CrossFit & MFP

I’ve been doing CrossFit religiously 3x/week for about the last two months, and I recently started tracking my macros. My results so far have been extremely inspiring, and I’ve definitely hit the point where going 3x/week is a habit, and I feel weird if I miss a day. Because I am/was overweight, I know it’s much easier to maintain or gain muscle while still losing fat compared to a lean person (being thick has SOME perks, eh? ). Any input on calorie deficit? From all the research I’ve done, you must have a calorie deficit to lose the fat. You build or maintain muscle through diet and strength training while maintain a caloric deficit. Would love some feedback/confirmation that my thinking and research is correct: I must always be at a caloric deficit to lose fat, and I need not worry about being calorie positive until my goal shifts away from primarily fat loss to primarily muscle gain. Thanks!!!