How do I lean out without losing muscle?

The difference is fat loss versus weight loss. One WarriorBabe coach explains that a massive calorie deficit, tons of cardio and too little protein means you lose everything: fat, muscle, even organ size. Muscle is active tissue, and the only thing that fuels it is food. When you eat enough protein and the right fats and carbs, body fat comes down while lean muscle stays. Kris saw this firsthand. On restrictive, calorie-only plans, she says, "rather than leaning out, I was just kind of shrinking." Her 12-week cut with Nikkiey, built around macros, was the first she did without starving herself.

Training matters as much as food. The same coach points out that strength training makes your muscles work, while lots of cardio doesn't require muscle at all. Maggie, at 51, quit cardio completely and made lifting the foundation instead of something she squeezed in after long cardio sessions, when she was already depleted. She stresses that dropping cardio only worked because she replaced it with strength training.

Nikkiey adds that a deficit does come with some hunger, and expecting it makes it easier to manage. If muscle has been slipping while the scale moves, it usually isn't you. It's a plan built on eating less and doing more.