When I moved back to my childhood home at 50, I realized I’d spent so much time caring for everyone else that I’d forgotten to take care of myself. The extra weight I’d been carrying wasn’t just physical—it was emotional baggage from years of putting myself last. So ten months ago, I decided to try something different: eating in a calorie deficit.
If you’re here wondering “what is a calorie deficit?” and whether it actually works, let me share what I’ve learned through my own experience. Spoiler alert: I’ve lost 15 pounds over these ten months. Not fast, not dramatic, but sustainable and real.
What is a Calorie Deficit, Really?
A calorie deficit simply means you’re consuming fewer calories than your body burns each day. That’s it. No magic, no tricks, just basic math that actually works.
Your body needs a certain number of calories just to exist—to breathe, pump blood, digest food, and keep all your systems running. This is called your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). When you eat fewer calories than your TDEE, your body taps into stored energy (fat) to make up the difference. Over time, this creates weight loss.
Think of it like a bank account. If you spend more than you deposit, your savings go down. With calories, if you consume less than you burn, your weight goes down.
My Personal Approach: The 500 + 150 Method
Here’s what works for me: I eat in a 500 calorie deficit each day, and I also aim to burn an additional 150 calories through intentional exercise.
Let me break down what this means for my body specifically. I’m 50 years old with a mostly sedentary lifestyle (though I strive for 10,000 steps daily). Using an app like Cronometer, I calculated my TDEE—the number of calories my body burns in a typical day. Then I subtract 500 calories from that number to get my daily eating target.
On top of that, I add some form of exercise that burns approximately 150 calories. This might be a brisk walk, some time on the elliptical, or even an energetic cleaning session. The combination gives me a 650-calorie deficit for the day.
Important note: These numbers are specific to MY body, age, weight, and activity level. Your numbers will be different, and that’s exactly how it should be. We’ll talk about how to find your personal numbers in just a minute.
Why These Specific Numbers?
You might be wondering why 500 calories? It’s based on some simple math: one pound of fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. So a 500-calorie daily deficit theoretically leads to losing about one pound per week (500 calories × 7 days = 3,500 calories).
In reality? It’s rarely that precise. Bodies are wonderfully complicated. Some weeks I lose more, some weeks the scale doesn’t budge, and occasionally it even goes up a bit despite staying on track. Over ten months, my 15-pound loss averages out to about 1.5 pounds per month. That’s slower than the “one pound per week” promise, but it’s real, sustainable progress.
The 150 calories of exercise? That came from finding what feels doable for me almost daily without burning out. It’s enough to make a difference but not so much that I dread it or skip it. Some days it’s more, some days less, but 150 is my baseline goal.
How to Calculate Your Calorie Deficit
This is where apps like Cronometer become invaluable. Here’s how to figure out your personal numbers:
Step 1: Calculate Your TDEE Your TDEE depends on several factors:
- Your age
- Your current weight
- Your height
- Your biological sex
- Your activity level
Apps like Cronometer will calculate this for you when you input your information. Be honest about your activity level—I marked myself as sedentary even though I aim for 10k steps because most of my day is sitting at a desk or on the couch.
Step 2: Decide Your Deficit A 500-calorie deficit is common and generally considered safe for most people, but you might choose:
- 250 calories for slower, gentler loss
- 500 calories for moderate loss (about 1 lb/week in theory)
- 750 calories for faster loss (check with your doctor first)
Never go below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,500 for men without medical supervision. Your body needs fuel to function.
Step 3: Track Consistently This is where the rubber meets the road. I’ll be honest—tracking every single thing you eat feels tedious at first. But it becomes second nature, and more importantly, it works. We’ll dive deeper into calorie tracking apps in another article.
Step 4: Add Movement You don’t have to exercise to lose weight (the deficit alone will work), but I’ve found that burning an extra 150 calories daily gives me a cushion. Some days I eat a little more than planned, and the exercise balances it out. Plus, it just makes me feel better overall. I’ll share more about how to burn 150 calories in a dedicated article.
What This Actually Looks Like in Real Life
Let me paint you a picture of what eating in a calorie deficit looks like for me on a typical day.
I start with a low calorie breakfast—maybe Greek yogurt with berries and a sprinkle of gluten-free granola. Mid-morning, if I’m hungry, I’ll have a low calorie snack like an apple or some cucumber slices with hummus.
Lunch is usually something simple and satisfying—a big salad with grilled chicken, or leftovers from dinner. Then comes my danger zone: late afternoon and evening. This is when the munchies hit hard.
I’ve learned to plan for this. I save calories for an afternoon snack and an evening snack. Sometimes it’s 100 calorie snacks like a small portion of popcorn. Other times I want something more substantial and reach for my list of zero calorie snacks (yes, they exist!).
Dinner might be a 500 calorie meal that’s filling and delicious—think a big plate of roasted vegetables with salmon, or a hearty soup. And if I want something sweet after dinner? I’ve got my low calorie dessert options ready.
The key is planning. When I plan my meals, I succeed. When I wing it, I usually end up eating more than intended.
