How I’m Sticking to a Calorie Deficit Starting Now and Seeing Results

Join me as I embark on the journey to a leaner, stronger me. I’ll be sharing all the juicy details—how I’m sticking to a calorie deficit, managing hunger hormones that love to mess with your head, and mastering the art of discipline and learning to say no when it matters most.

A little back story on my calorie deficit journey

Since my last successful cut, I’ve added about 10 pounds. Is it muscle? Probably a mix of some muscle and fat—if I’m being honest, my progress photos tell me I’ve let things slide a little more than I intended. But that’s okay. This isn’t about guilt or regret—it’s about refocusing, building discipline, and seeing how much progress I can make by committing fully again.

The hardest part about committing to a fitness goal isn’t that I don’t know how to do it—I do. I’ve done it before. The challenge is recognizing when life throws you curveballs, and you’re not in a season where you can mentally commit to a drastic change.

Weight fluctuations are normal, especially when life gets hectic. If I’m being honest, I don’t always notice how chaotic my life is until I’m knee-deep in it. My husband and I didn’t exactly take the easy road—we got married young, him working at Chick-fil-A while taking online classes, and me pursuing an English major at a university across the mountains. We thought we had a plan. But life had its own.

Dropping out of school, starting a business, paying back unexpected debt, and raising four babies in four years while moving six times—it was survival mode for a long time. Through it all, fitness remained a constant, but my nutrition was all over the map. I went from trying veganism to eating whatever I wanted, eventually learning about macros and sticking to a calorie deficit to successfully reduce body fat. Here’s where I started four months postpartum after four back to back pregnancies.

Progress over perfection for sticking to a calorie deficit

But here’s what I’ve learned: There’s never a “perfect” season. The goal is to create discipline within the chaos. I know this because the first time I successfully lost weight by sticking to a calorie deficit, it wasn’t during an easy period. I did it while we were moving, with a baby under the age of one, and my husband working 50+ hours a week. After one year of consistency, I lost 30 lbs. And to be honest, I could have achieved those results even faster if I had fully trusted the process, stuck to the tips I’m sharing with you now, and stopped doubting my own coach. (Yes, even coaches need coaching!)

Then, there was my second cut. I was a month in, starting to gain momentum, when my son got sick and ended up in the hospital for three weeks with appendicitis. Coming home with him wasn’t an instant return to normal. It was a transition—one that forced me to shift my goal from a strict calorie deficit to focusing on overall well-being, just to get through it. After that, it was about adjusting back to life as a homeschooling family.

I tried to restart the cut several times after coming home, but mentally, I just wasn’t ready to be sticking to a calorie deficit. I could not for the life of me stick to this cut! My focus was scattered between homeschooling, managing our household, and helping my son recover. My mind wasn’t fully in it, and I realized that trying to force a strict deficit in the middle of all that chaos was only making me feel more defeated. What I needed at the time was grace, not pressure.

Those periods of life aren’t failures—they’re part of the process. The key is knowing when to pause, give yourself grace, and when to recommit once the season changes. Also, since I’ve been consistent with lifting and progressive overload, I’ve built up my glutes and my upper body has definitely gained size with muscle. An impromptu bulk for the last year should reveal some added definition!

I remember seeing the “before” in a video (I’m not one of those booty pic girls, so I had to screenshot both of these from videos—lol), and thinking, “Oh my goodness, how did this happen?” I’ve always been on the smaller, more petite side and knew I had a good shape with strong glutes and legs. But after having four babies back to back, all of that was gone. Hello, mom butt!

But that’s okay. Our bodies go through changes, and pregnancy and breastfeeding affect everyone differently. It’s part of the journey, and now, I’m embracing where I am and working toward where I want to be.

What I’m doing this time around to stick to a cut

When it comes to fat loss, many people think the only way to succeed is through extreme restriction. But I’ve learned that sustainable progress comes from balance, discipline, and faith. Here’s the approach I’m taking this time around

This time, I’m approaching my calorie deficit with a new mindset. First and foremost, I’m using this journey as an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord. He calls us to be disciplined, and His words remind me to stay committed: “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.” Harsh reality isn’t it?

