Most people screw up fat loss by making it way harder than it needs to be. They slash calories too aggressively, overdo cardio, and wonder why they feel terrible after a few weeks. Then they quit, regain the weight, and start the cycle all over again.
There’s a better way. If you want to lose fat while keeping your energy up, maintaining as much muscle as possible, and avoiding diet burnout, you need a smarter approach. Let’s break it down.
Fat loss shouldn’t be an endless grind. The best results come when you treat it like a focused phase—usually 8-12 weeks—then take a break before going again.
Why? Because dieting is stressful. Over time, hunger creeps up, workouts get harder, and your body starts pushing back. If you try to diet indefinitely, you’ll eventually hit a wall. A focused fat loss phase allows you to get in, make real progress, and get out before burnout sets in.
For most people, an 8-12 week cut is long enough to see noticeable results (think 10-20 lbs lost, depending on the person) without wrecking energy levels or muscle mass. After that, it’s best to return to maintenance calories for at least 4-6 weeks before deciding if another cut is necessary.
Fat loss happens when you eat fewer calories than you burn. But how big of a deficit you create matters.
For most people, a moderate deficit is the sweet spot. It’s fast enough to see progress but not so extreme that you feel miserable.
When calories drop, your body looks for energy. If you don’t give it enough protein, it might break down muscle instead of fat.
To prevent that, aim for 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 180 lbs, shoot for 130-180g of protein per day.
Good protein sources:
A lot of people think cardio is the key to fat loss. It helps, but strength training is what keeps your muscle while losing fat.
You should lift weights at least 3-4 times per week during a fat loss phase. The goal isn’t to set new PRs—it’s to send a signal to your body that muscle is still needed, so it doesn’t get burned as fuel.
Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows. Keep intensity high, but don’t overdo volume. When dieting, recovery is harder, so you might need to cut back slightly on total sets compared to when you’re eating more.
Hunger is inevitable when dieting, but you can make it more manageable:
Energy will dip slightly, especially toward the end of a cut, but if you’re constantly exhausted, your deficit might be too aggressive.
After 8-12 weeks of dieting, going straight into another fat loss phase is a mistake. Your body needs time to recover.
A maintenance phase (4-6 weeks) allows:
This doesn’t mean going crazy with food. It means slowly increasing calories back to maintenance, keeping protein high, and maintaining training intensity.
Then, if you still want to lose more fat, you can go back into another 8-12 week cut feeling refreshed instead of burnt out.
Fat loss isn’t a sprint—it’s a series of well-planned phases. By structuring your diet into focused 8-12 week periods, keeping protein high, strength training consistently, and taking intentional breaks at maintenance, you’ll lose fat without losing muscle, energy, or motivation.
If you’re tired of the yo-yo dieting cycle and want a plan that actually works, we can help. Book a No-Sweat Intro at Hardbat Athletics, and we’ll set you up with a strength and nutrition plan that fits your life. Let’s make your next fat loss diet successful!
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