as long as you’re in a calorie deficit.

Not that I’m encouraging a diet like that, because it would make weight loss a lot harder than it needs to be.  

It’s just to illustrate the point that, as long as you’re consuming fewer calories than you burn, weight loss is a guarantee… No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it.

Now, I could just rattle off a list of foods you’ve probably heard before.

Eat your chicken breast.

Fill up on broccoli.

Don’t forget about egg whites.

And if that’s what you’re looking for, go ahead and skip to the end for my list of the best calorie deficit foods for weight loss.

But if you do that, you’ll be missing out. 

Here’s the truth about weight loss:

What to eat on a calorie deficit isn’t so cut and dry or black and white. 

It can’t be broken down into “you HAVE TO eat this food or that food.”

It’s about learning WHY certain foods make staying in a calorie deficit easier and then using that as a blueprint to make your own food choices that’ll help you achieve your weight loss goals.   

Your food preferences might be different from mine. 

For example, I can’t eat eggs or seafood (yeah, I know, I’m missing out) but those could be two of your favorite calorie deficit foods for weight loss.

See what I mean?

Before we dive into what to eat on a calorie deficit, I want to leave you with the following quote (which I 110% definitely did not make up 😂)…

If you bring someone a fish, they’ll eat for a day but if you teach them how to fish, they’ll eat for a lifetime.

So with that, I’d recommend staying around for the entire post about what to eat on a calorie deficit and not just skipping ahead to the end

 

For starters, what is a calorie deficit?

Being in a calorie deficit is the only (and I mean ONLY) way to lose weight.

When you’re in a calorie deficit, that means you’re taking in fewer calories than you burn.

You can think of a calorie deficit as the trunk of a tree, and the branches are all the things that feed into helping you create that deficit.

Your main branches are:

• Strength training: Not lifting weights will help you achieve something alright. But it’s not something you want, and that’s a skinny fat body. And just an FYI, HIIT cardio is not true strength training, nor is it a requirement for fat loss.
• Cardio: In my humble opinion, walking is the best form of cardio. 
• Sleep and stress management: You’ll be hungrier and more likely to overeat when you don’t get enough sleep or manage stress effectively. 

And I’ve saved the most important part of being in a calorie deficit for last.

It’s so important that it gets its own line.

NUTRITION, aka the main driver of fat loss.

No workout in the world can undo having a poor diet. 

So a calorie deficit isn’t this “specific diet for weight loss,” it’s more like the state that your body’s in. 

If you’re sitting there right now thinking to yourself, “Well, I’ve been in a calorie deficit for a while now but I still haven’t lost any weight,” that can only mean one thing…

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you’re not actually in a calorie deficit. 

How do I calculate my calorie deficit?

I dedicated an entire post to helping you calculate the number of calories you should be eating for fat loss.

The link to that post is below:

HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR FAT LOSS CALORIES

 

Does it matter what I eat if I’m in a calorie deficit?

Your diet could be candy canes, oatmeal raisin cookies, and milkshakes.

Technically, you could eat whatever you want as long as you hit your daily calorie goal and make sure you’re in a deficit.

But that doesn’t mean going HAM on sweets and higher-calorie foods is ideal for maintaining a calorie deficit.

A good diet for weight loss has balance. 

You make the majority of your diet those “healthy,” nutrient-dense foods that fill you up and keep you happy while also making room for your favorite sweets, treats, and snacks in moderation.

Eating that way (flexible dieting as it’s often called) is sustainable and sustainability is what leads to permanent weight loss.

 

What to eat on a calorie deficit

With the above section in mind, let’s dive into the specifics about what to eat on a calorie deficit. 

As far as calorie deficit foods for weight loss, there are two primary things you’ll want to focus on:

1. High-protein foods

    

2. Foods that pack a lot of volume with not that many calories

1. Make protein a priority 

Protein is the closest thing to a cheat code regarding what to eat on a calorie deficit.

And here’s why…

• Eating protein is the most filling macronutrient
• It speeds up your metabolism 
• It’s essential to building/preserving muscle (more muscle = losing more fat) 

If you struggle to get enough protein in your diet, make sure you read this post.

I outlined 5 ways to help you increase your protein intake.

 

2. Eat foods low in calories but high in volume 

When choosing what to eat on a calorie deficit, you also want to emphasize low-calorie, high-volume foods. 

In other words, you want low-calorie foods that fill you up. 

Let’s compare 100 calories of watermelon to 100 calories of chocolate ice cream.

You get a lot of volume with the watermelon (meaning it’ll fill you up more).

But with the ice cream, well…

You don’t get a whole lot, and you’ll probably still be hungry immediately after eating it. 

The 80/20 rule for weight loss

Being crazy strict with your diet is one of the biggest weight loss mistakes you can make.

So if I could only give you one piece of advice about what to eat on a calorie deficit, this would be it.

It’s called the 80/20 rule and it’s all about having flexibility with your diet. 

Here’s how the 80/20 rule works:

You get 80% of your calories from nutrient-dense, whole foods like chicken breast, sweet potatoes, fruit, veggies, etc.

