Weight Loss, Part 3: Pull the Right Levers

Protein is your anchor. Carbs and fat are what you actually adjust.

We’ve covered the math of weight loss in Part 1 and the mindset behind sustainable weight loss in Part 2.

Now let’s talk strategy... specifically, which macros should you actually adjust when your goal is losing body fat while maintaining muscle?

Protein Is the Anchor

Protein is the anchor. When calories come down, getting enough protein becomes even more important for helping maintain muscle while you lose weight.

Protein isn’t just about building muscle. When you’re eating in a calorie deficit, getting enough protein helps protect the muscle you already have.

And that matters.

The goal shouldn’t simply be to make the number on the scale go down. Ideally, you want to lose body fat while preserving as much lean muscle as possible.

👉 Want a better way to measure progress than the scale? Learn what an InBody scan can tell you about muscle mass, body fat and body composition.

There’s an important relationship at play here, too: the more aggressive your energy deficit becomes, the more important adequate protein intake becomes... not less.

Think of protein as the anchor. Once you establish an appropriate protein target, carbohydrates and fats become the primary levers you adjust around it.

Protein also works in your favor in two other ways.

First, it tends to keep you fuller for longer, which can make a calorie deficit easier to maintain.

Second, protein has a higher thermic effect of food than carbohydrates or fat. In other words, your body uses more energy digesting and processing protein.

That doesn’t make protein some magical weight-loss food.

But it does make getting enough protein an important part of a smart weight-loss plan.

Carbs and Fat Are the Levers

Carbs and fat aren’t the enemy. Once protein is established, carbs and fat are the levers you can adjust based on your goals, training and preferences.

So if we’re prioritizing protein, where does the calorie deficit actually come from?

Usually, carbohydrates and dietary fat.

These are your adjustable levers... the ones you can raise or lower based on your goals, training, lifestyle and preferences.

• Want more energy around your training? Lean a little heavier on carbohydrates.

• Prefer a lower-carb approach? Shift more of your remaining calories toward fat.

• Prefer a more balanced approach? Divide the remaining calories between carbs and fat in a way you can actually sustain.

Either way, protein remains the anchor while carbohydrates and fats become the dials you adjust to reach your calorie target.

And this is why fad diets that automatically make one macronutrient the enemy tend to miss the bigger picture.

Carbs aren’t inherently the problem. Fat isn’t inherently the problem.

It’s about intentionally deciding how to allocate the calories surrounding your protein target.

What Are the Best Macros for Weight Loss?

Here’s where everyone wants the magic formula:

Just tell me exactly how much protein, carbs and fat I should eat.

Unfortunately, there isn’t one perfect macro split for weight loss.

Your appropriate targets can depend on your:

• Current body composition

• Calorie needs

• Activity level

• Strength-training program

• Goals

• Food preferences

• Ability to consistently follow the plan

That’s why copying someone else’s macros or plugging your information into a generic online calculator may not give you the best answer.

The best macros for weight loss are the ones that create an appropriate calorie deficit, provide enough protein to support your muscle, fuel your activity and are realistic enough for you to maintain.

Not quite as exciting as the latest diet trend.

But far more useful.

Putting the Weight-Loss Series Together

Strength training and good nutrition work together. Maintaining muscle while losing body fat is an important part of building a stronger, healthier body for the long term.

So let’s bring all three parts of this series together.

THE MATH: You need a genuine, sustainable calorie deficit... not a guessed-at number that’s unnecessarily low.

THE MINDSET: Take weight loss off the pedestal. Build habits you can repeat, learn how to recover from imperfect days and give yourself credit for the non-scale wins.

THE MACROS: Prioritize adequate protein to help preserve muscle, then use carbohydrates and fats as the levers you adjust within your overall calorie target.

That’s the bigger picture.

No secrets. No shortcuts. No single food you have to eliminate.

The math, the mindset and the macros all have to work together.

And perhaps most importantly, the plan has to work for you.

The Bottom Line

Successful, sustainable weight loss isn’t about eating as little as possible or eliminating entire food groups.

It’s about creating a nutrition strategy that helps you lose body fat, maintain muscle, fuel your training and eat in a way you can actually sustain.

And that’s also why we don’t believe nutrition and exercise should exist in two separate worlds.

At Functional Elements Training & Nutrition in Creve Coeur, we bring nutrition, strength training and body-composition tracking together so we can look at far more than simply what the scale says.

👉 Learn why strength training is one of the most powerful tools we have for aging well.

Because the ultimate goal isn’t just to weigh less.

It’s to build a stronger, healthier body you can maintain for the long haul.

If you’re tired of guessing at calories, protein and macros and want help putting all the pieces together, that’s exactly what our team at Functional Elements is here for.

GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT!

Ready to put it all together?
If you could use a kickstart with your fitness, nutrition and recovery, we can help. It's what we do. Check out our 14-Day 360°and see how Functional Elements can help you build a plan around you.

Jaime Rothermich, RD, CSSD, LD, PPSC×KB, CSCS
Registered Dietitian
Functional Elements Training & Nutrition
TRAIN FOR LIFE