High-Performance Vegan Letters

The unavoidable fat loss law and 5 steps to create a caloric deficit in under 10 minutes

letters Oct 24, 2024

What’s in store for today:

The #1 nutrition law you can’t avoid for fat-loss success
The science behind weight loss and how to guarantee results
5 steps to calculate your caloric deficit with a simple fitness formula

Heading back home this week.

It’s been exactly one month since we left home (tomorrow).

I’m still astonished.

But there’s been lessons I’ve learned over this past month from temporary relocation from Asheville to New York.

One of the reminders I’ve learned is giving myself grace.

I have the tendency to try to do too much, too fast.

This usually ends badly.

The past 30 days I’ve been focusing on 1-2 MIT’s per day (most important tasks) while keeping my organization skills high.

The better organized I am (and feel) even in the midst of chaos, the more momentum I can build.

Momentum is what you want if you want continuous progress.

(regardless of what goal you’re focused on).

For example, my workout schedule got funky the past few weeks due to our relocation.

I’ve worked closely with my coach to recalibrate my workouts for simplicity.

Less is more when you’re doing the right things.

The same has applied for my nutrition and meals.

Rather than try to get a ‘perfect’ meal prep (which doesn’t exist), I’ve focused on simple ingredients.

This has led to my second lesson - nutrition is an easy way to leverage great health during busy seasons.

Time after time, every time I (or our team) work with a client - our main priority is optimizing nutrition.

With nutrition alone you can significantly transform your body weight, body composition, and body changes.

(no exercise or working out needed).

However, pair this with strategic strength training?

You have a deadly duo for creating a lean, strong body for life.

The past month has been tough for me.

But it hasn’t beat me.

That’s the interesting thing about challenges.

You can use them to stop you.

Or you can use them as stepping stones.

It’s up to you how you choose to use them.

Looking forward to the next challenges I’ll face this year.

Lesson: Challenges are opportunities. What you do with them is up to you.

Here is your (name of today’s issue):

#1.) The Unavoidable Fat-Loss Law

Rome wasn’t built overnight.

Neither is your dream body or health.

Creating the right foundation is critical for creating permanent results.

Focusing on your environment and foods puts you ahead of 80% of people.

But you’re not going for average…

You want great results and your first 5 pounds is the road to this.

So today’s letter moves into the #1 nutrition law that rules everything.

Most people confuse or misunderstand this law.

Regardless if you’re fully vegan or just want to add a few more veggies, this law will impact you.

It’s called Negative Energy Balance.

Some people call it Calories In vs. Calories Out.

When you master this law, you'll unlock the key to fat loss and sustained energy.

Let’s dive into how this works, why it matters, and how to make it effortless as a busy high performer.

The Science Behind Calories In vs. Calories Out

Weight loss is all about energy balance—how much energy (calories) you consume vs. how much energy your body burns.

If you consistently consume more calories than your body needs, you’ll gain weight.

If you consume fewer calories than your body needs, you’ll lose weight.

Simple, right?

But there’s more to this story.

The quality of the calories you consume also plays a role in your body composition, energy levels, and overall health.

This is why, while calories are king, macronutrient quality is the queen.

Dr. John Berardi, founder of Precision Nutrition, explains it best:

‘While calories drive weight loss, nutrient-dense, whole foods drive fat loss and muscle preservation—which is exactly what we want.’

Step 1: Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs

Before we start adjusting your intake, we need to know how many calories your body needs daily just to function (your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE).

This includes everything from keeping your heart beating to powering your workouts.

Here’s a simple formula to estimate your TDEE:

Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation:

For women: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161
For men: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) + 5
Multiply by your activity factor:

Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725
Super active (very hard exercise/sports and a physical job): BMR x 1.9

Let’s say your BMR comes out to 1,500 calories, and you’re moderately active (exercise 3-5 days per week).

Your TDEE would be:

1,500 x 1.55 = 2,325 calories/day.

That’s the amount of energy your body needs daily to maintain its current weight.

Now, to create fat loss, we need to create a caloric deficit.

Step 2: Create a Caloric Deficit (But Don’t Go Too Low)

To lose fat, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns.

However, the size of that deficit matters.

If you cut too many calories, you risk burning muscle and slowing down your metabolism.

If you don’t cut enough, you won’t see noticeable results.

