Weight loss
Weight loss meal plans
Fat loss is a calorie deficit you can actually live with. SmartyDiet calculates your deficit, sets a protein target that protects muscle, and builds the meals around food you like.
Step 1 — find your maintenance calories
Your maintenance level is total daily energy expenditure: basal metabolic rate multiplied by an activity factor. A 32-year-old woman, 168 cm, 74 kg, lightly active has a BMR near 1,470 kcal and a TDEE near 2,020 kcal. Fat loss starts by subtracting 15-20% from that number, not by guessing a round figure like 1,200 kcal.
Step 2 — set protein before anything else
In a deficit the body will take amino acids from wherever it can, including muscle. A protein intake of 1.6-2.2 g per kilogram of body weight, spread over 3-5 meals, keeps that loss to a minimum and keeps you full. Practical anchors: 150 g chicken breast ≈ 46 g protein, 200 g Greek yogurt ≈ 20 g, three eggs ≈ 19 g, 150 g salmon ≈ 31 g, 100 g lean beef steak ≈ 26 g, 200 g tofu ≈ 16 g, 150 g cooked lentils ≈ 13 g.
Step 3 — use volume and fiber to control hunger
High-volume, low-calorie foods make a deficit feel smaller than it is. Aim for 25-38 g of fiber a day from vegetables, legumes, berries and intact whole grains.
- Vegetables at every main meal: spinach, broccoli, courgette, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage
- Fruit as the default sweet: apples, berries, oranges, kiwi, banana around training
- Legumes for fiber and protein together: lentils, chickpeas, black beans
- Chia and flax seeds for fiber and omega-3, in yogurt or oats
- Water first when hunger appears between planned meals
Step 4 — keep the deficit sustainable
Aggressive deficits fail for behavioural reasons, not metabolic ones. Losing 0.5-1% of body weight per week preserves muscle, training performance and adherence. Plan for social meals inside the weekly calorie budget instead of treating them as failures, and recalculate targets after every 4-5 kg of loss because a lighter body burns fewer calories.
What your SmartyDiet weight loss plan looks like
You get the daily calorie and macro targets, a full meal-by-meal menu for 1, 2 or 4 weeks at the meal frequency you chose, portion sizes in grams, a weekly grocery list, and every allergen or disliked food removed. Two refinements are included so the plan can be adjusted once you have real-world feedback.
Frequently asked questions
What is a calorie deficit?
A calorie deficit means eating fewer calories than your body uses in a day. Body fat is then used to cover the difference. A deficit of roughly 15-20% below maintenance, or about 300-700 kcal per day for most adults, produces steady fat loss of about 0.3-0.7 kg per week.
What should I eat to lose weight?
Build each meal around a protein source (eggs, chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, tofu, legumes), a large volume of vegetables, a measured portion of a fiber-rich carbohydrate (oats, potatoes, rice, whole grains, fruit) and a small measured portion of fat (olive oil, nuts, avocado). This pattern hits protein and fiber targets, which are the two strongest predictors of appetite control in a deficit.
How do I calculate my calories for weight loss?
Estimate your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, multiply by your activity factor to get TDEE, then subtract 15-20%. The free BMR and macro calculators do both steps for you.
How much protein should I eat while losing weight?
Higher than at maintenance: around 1.6-2.2 g per kilogram of body weight per day. Protein preserves lean mass in a deficit and is the most satiating macronutrient per calorie.
Why has my weight loss stalled?
The three usual causes are unlogged calories creeping back in, a lower TDEE after losing weight, and normal water-weight fluctuations masking real fat loss. Judge progress on a weekly average rather than a single morning reading, and recalculate targets after every 4-5 kg lost.