Feeling Overwhelmed in a Calorie Deficit? 10 Tips to Make it Easy
July 12, 2022
Did you start a calorie deficit to try to lose some weight but are feeling overwhelmed and ready to give up?
You are feeling overwhelmed in a calorie deficit because losing weight requires a lot of change, and change is hard. Trying to do too much at once and over restricting yourself is going to make you feel overwhelmed.
But it doesn’t have to be as hard as you’re making it seem.
Let’s talk about how you can overcome feeling so overwhelmed in a calorie deficit.
Is Feeling Overwhelmed in a Calorie Deficit Normal?
Yes! Feeling overwhelmed when starting (or restarting) a weight loss journey is completely normal. It’s common to feel like you’re not sure where to start, what changes to make, or how to stick with it long term.
There is a plethora of information out there floating around on the internet, Instagram, and Facebook.
Different coaches and different influencers say different things and many of them are contradicting and it is enough to make you want to explode.
I promise you, all you need to do to lose weight and keep it off is to start a healthy calorie deficit and stick to it.
You do not need to restrict carbs. You do not need to restrict fats. You do not need to do any of those crazy fads. They are not sustainable and they will not work for you.
Why is a calorie deficit so effective? Easy, it is just plain science.
It is how our body works. When you eat less calories than your body burns, your body will utilize stored body fat as fuel. It works time and time again.
You can eat all of the foods you love and still lose weight, as long as you are in a calorie deficit.
You can check out this helpful article below if you are still unsure of where to start.
Why Do I Feel So Overwhelmed in a Calorie Deficit?
The main reason you may feel so overwhelmed when trying to lose weight in a calorie deficit is because you are trying to do too much at once.
When you first start, you may be trying to make drastic changes to your diet and exercise routine, which is not sustainable in the long term.
You may be restricting certain foods, which can lead to feelings of deprivation and make it harder to stick to your plan.
You may also be putting too much pressure on yourself to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain time frame, which can lead to frustration and discouragement.
All of these factors can contribute to feeling overwhelmed and like you’re not sure what to do next.
What Can I Do to Make a Calorie Deficit Less Overwhelming?
There are many great tips you can use to make losing weight not so hard, and get better results. Start trying to utilize the following easy tips and stick to them. You can even write them down as a daily reminder to ease your mind.
1. Take it one step at a time
Don’t try to change everything about your diet and exercise routine all at once. Pick one or two things to focus on each week.
For example, you could focus on your calorie deficit alone and not on exercise yet.
It is totally possible to lose weight through diet alone. Start by focusing on the basics, which should be your calorie intake.
Once you’ve made those changes and you feel comfortable and ready, you can move on to something else, like adding in more exercise or cutting out processed foods, adding in more healthy vegetables, or changing your macros.
You don’t need to do it all right away.
2. Set realistic goals
If you’re trying to lose 20 pounds in one month, it’s going to be very difficult and probably not healthy or sustainable for you.
Set a goal that you can realistically achieve in a few months. Start low and slow. A good example of this is to simply set a goal of losing 2-4 pounds in one month.
This may not seem like a lot to you, but once you reach this goal, it will feel less overwhelming because you know what you are doing is working.
3. Create an easy plan
Sit down and map out exactly what you need to do to reach your goals. This will make it feel less daunting and help you stay on track.
Write everything down. Make yourself a little checklist or even start a food journal that is easy for you to read. This may help you to feel like you are in total control, and easy your anxiety.
4. Track your progress
It’s important to see how far you’ve come, so you can stay motivated. Keep track of your weight, measurements, or how many reps you can do of an exercise.
Once you start seeing results from what you are doing, the overwhelming feeling and your anxiety will eventually start to melt away.
This is one of the all time biggest mistakes you can make, and it will make you completely miserable.
You do not need to start a calorie deficit by restricting yourself past 500 calories per day.
Start with a smaller calorie deficit. Start off by maintaining a 200-300 calorie deficit each day and track your progress. You will feel less deprived this way, but still get fantastic results.
6. Enjoy the foods you love
You are not going to enjoy losing weight if you are restricting your favorite foods.
Restricting foods you love is not necessary to lose weight in a calorie deficit. You can enjoy any food you love.
All you have to do is make sure you account for it in your daily allowance, and realize that the foods you love may be more calorie dense.
You can still enjoy them!
7. Don’t eliminate dessert
Many who start to try and lose weight feel they can never eat dessert or anything sweet. For those of us who have a sweet tooth, this is not going to end well.
You can enjoy dessert in a calorie deficit, just like your other favorite foods, you just need to allocate for the calories they consume.
If you want to have a donut or a piece of cake, just have it. You are not going to ruin your weight loss goals by having a donut, Just find out the calorie contents, and include it in your day’s worth of available calories.
8. Find a support group
It can be helpful to talk to others who are going through the same thing as you. You can share tips, your individual motivations, unique ideas, and vent about your struggles.
There are many online support groups that you can join, or even look for a local meetup group.
9. Positivity is key
Your mindset is everything when it comes to weight loss. If you are constantly thinking about how hard it is, or negative thoughts like “I’ll never be able to do this,” then you will have a harder time succeeding.
On the other hand, if you stay positive and remind yourself that you can totally do this, it will help you stay on track and make better decisions. Maintain a positive attitude at all times.
Even if you have to fake it at first because you are so overwhelmed, put a smile on your face and push through it. Once you see the results start coming in, you will have no problem staying positive!
10. Remember why you’re doing this
Losing weight is not always going to be easy. There will be days where you feel like giving up. On these days, it’s important to remember why you started down this path in the first place.
Find your motivation. Whether it’s a pair of jeans you want to fit into, or a health condition you want to improve, keep your end goal in mind. This will help you push through the tough times.
In Summary
Feeling overwhelmed in a calorie deficit is completely normal. But there are things you can do to make it easier.
The most important thing to realize is that you can lose weight eating the foods you love, and also that losing weight is a slow process. Don’t rush it!
If you follow the above easy tips, you can start to gain some control and feel less stressed and less overwhelmed. And before you know it, you will have reached your goals and will feel very proud of what you accomplished!
