DeficitLab - Intermittent Fasting

Save this: snacks with 17g+ protein, all under 200 calories. • 170g nonfat Greek yogurt: 17g, 100 cal • 150g low-fat cottage cheese: 18g, 110 cal • 100g cooked shrimp: 24g, 100 cal • 150g shelled edamame: 18g, 180 cal • 1 scoop whey in water: about 24g, 120 cal Protein keeps you full longer, so the afternoon snack stays a snack.

Granola is health food until you pour it. Most brands run about 450 to 500 calories per 100g, and a free-poured bowl hits 100g fast. Use it as a topping, not the whole bowl.

YOUR DEFICIT SHRINKS AS YOU LOSE. • A lighter body burns about 10 fewer calories a day per pound lost • Down 20 lbs? Your 500 calorie deficit is now closer to 300 • Dieting quietly cuts how much you move • Recalculate every 10 lbs. Keep your steps up.

Free-pouring oil like this? Each tablespoon is about 120 calories, and a free pour easily hits 2 or 3. That's 240 to 360 calories before any food hits the pan. Use a spoon.

Most adults get well under 25g of fiber a day. The target is 25g for women and 38g for men. Fiber adds bulk and slows digestion, so you stay full on fewer calories. Easiest wins: lentils, raspberries, chia. Save this for your next grocery run.

A fun-size Snickers is 80 calories. Six from the bowl by the door tonight is 480, basically a full meal you never sat down for. Pick the two you actually want and eat them on purpose.

Save this: what 100 calories looks like. • Olive oil: 11g, under 1 tbsp • Almonds: 17g, about 14 nuts • Cheddar: 25g • Cooked white rice: 75g • Banana: 1 medium • Strawberries: 300g • Cucumber: 650g Oil, nuts and cheese add up fast. Measure those, eyeball the rest.

Your coffee order can be 5 calories or 380. Same size cup. A grande mocha every day is about 2,600 calories a week, which is most of a pound of fat. Black or an Americano most days, save the fancy one for the weekend.

Ordered the salad to be good? Two tablespoons of ranch is about 130 calories, and restaurant salads can easily come with double that. Get it on the side and dip your fork.

That spoonful of peanut butter isn't 95 calories. A level tablespoon (16g) is. A heaping one like this can be 30g or more, about 180. Weigh it once.

Save this: about 160g of protein for roughly 1,000 calories. • 200g cooked chicken breast: 62g protein, 330 cal • 300g nonfat Greek yogurt: 30g, 175 cal • 200g low-fat cottage cheese: 24g, 160 cal • 100g tuna in water, drained: 25g, 115 cal • 3 large eggs: 19g, 215 cal Use cooked weights. Raw chicken has less protein per gram because it still holds water.

Up 2 lbs the morning after a salty dinner? That's water, not fat. One pound of fat is roughly 3,500 extra calories. Trust the weekly average, not one weigh-in.

THE LABEL SAYS 150. YOU ATE 600. • The calories on a label are per serving, not per bag • A chip serving is about 1 oz, roughly 15 chips • Lots of bags hold 4 servings or more. Family size can hold 8 to 10 • A cereal serving is often about 1 cup. Most bowls fit 2 or more • Check "servings per container" first, then do the math Read the top line. Save this for your next grocery run.

PROTEIN IS THE CHEAT CODE NOBODY USES. • Your body burns about 20 to 30% of protein calories just digesting it • Carbs burn about 5 to 10%. Fat burns 0 to 3% • Protein is the most filling macro, so you snack less • Aim for about 0.7 g per pound of body weight a day • Start each meal with a palm or two of protein Same calories. Less hunger. Easier deficit.

YOUR WEEKEND IS ERASING YOUR WEEK. • A 500 calorie deficit Monday to Friday adds up to 2,500 • Eat 1,250 over maintenance on Saturday and Sunday and it's gone • A big brunch, a few drinks, and a takeaway night can get you there fast • Fat loss runs on the weekly total, not your best days • Keep 1 or 2 planned treats, and keep protein and steps normal Fat loss is a 7 day game. Bookmark this before Friday.

SAME CALORIES. WAY MORE FOOD. • Fullness comes a lot from volume, because a stretched stomach tells your brain you've eaten • Water and fiber add volume for very few calories • 100 calories is about 3 cups of air-popped popcorn, or about 10 chips • A big salad or veggie soup first can cut how much you eat after • Add protein, it fills you up the most per calorie Fill the plate. Not the calorie count.

YOU TRACK EVERY BITE. NOT EVERY DRINK. • Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, almost as much as fat • A pint of beer is about 200 calories • A 150 ml glass of wine is about 125 • Your body burns alcohol first because it can't store it, so fat burning waits • A few drinks lower your guard, and the late-night snacks follow Log drinks like food. Because they are.

FRUIT IS NOT WHY YOU'RE STUCK. • A medium apple is about 95 calories • Fiber and water fill you up for very few calories • Fat gain comes from total calories, not fruit sugar • Juice and dried fruit are much easier to overeat • Whole fruit can make sweet cravings easier to handle Eat the apple. Watch the juice.

CHEAT MEALS DON'T WRECK A DIET. CHEAT DAYS CAN. • One planned big meal fits fine in a weekly deficit • A full cheat day can add 3,000+ extra calories • That can wipe out most of a week's deficit • Next day scale jump is mostly water and salt • Plan it, enjoy it, move on Treats work better with a budget.

EATING OUT WITHOUT BLOWING THE DAY • Restaurant meals often top 1,000 calories • Pick a protein main first • Ask for sauce and dressing on the side • Bread, drinks, and dessert add up fast • Eat lighter earlier, not zero One meal out won't ruin the week. Autopilot ordering will.