A calorie deficit isn’t just about drastically cutting calories—it’s about creating balance. If your maintenance calories are 2,000 and you slash them to 1,200, yes, you’ll lose weight, but you’ll also feel miserable. Instead, we can take a more sustainable approach by combining calorie reduction with increased activity. Here are a few different ways to make it work:

Sticking to a calorie deficit 101

1. Find Your Baseline Calories (Maintenance):
   • Track everything you eat for 1-2 weeks. Add up your total calories and divide by the number of days you tracked. For example, if you tracked for 7 days with totals of 1800, 2200, 2500, 1750, 2400, 2300, and 2000, your average would be 2,135 calories. This is your baseline.
2. Decrease 200-500 Calories (Deficit)
   • Take your baseline number and subtract 200-500 calories to create a sustainable deficit. Starting with a smaller deficit is ideal, as it allows for gradual adjustments over time and sticking to a calorie deficit seem less daunting. For example, subtracting 300 calories from a baseline of 2,135 leaves you with 1,835 calories—much higher than the common 1,200-calorie deficit. This extra room allows for more fiber, flexibility, and less misery compared to restrictive eating (unless you’re a smaller individual for whom 1,200 calories may be appropriate).
3. Determine your macros (protein, fats, carbs)
   • Don’t skip this step! Setting the right macros, especially protein, is key to losing fat while preserving or even building muscle. Aim for about 1g of protein per pound of ideal body weight. Not only will this preserve muscle, but it will help keep you fuller and support healthy hair, skin, and nails. Check out this post for everything you need to know about setting your macros.
4. Increase activity with additional walking
   • Find your current daily step count, then aim to add 1,000-2,000 extra steps. Walking is a simple, effective way to burn 40-80 extra calories without the strain of intense workouts. Plus, it taps into fat stores more efficiently than high-intensity cardio. Check out the linked blog posts for easy tips to get moving here and here!
5. Stay consistent with weight training
   • A calorie deficit doesn’t mean cutting back on your strength training. Keep pushing yourself in the gym to maintain muscle mass and improve your body composition. You can slightly reduce intensity or volume as you approach your goal weight and lower body fat percentage, but don’t quit lifting.
6. Track Progress Frequently
   • The scale isn’t the enemy—it’s just a data point. Weigh yourself daily to get a weekly average, so daily fluctuations don’t derail your mindset. Also, take weekly progress photos, as the scale doesn’t always show the full picture. Want to go all out? Consider a DEXA scan at the start, middle, and end of your deficit for accurate measurements.
7. PRIORITIZE RECOVERY (SLEEP AND STRESS)
   • Recovery isn’t about ice baths or hot yoga (overrated!). What’s underrated? Getting enough sleep and managing stress. Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep and focus on managing life’s triggers. I know, as a mom, it’s tempting to stay up late for “me time,” but let’s be honest—doom-scrolling or binge-watching Netflix isn’t what we need. (Pointing the finger at myself too.)
8. Set realistic milestones
   • If you have 30 lbs to lose, don’t expect it to happen in a month. Set smaller goals, such as losing 10-15 lbs at a time. If you have more than 30 lbs to lose, take a diet break every 12-16 weeks. During this break, eat at your new maintenance calories for 2-4 weeks. If you see a slight weight gain in the first week, don’t panic—it’s mostly glycogen and water, not fat!

Putting It All Together!

Now that you have the key steps to creating a calorie deficit, it’s time to show you how I’m applying them in my own journey. I’m starting this cut with clear data points and a plan that prioritizes consistency, balance, and sustainability. Here’s a look at my starting metrics and meal prep staples that will help me stay on track.

Current Data Points: My Starting Metrics for

I’m starting this with these data points.

• Current weight: 145 lbs at 5’4
• Goal weight (if applicable): 130-135 lbs (or until I’m satisfied)
• Baseline calories: 2,000 calories
• Deficit calories: 1,650-1750 calories (I like to give myself a range so it’s not super strict in the beginning. I’ll tighten it up as I go along, if needed)
• Step goal: 8,000 ➡️ New goal: 10k
• Lifting split: 4-full body days and 2 days of sprints or HIIT

My Meal Prep Staples: Fat-Loss-Friendly Foods

This isn’t a full list but something to get you started. I will share more specific meals throughout the series and on my instagram!

Closing Thoughts

As an online personal trainer, I feel the pressure to be perfect, but I want you to see that I’m human too. I’ll be sharing the good, the bad, and the messy parts of this journey. Truthfully, the thought of “you’re going to fail again” has already crossed my mind. I struggle with shiny object syndrome and staying focused on my goals—but this time, I’m determined to push through.

In the next post, we’ll dive deeper into starting with your “why,” the psychology of overcoming obstacles, and the challenges I’ve faced over the past six months of starting and stopping this cut. Stay tuned!

I’ll be sharing updates along the way here and on my instagram—my meals, progress, and challenges. Follow along, and if you’re starting a cut or thinking about it, let me know in the comments or DM me! We’re in this together!

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Here are some other articles you will enjoy:

3 Non-Scale Victories: Winning Beyond The Scale

Crafting Your Dream Body: The Ultimate Macro-Friendly Food Grocery List

4 Pregnancy Fitness Myths You might believe

Why you’re not losing weight in a calorie deficit

Sleep Routine for Moms: 7 Simple Tips to Rest, Recharge, and Thrive

3 Time Management Tips to Crush It at Mom Life

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