Here’s the sweet spot:

Aim for a 15-20% calorie deficit to lose fat without sacrificing muscle or energy levels.

In our example, if your TDEE is 2,325 calories, you’d aim to eat about 1,860-1,975 calories per day.
This will typically result in a healthy fat loss of about 1-2 pounds per week, which is sustainable and safe for most people.

Why not more?

When you cut calories too aggressively (say, by more than 25%), your body goes into starvation mode.

This slows your metabolism, makes you feel lethargic, and actually holds onto fat—the opposite of what we want.

A moderate deficit ensures you’re losing fat, not muscle.

Step 3: Why Whole Food Plant-Based Make Fat Loss Easier

Here’s where being vegan (or transitioning) gives you an advantage.

Whole, plant-based foods are naturally lower in calories but high in volume and nutrients, making it much easier to stay in a calorie deficit without feeling hungry all the time.

Pair this with strategic plant proteins and you have a fitness formula for success.

Let’s break it down further:

High in Fiber, Low in Calories: Foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains are nutrient-dense but calorically light.

You can eat a larger volume of food while still maintaining a calorie deficit.

For example, a big salad with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a handful of chickpeas is filling but clocks in at far fewer calories than a similar-sized meal of refined grains and animal products.

According to Dr. Michael Greger, author of How Not to Diet, foods that are high in fiber create a "bulk effect," meaning they fill up your stomach and trigger your body's satiety signals (so you feel full) without piling on excess calories.

The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): Did you know that your body actually burns calories just by digesting food?

This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF), and plant-based foods, especially those high in fiber and protein, have a higher TEF than processed foods or simple carbs.

Protein, in particular, has the highest TEF—your body burns more calories digesting protein than carbs or fats.

Foods like seitan, tempeh, and tofu require more energy to break down, so by eating more plant-based proteins, you’re boosting your metabolism even while you’re resting.

Step 4: Track Your Progress (Without Obsessing)

Tracking your calories can be incredibly helpful, especially when you’re starting out and learning about portion sizes.

But you don’t want this to become an obsession.

The goal here is to create awareness, not stress.

Here’s how to do it:

Start by logging your meals: Use apps like Cronometer or MyFitnessPal to track your food intake.

These apps allow you to see exactly how many calories and nutrients you’re consuming.

It might feel tedious at first, but after a week or two, you’ll get a solid understanding of portion sizes and calorie content.

Focus on consistency, not perfection: Don’t worry about hitting your calorie target to the exact number.

What’s more important is that you’re consistently creating a small caloric deficit over time.

If you’re generally sticking to your daily intake and making smart food choices, you’ll see results.

Pro tip: You don’t need to track forever.

Once you get the hang of it, you can eyeball portion sizes and make educated decisions about your meals.

Step 5: Adjust As You Go

Your body is smart, and it will eventually adapt to your new calorie intake.

If you hit a plateau (where your weight loss stalls), don’t panic—this is normal.

When that happens, you can either:

Increase your activity levels by adding more steps, workouts, or intensity.
Slightly decrease your calories by another 100-200 per day to reignite fat loss.

But again, remember that slower is better when it comes to sustainable weight loss.

It’s tempting to cut calories drastically to speed things up, but the goal is long-term results, not quick fixes.

Action Steps Recap:

Let’s close out with concrete steps:

Calculate your TDEE using the formula above.
Create a 15-20% calorie deficit to aim for fat loss (usually 1-2 pounds per week).
Track your food intake for the first week to get a sense of portion sizes and calorie content.
Focus on whole, plant-based foods that are naturally low in calories and high in fiber, like veggies, legumes, and whole grains.
Add strategic plant proteins like tofu, tempeh, or seitan for muscle retention and the thermic effect of food.
Adjust as needed if you hit a plateau or if your activity levels change.

Negative energy balance is often misunderstood.

Caloric deficits are used incorrectly.

Use today’s lesson and you won’t encounter either problem again.

Take action and focus on what’s ahead of you today.

Focus on progress over perfection.

- Gabriel

1 Action-Step

Create a moderate deficit for fat-loss (if that’s your goal) using steps above. Retest in 2 weeks while tracking your progress.

"If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you."

- Lao Tzu

Got home today.

Moving next week.

Anyone have any travel tips to share?

I’m ready for a vegan pumpkin chai latte next weekend.