# How to lose fat (not just weight) > To lose fat and keep muscle, eat in a moderate calorie deficit (about 10–20% below maintenance), keep protein high (around 2 g per kg), keep strength training, and adjust from your weekly weight trend. Aim for roughly 0.5–1% of bodyweight lost per week. Source: Lift Republic (https://liftrepublic.com/learn/how-to-lose-fat) Category: Fat loss · Published: 2026-06-01 · Reviewed: 2026-06-04 Losing *weight* is easy and usually a mistake — crash diets shed muscle and water and rebound. The real goal is losing **fat** while keeping the muscle that makes you look and perform well. Here's how. ## Set the right deficit Fat loss requires eating less energy than you burn. But bigger isn't better: - Find your maintenance calories with the [maintenance calorie calculator](/tools/tdee). - Set a **moderate deficit** of roughly 10–20% below maintenance using the [calorie target calculator](/tools/calorie-target). - Expect to lose about **0.5–1% of bodyweight per week**. Faster risks muscle loss, low energy and rebound. [[calc:calorie-target]] ## Protein protects your muscle In a deficit, high protein is non-negotiable — it preserves muscle and keeps you full. Aim for around **2 g per kg of bodyweight**; check yours with the [protein calculator](/tools/protein) and split your day with the [macro calculator](/tools/macro). ## Keep lifting Strength training tells your body to keep its muscle while you lose fat. Don't replace lifting with endless cardio — keep training hard and let the deficit do the fat-loss work. Cardio is a useful tool for expenditure and health, not the main lever. ## Track the trend, not the day Bodyweight bounces daily with water, food and salt. What matters is the **weekly trend**. Weigh in consistently, look at the multi-week average, and adjust calories only when the trend stalls for 2–3 weeks. This is precisely where data-driven coaching beats guesswork — our [fat-loss programme](/programmes/fat-loss) recalibrates from your real trend. ## Make it sustainable The best diet is the one you can actually follow: - Build meals around protein and whole foods, but leave room for foods you enjoy. - Plan for travel, eating out and busy weeks instead of "starting again Monday". - Prioritise sleep — poor sleep raises hunger and undermines adherence. Lose fat slowly enough to keep your muscle, track the trend, and stay consistent. That's how the fat stays off. ## FAQ ### How fast can I safely lose fat? A sustainable, muscle-sparing rate is about 0.5–1% of bodyweight per week. Faster usually means losing muscle and water, and tends to rebound. ### How many calories should I eat to lose weight? Roughly 10–20% below your maintenance calories. Calculate maintenance with our TDEE calculator, then your deficit with the calorie target calculator. ### Why have I stopped losing weight? Plateaus are normal — as you lose weight, maintenance falls, and adherence often drifts. Recalibrate from your real trend over 2–3 weeks rather than reacting to daily noise.