IF YOU’VE WORKED your way down to 15% body fat, you’re already working out regularly, probably counting your macros and meal prepping, and eating pretty damn clean. But here’s the primary downside of shedding body fat : The lower your body fat percentage gets, the harder it becomes to lose just 1–2% more.
“Once you hit 15% body fat, shedding any more fat is all about finesse,” says Jim White, R.D., an ACSM exercise physiologist and the owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach, VA.
So if you’re aiming to get down to 10% body fat (or lower), it’s time to eat and train like an athlete . At a higher body fat, you need to focus more on nutrition. Now, though, everything centers around your workouts—namely, building muscle. “The closer you get to having low body fat, the more impact muscle mass will have on improving your composition,” says Joe Holder, a performance trainer at S10 gym (named for sub-10% body fat, mind you), Nike trainer/run coach, and founder of The Ocho System.
But you need to be as committed as an athlete now, too. “You have to remember how small of a population has 10% body fat. It’s bodybuilders, fitness competitors, athletes. You have to be willing to do what others aren’t,” White adds.
How to eat to achieve 10% body fat
1. Eat for fuel best fuel for your body ,” says White. “You’re looking at chicken with no sauce, 5-9 servings of fruits or vegetables a day, choosing the leanest proteins possible, the best possible fats—nuts, oils, chia seeds—ditching most saturated fats, and consuming not just decent carbs but exclusively high-octane fuel carbohydrates like quinoa, ancient grains, brown rice, and sweet potatoes.” Sure, you should enjoy food. But if your goal is to look as good as humanly possible, you have to prioritize what the food offers your body over what it offers your taste buds.
2. Spend your calories better more , says Holder. You need muscle to burn fat, and you need calories to build muscle, so fat loss at this stage is driven by being just under or even slightly over maintenance calories, he says. The most crucial factor: Increase carbohydrates before and after your workouts for fuel and recovery, and lock in your protein at around at least 1.5g per kg of bodyweight.
3. Cut back on booze have beers a few nights a week with your buddies . But to get to 10%, you’ll need to cut that back to two or three drinks on only one night a week, White says. “Alcohol slides into your ‘indulgences’ category, of which you’re only getting once, maybe twice a week,” he adds. When you decide to spend it, stick to light-colored, juice-free drinks, like vodka with soda water and lime.
4. Stick to staples
