How to lose fat WITHOUT losing muscle

I think that clean eating does matter in the sense that it is easier to stay within the calorie goals. At least for me personally.

I mean strictly in the sense that simply eating clean in itself will not cause you to lose fat. It helps tremendously in that it can keep you fuller longer, be used to repair your body more effectively, can regulate your hormones better, and will cause increases in overall health. But gaining health is not equivalent to losing weight/fat, and I think that understanding that is important. I promote that message to help people understand that not all weight loss is good weight loss and that they should focus on *both* health and weight loss instead of simply assuming that one inherently leads to the other.

Omanya- Have you read actual research to support #4, especially the claim that your body prefers to use muscle for fuel over fat at steeper deficits (in overfat individuals)? That is the part I've never really seen good support for yet.

Does he mention that we always lose a mix of lean and fat tissue, and that for most of us, that's actually fine? Obese people shrink everything as they lose, even their blood volume and organs. A smaller body doesn't need super-sized calves, hams, quads and heart.

Numbering because it's easier:

1) Yes, I have.

2) I did not claim that the body prefers to use muscle for fuel. I claimed that, in an attempt to more efficiently conserve energy, it will drop unnecessary muscle mass because, well, it's a waste of energy. The body will 'prefer' to convert protein to energy only once severe starvation sets in, at which point you don't have too much longer to live if your circumstances don't change.

3) I'd have to check, but I didn't interpret the point as being that you won't lose any muscle, but that you'll lose as little as necessary. Maybe that's a bit high context, meaning you need to already know this, but that is what is implied by the strength training regimen.

3) That actually is not fine, particularly for dieting women who on average already have between 10 and 15 lb less muscle mass than they should have, and that's precisely because they tend to undereat/overdo cardio/not strength train at all. This message is not as important for men, who typically are not trying to be as small and frail as possible.

So yes, you will lose muscle on a caloric deficit, but the point is to lose as little as possible - especially if you're starting behind the curb.