The other 20% of your calories can come from whatever you like, be it pizza, burgers, wings, fries, cookies, or cake.  

I’ll use myself as an example of what to eat on a calorie deficit. 

Right now, I’m eating around 2,400 calories a day.

So according to the 80/20 rule, 1,920 of my calories (2,400 x 0.8) would come from “healthier,” more nutritious foods. 

Then, 480 of my calories (2,400 x 0.2) could be allotted to whatever I want.  

For me, that would include a Little Debbie Honey Bun or some Grippo’s Barbecue Chips, among other things.

If I were to list them all out, this blog post would go on FOR DAYS 😂

But the main point I want you to remember is that being in a calorie deficit doesn’t have to feel like you’re in food jail and eliminating all of your favorites.

You can still go out to eat, grab a few drinks with friends, and live your life while losing weight.  

 

The best calorie deficit foods for weight loss

If you skipped ahead to this section, let me just tell you…

You missed out on some pretty important stuff 😅

I’d highly recommend going back through and reading the entire post.

It’s most important to understand the WHY behind what to eat on a calorie deficit, as opposed to just taking the list of foods I’m about to share and running with them.

With that said, here are some of the best calorie deficit foods for weight loss.

They’ll give you the most bang for your calorie deficit buck.

 

1. Chicken breast

When I think about calorie deficit foods for weight loss, chicken breast is one of the first that comes to mind. 

It’s a lean protein source and you can use it in an infinite number of recipes. 

  

2. Egg whites

If you want a food that’s high in protein by lower in calories, egg whites are where it’s at.  

Yes, you can still have whole eggs with the yolk if you want. 

It’s just that egg whites are lower in calories. 

So instead of having 3 whole eggs for an omelet, maybe have 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites.

It’ll save you some calories while still keeping the protein content high.

 

3. Nonfat Greek yogurt

This is probably one of the most versatile calorie deficit foods for weight loss. 

You can mix in some berries, granola, or maybe even some honey on top to make a nice homemade yogurt parfait. 

You can also use nonfat Greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute. 

 

4. Watermelon 

On our list of calorie deficit foods for weight loss, the next two are fruits.

UH OH…

Hold up now, what about their natural sugar? 

Won’t that make you store more body fat?

Not a chance.

On your next trip to the doctor, I guarantee they wouldn’t be able to hold a straight face if you went in there, stepped onto the scale, and blamed your weight gain on fruit.

Can you imagine?

“Doc, I think what did me is all that watermelon and strawberries.”

Trust me, fruit is the least of your worries.  

Watermelon is a staple in my diet (helps satisfy my sweet tooth) 

You get a TON of food for not that many calories, so it’s definitely one of those low-calorie foods that fill you up. 

 

5. Strawberries

Strawberries are another fruit that gives you a lot of volume without a ton of calories.

IMO, strawberries are delicious enough by themselves but you can also place them on top of your oatmeal or mix them in with your nonfat Greek yogurt. 

 

6. Broccoli/cauliflower

A list of calorie deficit foods for weight loss wouldn’t be complete without some type of vegetable, right? 

Really, it doesn’t matter the vegetable you choose, just as long as you make sure you’re eating them.

Veggies contain a ton of micronutrients.

I usually just go with Birds Eye microwavable vegetables.

Just put them in the microwave for about 5 minutes and you’re all good to go. 

Don’t tell me you just can’t eat vegetables.

You’re an adult and you do plenty of things you don’t always want to do.

Add eating vegetables to that list. 

 

7. Potatoes

Potatoes are a super versatile carb source.

And nope, carbs won’t make you fat. 

They actually do the opposite.

They’re your body’s main fuel source and replenish depleted glycogen stores to help you have better workouts. 

You can find more foods like the ones above on the weight loss grocery I created. 

Just click on the link below to access it and get a game plan together for your next trip to the grocery store.  

WEIGHT LOSS GROCERY LIST

 

What foods should you avoid on a calorie deficit?

Part of adopting a weight loss mindset is realizing there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” foods.

It’s kind of like riding a bike…

If you lean too far in either direction, you’ll just end up falling to the ground.

And by falling to the ground, I mean not reaching your fat loss goals.

Restrict yourself to only healthy foods you deem as “good” and it won’t be a diet you can stick with for long because you cut out all of your favorites. 

Have a diet comprised exclusively of foods you consider “bad” and you’ll not only not lose weight but it’s a real possibility you gain weight. 

All that to say, when it comes to what to eat on a calorie deficit, there are no “foods to avoid.”

Any food can be had, as long as you do so in moderation.

Just remember the 80/20 rule.

Make sure 80% of your calories come from nutrient-dense, whole foods and the other 20% from whatever sweets or treats you like.

 

Wrapping up what to eat on a calorie deficit

Even though we talked about some specific calorie deficit foods for weight loss, the bigger picture about WHY those foods are ideal is key.

When deciding what to eat on a calorie deficit, don’t just blindly take that list of 7 foods and say:

Okay, these are the foods I need to eat.

Again, think about WHY those foods were included on the list so you can customize your diet to fit your own preferences and tastes.