Dietary Intake Phases: Surplus (or Maintenance) to Deficit
The dietary intake phase everyone thinks they are ready for, yet few actually are -- entering into a deficit phase, or better known as a fat loss phase.
As we outlined in our last post, time spent in either a maintenance or surplus phase (or a combination of both) is essential before entering into, and having, a successful deficit/fat loss phase.
The Transition into a Deficit Phase
The primary goal of transitioning into a deficit phase is to pursue a fat loss goal after spending time building lean muscle, regulating hormones, a combination of the two or for another reason.
The obvious benefit of this dietary intake phase is to reduce body fat, but it should be done so in a slow and gradual manner. The individual's caloric intake will decrease slowly with the goal of creating a negative energy balance. When this negative energy balance is present, the body then burns stored energy in order to function...which results in fat loss.
Below are images that show a real client case study. The progress photos show the progression of the entire deficit and the following graphs and spreadsheets outline real data captured within the first 2 weeks of the transition.