The Challenges I’ve Faced
Let’s be real—this isn’t always easy. My biggest challenge has been the nighttime munchies. There’s something about settling in to watch TV after a long day that makes me want to snack. And not on carrot sticks, if you know what I mean.
I’ve had to get creative with finding satisfying snacks that won’t blow my calorie budget. I’ve also had to be honest with myself about whether I’m actually hungry or just bored or stressed. Sometimes the answer is to have a snack, and sometimes the answer is to drink some herbal tea and go to bed.
I’ve also gone off-track multiple times over these ten months. There have been weeks where I just didn’t track, didn’t care, and ate whatever I wanted. And you know what? That’s okay. This is a long game, not a sprint. I always came back to it because I remembered how good it feels when the weight comes off.
The Wins That Keep Me Going
Fifteen pounds might not sound like much spread over ten months. But let me tell you—I FEEL those fifteen pounds. My clothes fit better. I have more energy. I sleep better. I feel more like myself.
More than the number on the scale, I love the sense of control this gives me. I’m making intentional choices about what I eat instead of just eating whatever’s convenient or what everyone else is eating. Creating this structure around food feels similar to how creating my sanctuary space in the sun room helped me remember who I am. Both are acts of self-care, of choosing myself.
And honestly? Seeing the scale go down, even slowly, motivates me to keep going. Every pound lost is proof that this works, that I can do hard things, that I’m worth the effort.
Why Slow Weight Loss is Actually a Good Thing
Our culture loves quick fixes. Lose 20 pounds in a month! Get bikini-ready in two weeks! But here’s what I’ve learned at 50: slow and steady actually wins.
When you lose weight slowly:
- You’re more likely to keep it off
- You can maintain your energy levels
- You don’t have to eat tiny portions that leave you miserable
- You build sustainable habits instead of following temporary diets
- Your body has time to adjust
My 1.5 pounds per month average isn’t sexy or exciting. But it’s real. And ten months from now, if I keep this up, I’ll have lost another 15 pounds. That’s 30 pounds total over 20 months. That’s life-changing.
Getting Started: Your First Steps
If you’re ready to try eating in a calorie deficit, here’s what I recommend:
- Download a tracking app like Cronometer and input your information honestly
- Track everything you eat for 3 days without changing anything—just see where you’re starting from
- Calculate your deficit based on your TDEE
- Plan your first day of meals within your calorie budget
- Start small with one meal or one day at a time
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to start.
Building Your Calorie Deficit Toolkit
Throughout this content hub, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about making a calorie deficit work in real life. Because knowing what a calorie deficit is and actually living in one are two very different things.
Here’s what’s coming in the other articles:
Meal Planning & Recipes
- Low Calorie Breakfast – Start your day right without using up all your calories
- Low Calorie Lunch – Midday meals that keep you satisfied
- Low Calorie Dinner – Evening meals that feel like real food
- 300 Calorie Meals – Perfect for lighter meals
- 400 Calorie Meals – When you need something more substantial
- 500 Calorie Meals – Hearty, filling options
- Low Calorie Crock Pot Meals – Set it and forget it options
- Low Calorie Instant Pot Meals – Quick pressure cooker meals
- Low Calorie Sheet Pan Meals – One-pan dinners for easy cleanup
- Low Calorie Meal Prep Ideas – Batch cooking for the week ahead
- Low Calorie Meal Plan – A complete week planned out for you
Snacks & Treats
- Low Calorie Snacks – My go-to options between meals
- Zero Calorie Snacks – Yes, they exist!
- 100 Calorie Snacks – Perfectly portioned options
- Low Calorie Dessert – Because life needs sweetness
- Low Calorie Drinks – What to sip on throughout the day
Food Lists & Planning
- Low Calorie High Protein Foods – Stay full longer
- High Volume Low Calorie Foods – Eat more, weigh less
- Low Calorie Grocery List – Shop smarter
Making It Work
- Calorie Tracking Apps – The tools that make this possible
- How to Stay in a Calorie Deficit – Strategies for consistency
- How to Burn 150 Calories – Simple exercise options
The Bottom Line
A calorie deficit is simply eating less than you burn. It’s not complicated, but it does require consistency and honesty with yourself.
For me, at 50, with a mostly sedentary lifestyle, eating in a 500-calorie deficit while burning an additional 150 calories through exercise has resulted in 15 pounds lost over ten months. It’s not fast, but it’s working. And more importantly, it feels sustainable.
Your numbers will be different because your body is different. That’s why apps like Cronometer are so valuable—they take your specific information and calculate what will work for YOU.
If you’re in your 50s like me, maybe navigating life changes, caring for others, trying to find yourself again—this might be the right time to also find your way back to a healthier weight. Not because you need to look a certain way, but because you deserve to feel good in your body.
Just like I’m creating spaces in my home that reflect who I am now, eating in a calorie deficit is helping me create a body that feels more like ME. One intentional choice at a time, one day at a time, one pound at a time.
Ready to get started? Pick one of the articles above that speaks to your biggest challenge right now, and let’s tackle it together.