Skip to content

She Lost 85 Pounds with These Calorie Deficit Tips

One nutrition coach shares her weight loss and reveals her secrets.

Do you want to lose more weight? According to an expert, there are ways to accelerate the process while in a calorie deficit. Brooke Ralphs is an online fitness and nutrition coach (CPT and CNC) who helps her clients burn fat and build muscle sustainably. In a recent post, she shares her expert tips on how to lose weight fast. "I went from 225 pounds to 135 pounds and couldn't have done it without these calorie deficit tips," she writes.

​Plan Your Menu

Her first tip is to plan your menu. "Know what you're going to eat during your day. It helps you to look forward to it. Pre tracking changed everything for me because I was so excited to eat what I had planned," she writes.

​Eat Less Isn't Always Better


https://www.instagram.com/p/CyQ3N7ZLzQd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

Next, "less isn't better," she points out. "So don't just try to eat as little as possible or even go under a calorie goal. Don't let your brain think you're just losing weight because you're eating less and less is the answer because less won't always be the answer," she says. Instead "tell your brain you're eating the MOST while still losing weight."

​Eat Protein, Carbs, and Fat

It's not just about the numbers but also what you are eating. "Knowing what your deficit calories are made up of will help you feel satiated, energetic and well balanced while in your deficit so you're not starving. Protein carbs and fat HELP YOU IN A DEFICIT," she writes.

​Know When You Are Going to Eat

Next, "know WHEN you're going to eat so you don't wait too long, start to be starving, see red and throw your plans out the window," she says. "Knowing what and WHEN will help you stick to a plan you can be consistent with rather than flying by the seat of your pants."

​Eat to Fuel Workouts

Also, "eat to fuel your workouts WHILE being in a deficit so your main focus is still building a life, a physique, etc," she says. What shouldn't be your focus? "Losing one," she says.

​Cook More at Home

Just because you aren't eating out, doesn't mean your diet has to be boring. "Cook more at home but cook things you're excited about and make a list of things you cook and love and things you don't so you can build a personalized macro friendly cookbook," she says.

​Don't Drink Your Calories

Don't drink your calories on a daily basis. "Make liquid calories a special occasion not something you do often. What you do most of the time compounds over time not what you do not often," she suggests.

​Watch Out for "Healthy" But High Calorie Foods

Next, watch out for "healthy but high calorie foods," she suggests. "Meaning if you're not tracking or don't know you could be constantly grabbing food that offers healthy benefits but keeps you at maintenance calories (or even a surplus!)"

​Don't Eat Too Fast

Don't eat too fast. "Slow down when eating and limit distractions. Don't eat while talking to someone, if you have to pee 😂 etc," she says. "It'll make you feel like you missed the experience!"

​Don't Get Rid of Food Until You're at Goal Weight

Her final tip? "Don't get rid of any food 'until you're at goal weight. Plan it in so you know how to eat when you're at your goal weight. Don't use food as a reward, use it as everyday enjoyment and fuel!" she says.

Leah Groth
Leah Groth is a writer for Eat This, Not That! Read more