Hey! Super happy you're here. Thank you for checking this blog out with me! 

Wondering what a 'healthy energy deficit' is? Let's get into it!

An energy deficit or calorie deficit (the same thing, just different wording!) are terms that seem to be popping up EVERY WHERE when it comes to losing weight, and with good reason since it's so important for us to know! But since it's definition can be pretty scientific, I get some EXTREMELY puzzled looks and awkward "i'm sooooo not understanding this" 😬 smiles whenever I try to explain what it is and why it's SO essential for weight loss.

First things first, let's touch on the fact that since we're talking about energy (calories) here, we need to know that while 1 calorie = 1 calorie, all calories are not equal in quality of nutritional value (even though yes, numbers are numbers)! Let's look at a typical biscuit versus an apple. Same calories, but entirely different nutritional value!! The biscuit has saturated fats, sugars, and not much else that really serves the body (which again, isn't a bad thing in moderation!). Whereas an apple has fibre, vitamins and antioxidants (to name a few). We always need to make sure we're paying attention to the nutritional quality of our food as well.. Not just for our overall health, but also so we avoid things like sugar crashes and those slumps in energy that are caused from eating foods lacking in nutritional quality. Not to say I'm against biscuits (because that's absolutely not the case!).. but it IS important to note the difference!

With BARE Lean being individually tailored to the person completing it, the headache of figuring out a sustainable and achievable energy deficit has all been done FOR you. BARE Lean isn't another low-calorie, numbers-focused or restrictive diet. We created and portioned ALL the BARE Lean recipes to meet your daily energy (calorie) requirements. So while eating from the guide and pairing that with at least 30 minutes of planned exercise 5 times per week, you and I both know that you're going to be in a realistic and sustainable energy deficit for your body!

There's nothing worse than putting in the hard work, only to realise that the unrealistic program with the crazy deficit was putting you WAY too harsh of a deficit, causing more problems for you and having the weight bounce back super quick! 😯

Another thing to keep in mind to achieve a healthy energy deficit is to focus on what kind of exercise you're doing throughout the day! There is the energy we burn from our planned exercise, like from a gym class or a run, and then there is the energy we burn from non-exercise activity (NEAT), like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, gardening, cleaning, doing a little dance while cleaning haha, and so on. Incorporating BOTH into your week is the best thing you can do for your journey and the overall energy deficit! Tips on how to increase your NEAT here! 

The BARE principles are (and always will be) about those LONG-TERM results to help you achieve a healthy mindset in LIFE above anything else! Knowledge is power, and we should absolutely understand why we're doing the things we do... but getting stuck on calories or energy deficits shouldn't be taking our attention away from our journey at all.. that's why we (Team BARE) work SO hard to do it all for you! So your day can just be about loving and enjoying your life 🥰🥰

For the BARE guides - we use the Harris Benedict formula to calculate a healthy, sustainable energy deficit for you. 

SO glad to have you ladies on this journey with me!

If you're wanting more recipes, more deliciousness' and a little community encouragement - then come on and join the BARE Guide community! 

Check out MY BARE GUIDES!

Love, Leah xx

LOVE ALWAYS, Leah xx