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Let’s talk about fat loss—honestly.
When you strip away all the noise, all the gimmicks, and all the hype, fat loss comes down to one simple (and slightly uncomfortable) truth:
Fat loss is your body using its own stored tissue for fuel because there isn’t enough incoming fuel.
That’s it.
Not glamorous.
Not magical.
Not tied to any one “special” diet.
Just physiology.
Most people feel confused—not because fat loss is complicated, but because the fitness industry makes it sound more complex than it really is.
Want us to walk you through it and help you create a plan? No Selling just a conversation: Talk to a Trainer
As awful as it sounds, fat loss is essentially “cannibalizing” stored body tissue when there’s an energy shortage.
All excess body fat is simply stored fuel—energy your body didn’t burn.
Quite simply, it’s there because the person consumed a surplus of calories.
So step one is unavoidable:
Create a fuel shortage.
We do that through an energy (caloric) deficit, primarily by adjusting diet. Exercise and daily movement absolutely help, but they contribute a smaller percentage to the overall deficit.
Many studies have repeatedly shown the same thing:
When protein and total calories are equated, no specific diet method (keto, vegan, carnivore, low-fat, intermittent fasting) produces better fat-loss results than another.
It doesn’t matter whether the remaining calories come from carbs or fats.
While the science is clear, this isn’t always helpful advice for a client looking for guidance. People already know “eat less, move more.” What they need is a strategy, not a slogan.
We establish a realistic maintenance calorie level first.
For two weeks, the client eats at what they believe is maintenance, tracks food intake closely, and monitors bodyweight.
If weight stays the same → we’re at maintenance.
If weight changes → we reverse-engineer the journal to find true maintenance.
Then we reduce calories by a sustainable percentage.
Summary:
When calories and protein are matched, all diets produce the same rate of fat loss. Choose the one you can stick to.
When you’re in a caloric deficit, the body will make up that difference using its own tissue. But that tissue can come from:
Stored fat, or
Stored muscle
We want fat loss—not muscle loss—so we create conditions that preserve muscle.
Simple ways to add protein to your diet.
This is where positive nitrogen balance comes in.
We typically set protein intake at 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, or start at 0.75g if a client is significantly under-consuming protein.
Studies show that increasing protein intake during fat-loss phases can reduce muscle loss by up to 80%.
Extra benefits:
Protein increases satiety (you stay full longer)
Up to 30% of protein calories are burned during digestion (highest thermic effect of all macros)
Higher protein intake supports better body composition during weight loss
Summary:
If you want fat loss—not just weight loss—higher protein intake is the closest thing to a “free lunch” in nutrition.
Want a simple plan? The Simple Truth.
A caloric deficit alone doesn’t tell the body which tissue to keep.
Strength training does.
Intense weight training sends a clear message:
“This muscle is necessary. Do not break it down.”
The stimulus is resistance training.
The response is muscle preservation—and fat being used for fuel.
A 2018 meta-analysis found that people who lift weights during a diet:
Lost almost twice as much fat
Maintained significantly more lean mass
Had better metabolic outcomes
Long-term studies also show that people who strength train while dieting maintain their metabolic rate, while non-lifters see a decline.
Combined with adequate protein, strength training builds a “fence” around muscle, protecting it during fat loss.
Summary:
During fat loss, your primary training goal should be to maintain muscle. Strength training is a cheat code.
If you’re designing your own fat-loss phase—or helping a client—these are the rules that matter most:
Create a consistent caloric deficit
(no deficit = no fat loss)
Increase protein intake to protect muscle
(keeps you full, supports metabolism, preserves lean mass)
Strength train to maintain muscle while losing fat
(sends the signal that muscle is important)
Fat loss is simple.
It’s sticking to the plan—and having the right structure—that makes the difference.
Most people don’t fail because they don’t understand fat loss.
They fail because:
The diet wasn’t sustainable
Protein was too low
Strength training wasn’t part of the plan
They didn’t have support or accountability
If you follow these three principles, fat loss becomes predictable—not confusing.
Want us to walk you through it and help you create a plan? No Selling just a conversation: Talk to a Trainer