Fat loss is more than calories in, calories out… or is it?

First, you hear that fat loss is all about calories in vs calories out. Then you hear that there are so many other things contributing to it: your gut health, your metabolism, your hormones, your supplements, the types of exercises you do, the time of day you eat your food, and so on. 

So which is it? Is it really just a simple math equation or is it as complicated as social media makes it seem?

The answer is kind of both. 

When it comes down to it, if you eat fewer calories than you burn throughout the day, you will lose weight. And I purposely say weight because it’s not always just fat that you lose (more on that in another post). But weight loss really is a numbers game. 

Your body cannot magically create energy out of nowhere so if you are putting less energy (calories) into your body than what it needs for the activities you are doing, it will start to use the stored energy that you have (fat). 

But the complication comes into play because figuring out what those numbers are (calories in and calories out) can be really tricky and time-consuming. 

To figure out “calories in” requires measuring out everything you consume and tracking that in an app or journal. It’s relatively simple, but it takes a lot of work and precision that many people are willing to put in.

“Calories out” is actually even tricker as so many things can dictate this and calorie trackers on smart watches, treadmills or calculators on your computer can be wildly inaccurate. 

But the good news is, despite the complicatedness of the numbers, losing weight doesn’t have to be overly complicated.

It will take some work though. You will need to restrict calories in some way by tracking your food or cutting out food groups or only eating during a window. You will sometimes feel a little hungry, but you need to find the way that feels least restrictive to you. 

On the “calories out” side, a step tracker can be nice so you can ensure you are keeping up your physical activity as you decrease your calories. 

So yes, losing weight really is all about calories in vs calories out. But many factors can make this a complicated equation. 

Check out my post “Why losing the same 10-15 lbs is making your health worse” to learn more about healthy and unhealthy weight loss.