Nutrition for Fat Loss

Fat loss comes down to a sustained caloric deficit (see calorie-targets), but how it's run determines whether you lose fat or fat plus muscle, and whether you can stick with it. Core principles:

• Moderate deficit: ~10–25% below TDEE (often ~500 kcal/day), targeting ~0.5–1% of body weight per week (see safe-deficit-rate). Faster isn't better — it costs muscle and adherence.
• High protein: prioritize protein (up toward 2.3–3.1 g/kg for trained lifters cutting) to preserve lean mass and maximize satiety (see protein-sparing-deficit).
• Resistance training: the non-negotiable signal that keeps muscle while fat is lost.
• Satiety and volume: build meals around fiber-rich, high-volume, low-energy-density foods (vegetables, fruit, legumes, lean protein — see fiber) so you feel full on fewer calories.
• Sustainability: choose a pattern you can maintain (see diet-adherence-principle); allow some flexibility to prevent rebound.

Practical tactics: track intake at least initially, keep liquid calories and added sugars low, manage hunger with protein/fiber/water, get adequate sleep (poor sleep raises hunger and risks muscle loss), and expect non-linear scale movement (water/glycogen and hormonal fluctuations) — judge progress over 2+ weeks. A structured fat-loss block is a "cut" (see cutting).

• Sustained moderate deficit (~10–25% / ~500 kcal/day); ~0.5–1% body weight/week.
• High protein (up to ~2.3–3.1 g/kg trained) to spare muscle and boost satiety.
• Resistance training is essential to retain lean mass.
• Emphasize fiber-rich, high-volume, low-energy-density foods.
• Sustainability and sleep matter; judge progress over 2+ weeks.

• calorie-targets / safe-deficit-rate — sizing the deficit.
• protein-sparing-deficit — protecting muscle.
• fiber — satiety and volume.
• cutting — the structured fat-loss phase.