How to Lose Body Fat the Smart Way

Enough with the yo-yo diets and intensive workouts. There's a better way to think about and address body fat. The science of how to lose weight remains the same, but by treating fat as fuel instead of extra weight, you’ll hopefully have a happier, more fulfilling journey toward whatever your goals are.Why we’re thinking about fat all wrongWanting to slim down and lose some fat is fine if that’s your goal. But we have to be careful that we aren’t treating any and all fat as ‘bad’, or something to be shedded. “Fat gets a bad rep in today’s society—and that’s not really fair,” says Alina Cox, co-owner of Fitzrovia’s ClubQ health club. “While excess body fat is linked to a range of serious health issues,” she says, “some fat is essential.”In fact, fat helps with everything from insulation to fertility, regulation of the immune system and, yes, metabolism. It’s so vital that Veronika Larisova, dietitian and co-founder of Chief Nutrition, calls it “one of the most essential molecules in the human body” adding that “stored body fat acts as a long-term energy reservoir while fat tissue is also involved in hormone production, releasing signaling molecules that help regulate appetite, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation.” It also helps cushion our internal organs and forms an important component of cell membranes and the nervous system.In other words: fat is your friend. Now that’s cleared up, let’s get down to business.How the body burns fatThe body relies on carbohydrates and fat for energy, with fat as the preferred fuel at lower intensity. “The reason is energy yield,” explains Cox. “Fat takes longer to break down than carbohydrates, but delivers significantly more energy per gram. On top of that, fat reserves are abundant within the body.” It’s true, even a lean individual carries around 100,000 calories worth of stored fat at any one time.When our bodies burn fat for fuel, they undergo a process called lipolysis, followed by fatty-acid oxidation. Stored triglycerides in fat tissue are broken down into fatty acids, which then enter the bloodstream and are transported to cells throughout the body where they’re converted into energy.According to Adam Enaz, founder of Enaz Fitness, the average sedentary person burns roughly 60–80g of fat per day through basic body functions and low-level activities like putting the kettle on. Put yourself into a calorie deficit (the keto diet suggests lowering carb intake to 50g per day to encourage fat burn) and up the exercise, and you can significantly increase your burn.Whichever approach you take, Cox is clear that you’ll probably have more fun if you remember that fat is fuel. Don’t just spend an hour walking on the treadmill, staring at the gym wall. Use those calories to work on your 10k PB, hit that V6 at your climbing gym, or catch a game of pickup basketball, and you’re much more likely to enjoy yourself and stick to your fat loss goals.Why you can burn fat too fastA 2021 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology found that fat intakes below 40% of total energy intake were associated with reduced testosterone levels in men. “Slashing fat too aggressively can actively suppress the hormones that help you hold onto muscle and drive performance,” says Enaz, adding that “the sweet spot for most men is keeping dietary fat at 25-35 percent of total calories minimum, prioritizing unsaturated fats and not fearing saturated fat in moderate amounts.”Cardio is not always kingMost people assume cardio is the fat loss king, while weights are made for bricking on size. The research tells a different story. A 2025 study of 304 men and women placed on a 500 calorie deficit compared strength training, aerobic exercise, and zero exercise programs over roughly five months. The strength training group achieved the greatest absolute fat loss across almost every measure. And crucially, it was the only group that actually built lean muscle.“Most people misunderstand how fat loss works,” says Enaz. “Cardio doesn't directly burn body fat in any special way; all exercise contributes to energy expenditure. It's total energy balance over time that drives fat loss.” The difference is that muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it consumes calories even at rest. Burn more of it, and you’ll lose more weight, even when you’re resting.The bottom line, though, is that diet alone can absolutely drive fat loss. “A 500 calorie daily deficit through food only will yield around 0.5kg of fat loss per week,” says Enaz. “The caveat is that without any resistance training, a greater proportion of that weight loss tends to come from muscle, not just fat.”A solid, energy-burning workout that will help you reach your goalsLarisova, Enaz, and Cox agree that fat is a tool, and that workouts should be used for driving fitness and performance, not just burning calories or fat. “As established above, burning fat for fuel and losing body fat are two different things,” says Cox. With that in mind, the three workouts here are designed to stimulate your mind, and drive engagement with your body for long term health improvements, too.The Metabolic ComplexWork through four bodyweight exercises: burpees, jump squats, mountain climbers, and pike push-ups. Go all out for 40 seconds on each, rest for 20 seconds, then move straight to the next exercise without stopping. Once you've done all four, that's one round. Do five rounds total.“This will challenge your coordination and exertion, burning calories throughout the session and for hours afterwards,” says Enaz.The Compound Contrast SetThis one pairs a heavy lift with an explosive version of the same movement performed back-to-back. For example: try four reps of a heavy barbell squat, (we’re talking a weight you genuinely struggle with), then immediately drop the bar and do eight jump squats. Rest 90 seconds, then repeat for five sets.“The science behind this is simple,” says Enaz. “Your muscles are already fired up from the heavy lift, so the explosive movement that follows demands even more energy. It’s a bit more interesting than your standard compound lift sesh, too.”The 10/20/30 ProtocolSprints are a great way to burn a significant amount of calories in a short amount of time, even if their high intensity means you’re mostly burning carbs, not fat.Instead of running at one steady pace, this method uses a simple three-speed cycle: 30 seconds easy jog, 20 seconds at a medium effort, then 10 seconds of flat-out sprinting. Keep repeating that cycle for five minutes, then rest for two minutes. Do three to four blocks total.“The whole session takes less than 25 minutes, but it improves fitness and burns more calories than traditional steady-pace cardio,” says Enaz. “The constant variation in intensity is what drives the results.”A version of this story originally appeared in British GQ.