Calories from your diet provide the energy your body needs to function. Eating more calories than you burn will cause your body to store the excess calories as fat. On the other hand, eating fewer calories than you burn, also known as a hypocaloric diet, can help you lose weight.
Hypocaloric Balance
A hypocaloric diet is simply one in which you eat fewer calories than you burn. This is the strategy recommended by many health experts, including the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, for healthy, long-term weight loss. A hypocaloric diet can be achieved by either consuming fewer calories or by increasing your physical activity, which will help you burn more calories.