Should you starve yourself to lose weight on a calorie deficit?

11 Aug 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:16

In this short YouTube segment, Eric Roberts responds to a claim that the only way to lose weight is to starve oneself and work out. He explains that feeling a little hungry is normal when operating in a calorie deficit, but it is not true starvation. The brain, accustomed to constant overeating, may interpret mild hunger as panic. Roberts emphasizes that one should not actually starve or consume extremely low calories (e.g., 1,200 kcal), and instead should reframe hunger as a sign of a healthy deficit. He advises viewers to rewire their mindset about hunger, aim for a realistic calorie deficit, and offers a free calorie calculator via a link in his bio for personalized guidance.

Chapters

I don't care what these people tell you, the only way you're gonna lose weight, especially with all these big bag snacks and meals that they coming out with, is starving and working out. Those are the keys.
She's kind of right. When you go into a calorie deficit, you are going to be a little bit hungry. And for a lot of people, that hunger feels like you're starving. But you actually aren't. You've just been so used to overeating and feeling stuffed and full that when you experience a little bit of hunger, your brain panics and feels like it's starving. But that little bit of hunger and not feeling satisfied after a meal is normal when you're trying to lose weight. And to be clear, you shouldn't actually be starving yourself or eating 1,200 calories, but you will need to rewire your brain that the feeling of hunger isn't a panic signal, and it's actually a sign that you are in a calorie deficit. And if you need to know what a realistic calorie deficit is for you, click the link in my bio to use my free calorie calculator.