Your body fat percentage is the share of your body weight that is fat. Lowering it means losing fat, keeping muscle, or both. That is a different goal from simply making the scale go down, and it needs a slightly different approach.
Key points
- Eat in a moderate calorie deficit and lose about 0.5–1% of body weight per week.
- Keep protein high: about 1.8–2.4 g per kg of body weight.
- Keep lifting weights to protect muscle.
- Move more during the day, and sleep at least 7 hours.
- Track waist size and strength, not just the scale.
1. Create a moderate calorie deficit
Fat loss requires eating fewer calories than you burn. A deficit of 250–750 kcal a day works for most people. Start by finding your maintenance calories with the TDEE calculator, then choose a pace with the calorie calculator.
The right pace depends on how much fat you have to lose:
| Starting point | Suggested pace |
|---|---|
| More fat to lose | Up to 1% of body weight a week |
| Moderate body fat | 0.5–1% a week |
| Already lean | 0.5% a week or less |
Slower is often better. In a study of elite athletes, those who lost weight at about 0.7% a week kept more muscle and gained more strength than those losing twice as fast.
2. Keep protein high
Protein is your main tool for keeping muscle in a deficit. It also keeps you fuller and costs more energy to digest than carbs or fat. Aim for 1.8–2.4 g per kg of body weight a day, spread across your meals. The protein calculator gives you a range for fat loss specifically.
3. Keep lifting weights
Strength training sends your body the message that muscle is still needed. Keep training with heavy weights, and try to maintain your strength. You may need slightly fewer sets as the diet goes on, but keep the intensity high.
4. Move more during the day
Daily steps and general movement can add hundreds of calories to your burn, and they are easier to recover from than extra hard training. A step target, for example 8,000–10,000 a day, is a simple way to support fat loss. Cardio sessions help too, but do not need to be long or intense.
5. Sleep enough
Sleep has a surprisingly large effect. In one study, dieters who slept 5.5 hours instead of 8.5 hours lost the same amount of weight, but 55% less of it was fat, and they lost more muscle. Aim for at least 7 hours. See sleep and muscle growth.
6. Choose a diet you can stick to
Low-carb, low-fat, intermittent fasting: when calories and protein are the same, research finds similar fat loss. Pick the pattern you can follow for months. The macro calculator supports balanced, low-carb, high-carb and keto styles.
How to track progress
The scale moves with water, salt and food volume, so use more than one measure:
- Weekly average weight, not daily readings.
- Waist measurement at the navel, every one or two weeks.
- Progress photos in the same light every few weeks.
- Strength in the gym: holding your lifts is a sign you are keeping muscle.
If your weekly average has not moved for two to three weeks, lower your intake by 100–200 kcal or add more daily movement.
Why you cannot spot-reduce fat
Crunches do not burn belly fat, and arm exercises do not burn arm fat. Your body decides where fat comes from, largely based on genetics. Keep the overall deficit going and every area will get leaner over time.
Summary
Lower your body fat with a moderate deficit, high protein, continued strength training, more daily movement and good sleep. Be patient: losing fat slowly keeps more muscle, and more muscle means a leaner, stronger result.