Everything you need to know about how to train, what and when you should eat, and the importance of a better night's sleep.

When most people talk about trying to lose weight, what they are really trying to do is lose fat.

The problem is, that requires not losing muscle—which your body naturally does when you’re in a caloric deficit. And a caloric deficit is a requisite for fat loss; you can’t lose fat without taking in fewer calories than you burn per day, says Abbie Smith-Ryan, director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“If you achieve a caloric deficit to lose weight solely by cutting calories, you will lose a similar percentage of weight from fat as from muscle,” adds Heather A. Milton, senior exercise physiologist at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center. Which could make dieting even less attractive than it was before.

Meanwhile, a caloric surplus—eating more calories than you burn per day—is required to build muscle. Think of building muscle like laying bricks: If you want to build it up, you’re going to need more bricks. But then again, we get back to the problem of needing to get remove bricks, Jenga-style, for weight loss. “However, you can manipulate the way the two types of body tissue, fat and muscle, are being lost during a caloric deficit by creating that deficit in a different way,” Milton says. These strategies of manipulation are plentiful—and while each helps on its own, they are most powerful when performed in concert. Here are the steps you should take.

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1) Don’t bulk in the first place!

This tip may be too late but the best way to avoid the challenge is to avoid the idea of getting “big” in the first place, since it usually just means becoming a chubbier version of yourself. However if like many of us, it’s too late to apply this, don’t worry, you can turn it around. Just obey number 2…

2) Create an energy deficit

There are a million diet rules, but the only one you need follow is that of energy balance. Use more energy than you burn and the deficit has to come from somewhere. It does, from the fat stored all over your body, and you are on your way to fat loss. Simple, and it really can be, so long as you choose and use a nutrition plan that fits you.

3) Use it or lose it

You know how it works, so keep working out. What got you your muscle will keep your muscle.

4) Eat a nutrient dense diet

When you are eating below maintenance its more important than ever to make sure your diet still contains all the nutrients you need for optimum performance. You will actually find you are less hungry than you thought you would be when you eat less, so long as those foods are nutrient dense.
Use supplements such as cod liver oil and sea kelp for a boost to keep you in top form.

5) Stay hydrated

Drinking your liquids will not only help you feel full, it also helps your body flush out fat. In fact evidence suggests that drinking ice cold water can also be beneficial for burning fat, as there is an energy cost to your body of heating up the water to body temperature before it can be absorbed.

6) Fast

Intermittent fasting is an extremely powerful tool for melting body fat while maintaining muscle. Not only does it help you easily create the energy deficit needed for fat burning, but it also creates the optimal hormonal state in your body for melting fat while building lean muscle at the same time, for a better version of yourself.

7) Avoid overtraining

Cutting calories can be a drain on your body’s resources. Don’t add to it by training too much. Get out of the gym, recover, and live your life.

8) Take advantage of the benefits of low impact cardio such as walking

Low impact cardio is great because it’s not stressful on body or mind. You are pretty much always going to have the energy to walk. Plus walking has benefits such as aiding recovery, improving circulation and getting you out of the gym. That’s a win, win, win.
Follow these tips and you’ll be on track to lose fat and gain muscle, and heading towards the ideal male body. Enjoy the journey.

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 How to maintain muscle

To keep the muscle you have while losing fat, you’ll need to strike a balance between limiting yourself and pushing yourself as much as you can.

Each person will have different results. Listen to your body, and adjust your workout and eating plan accordingly.