How to lose fat without losing muscle is an age old question that is very debatable, however it is an important one. In some ways you may always lose a very small percentage of muscle when you lose body fat but those are insignificant amounts. However if you diet incorrectly, you could lose too much muscle and too little fat.
It is all related to calorie deficit. When your body requires more calories than you consume for energy, it will take the fuel anywhere it can find it including fat, muscle, or both. So it is key not to try to cut too many calories too fast. Fast is what people want, but in truth it is unhealthy and unproductive. You can actually increase or slow down your fat burning by cutting calories too fast. Any good diet system will have a slow but steady method to cutting calories.
Your muscles require protein, so it is a good idea to see that your diet includes good quantities of protein. This applies to both meals and snacking. A quality protein shake is also beneficial in many ways.
Lets be clear about something. You want to lose fat,not lose weight. Excess fat is what makes us look bad and subjects us to a host of terrible diseases and afflictions. Not to mention excess medical expenses. So be sure your diet is focused on losing body fat gradually on a systematic basis, as opposed to “losing twenty pounds in three days” and other such nonsense. You basically have two choices for losing excess body fat. Burning more, and consuming less calories.
The next thing you want to do if you want to know how to lose fat without losing muscle, is to keep exercising. Proper strength training is one of your best weapons against fat. If you have started to consume less calories, the last thing you want to do is reduce your exercise. Generally speaking you want to keep building muscle by continuing your strength training. It is fine to increase your weights within reason in order to keep working and building up muscle tissue. Some people make the mistake of reducing their weights once they have started to lose some fat. A good exercise set with free weights will burn calories and continue to burn them after your routine is done.It will also tell the body that you wish to keep your muscle and to use the fat for fuel.
Any good diet system including the sytems here at Guide2diets will reflect the above ideas. To recap how to lose fat without losing muscle;
Gradually reduce calorie intake, not too fast
Be sure to consume plenty of protein
Continue your present strength training
