5 Fat Loss Lessons I Wish I Knew Sooner

There are some things I thought I knew about fat burning.

I was wrong.

Today, I want to share the lessons I wish I knew earlier when it comes to burning fat — and getting the body you actually want.

I’ve tried dozens of “diets” and different strategies to lose weight.

I’ve “failed” more often than I’ve succeeded.

But those failures taught me an incredible amount about what truly works for my body — and I’ve used those same principles to help hundreds of other men get results too.

I’ve found what works consistently.

And I’ve learned just how overrated (and unnecessary) most of the information out there really is.

So if I could do it all over again — if I was just starting out, or frustrated by a lack of fat loss — here’s what I learned and exactly what I would focus on moving forward:

1. Weight Loss Is Not the Same As Fat Loss

What you focus on is what you will get. If your only goal is to “lose weight,” there are a lot of ways you can do that — but not all of them are beneficial.

If your goal is simply to “lose 20 pounds,” you might get there…

But how you get there matters just as much as getting there at all.

There were times in my journey when I prioritized weight loss instead of fat loss.

I lost weight — and still wasn’t happy with how I looked or felt.

Why?

Because I lost weight too quickly… and with it, more muscle than I should have.
(See Lesson #3 for how to avoid this mistake.)

Instead of focusing only on the number on the scale, make sure you’re losing fat, not just weight.

Getting your body composition tested every few months is the best way to track real fat loss (not just muscle loss).

2. Calories Aren’t Everything (But They Matter More Than You Think)

Eating fewer calories than you burn is necessary for fat loss.

Any diet that says otherwise isn’t telling the truth.

That said, this doesn’t mean you have to track calories meticulously.

If you lost weight on low-carb, carnivore, Whole30, or anything else… it worked because you were eating fewer calories than you burned.

There are a lot of fads that claim you can “eat whatever you want” and still lose weight — but in the end, calories still matter most.

But calories aren’t the only thing that matters.

• Protein intake is crucial. It helps you lose more fat while preserving more muscle.
• Fiber matters too — it helps you feel full and stay consistent.

At different times, I fell into two extremes:

• Pretending calories were the only thing that mattered
• Pretending calories didn’t matter at all

Both are wrong.

The truth is simple:
Both the amount of calories and the quality of those calories matter.
Focus on both.

3. Muscle Makes Everything Easier

The number one thing you can control that impacts how many calories you burn at rest?

How much lean muscle you have.

If you want to burn more fat — even while resting — building and preserving lean muscle is essential.

More muscle also means you’ll look better when you lose weight (see Lesson #1).

There were times I:

• Cut carbs too low
• Didn’t strength train enough
• Ate too little protein
• Over-exercised

This caused me to lose muscle — leading to weight loss without true fat loss.

Focus on slowly adding lean muscle mass over time while minimizing muscle loss during fat loss phases.

That’s exactly why our strength training program inside the Legacy Lifter community is built the way it is.

4. Low Intensity > High Intensity for Fat Loss

I used to think harder, higher-intensity workouts were the key to fat loss.

All that did was lead to:

• Overtraining
• Feeling worn down
• Constant hunger

One of the real secrets to fat loss isn’t to exercise more, but to move more.

The simplest way?

Track and increase your daily steps.

Aim for 8,000–10,000 steps a day (or 60–90 minutes of walking).

But even a small increase from where you are now will help.

Increasing low-intensity movement helps you burn more fat —
without draining your energy or spiking your hunger the way high-intensity training does.

5. If You’re Going to Follow “80/20,” Pay Close Attention to the 20

The 80/20 rule says:

Eat clean 80% of the time, enjoy yourself the other 20%.

While there’s truth to this idea… I’m not a huge fan of how people (myself included, back then) misuse it.

I thought it meant I could eat clean most of the time and then go all-out the rest of the time.

The result?

Frustration with lack of progress.

If you stay disciplined 90% of the time, but binge just once, you can easily undo all your fat loss progress for the week.

That’s discouraging.

It feels like you’re doing everything right, but still spinning your wheels.

Here’s the fix:

Enjoy yourself — but stay within reasonable limits.

You can eat the foods you love.

But portion control still matters.

Calories still matter (see Lesson #2).

If you pay attention to the 20%, you can burn fat without feeling restricted or ruining your progress.

Which lesson do you need to focus on the most?

Start with one, learn from my mistakes, and go get the results you deserve.