Nutrition
There's a lot of noise around nutrition — low carb, intermittent fasting, clean eating, cutting out sugar. These approaches all work for some people, some of the time. But they work because of one underlying principle that none of them can escape: energy balance. Understanding this will cut through most of the confusion.
Your body requires a certain number of calories each day to maintain its current weight — this is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). It's made up of your basal metabolic rate (the energy your body uses just to function at rest), the thermic effect of food (energy used to digest what you eat), and your activity level.
Fat loss happens when you consistently consume fewer calories than your body burns. Fat gain happens when you consistently consume more. This is not a theory — it is one of the most robustly supported principles in nutrition science.
"Calories in versus calories out is the law. But what you eat affects how easy it is to stay within that law — through satiety, hormones, energy levels, and muscle retention."
A calorie of protein behaves differently to a calorie of fat or carbohydrate. Protein has a higher thermic effect (you burn more energy digesting it), it's more satiating, and it's essential for preserving muscle mass during a caloric deficit. This is why food quality matters enormously, even within the same calorie target.
1,800 calories of mostly protein, vegetables, and whole grains will keep you fuller, support your training better, and preserve more muscle than 1,800 calories of ultra-processed food — even if the number on paper is the same.
A deficit of 300–500 calories per day is the evidence-based sweet spot for sustainable fat loss. This produces approximately 0.3–0.5kg of fat loss per week — slower than crash diets promise, but fast enough to be visible within a month and sustainable over time.
Larger deficits (cutting 1,000+ calories) accelerate muscle loss, slow your metabolism, impair training performance, and are extremely difficult to maintain. The short-term scale victory typically reverses within weeks once normal eating resumes.
Research consistently shows that people underestimate their food intake by 20–40% on average. This is not dishonesty — it's simply that portion sizes are hard to judge, cooking oils and sauces are invisible, and drinks (alcohol, juices, lattes) are rarely accounted for. This is the most common reason someone insists they "eat well" but can't lose weight.
Tracking calories for 2–4 weeks — not forever, just as an awareness exercise — is one of the most eye-opening things you can do. Most people discover one or two consistent habits (a daily latte, extra cooking oil, larger portions than estimated) that account for the entire difference.
Lean muscle mass raises your resting metabolic rate — the number of calories your body burns at rest. This is why strength training is so valuable during a fat loss phase. Every kilogram of muscle you build or preserve means slightly more flexibility in your calorie budget. It's a long-term investment in your metabolism.
I integrate nutrition guidance into all my coaching programmes. No fads — just evidence-based advice that works with your lifestyle. Based in Vauxhall, available in-person and online.
Book a Free Consultation