When an individual is in a fat loss phase, we’ve discussed how crucial it is to provide our body with the building blocks for our muscles (protein) - but it’s equally important to send a message to our body that it needs to hold on to that muscle! And the best way to do that is with a consistent strength training plan. When you pair adequate protein intake with consistent strength training, you are telling your body that muscle is necessary (despite the energy leaving your system in a deficit), AND you’re providing the building blocks to repair/maintain that muscle. This is a well-rounded approach to an aesthetic physique that can also perform!

It’s impossible to talk about fat loss without mentioning a calorie deficit - and for good reason! Weight loss in general is driven by energy balance (a simple equation of calories in vs calories out), and for us to target fat we need to begin here! When more calories (a unit of energy) are leaving a system than entering, it’s often referred to as a calorie deficit. If this is sustained over a period of time, weight loss is inevitable. If there is no observed weight loss over time, you are likely misjudging part of this equation. And that’s okay! Our team has done a ton of math on the back end to keep the approach for our templates simple and straightforward.

When we’ve achieved a calorie deficit, our body will naturally shed both muscle AND fat. Whether our goal is aesthetics or sport performance, we want to spare as much muscle as possible, to ensure that the majority of the weight lost is body fat. To do that, we must absolutely prioritize protein intake while *also* maintaining a calorie deficit. This gives our body the building blocks it needs to hold on to muscle mass while energy is leaving the system. As a rule of thumb, we want to aim for a MINIMUM of .8g/lb of bodyweight - ideally closer to 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight while in a deficit. You may be thinking, “Great, ANOTHER thing to track on TOP of dropping my calories? How can I possibly keep up with all of this?” Our team once again has you covered, and has factored in your needs for protein while following our templates.

Even if you have adequate protein intake AND strength train, losing weight too quickly will inevitably lead to loss in muscle, decreased performance, etc. And that isn’t even touching on the psychological effects that come along with rapid weight loss that often lead to rebounding. So where does that leave us? Our weight loss templates involve detailed instructions that keep you at the IDEAL rate of change to maximize fat loss and more importantly - improve your chances of long term success. We not only take the physical portion into account, but want to create a mental environment where you better understand the process AND make progress without being overwhelmed and throwing in the towel.