Thread: Lose belly fat without losing muscles

I lift 5 times a week + pull-ups at night. Current body looks very similar to attached pic of Jason Momoa.

Basically, there's muscle definition on the chest, traps, arms etc, but my belly is bigger than him, by about 20 - 30%. My body belongs to the skinny-fat type.

I've watched a lot of youtube vids about this topic but got overwhelmed by differing opinions.

Should I eat *slightly* lesser (calorie deficit) + continue current lifting workout regime + do some very light cardio?

Note: I just want a flatter stomach, not aiming for 6 packs.

Yes just slightly OP, 300 - 500 calorie deficit

Thanks for all the advice here!

Originally Posted by MG5

Calorie deficit of 300-500.

0.8-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. I'd do more like 1 gram per pound to be safe and protein is more filling.

Keep lifting heavy, striving for progress in some form. The best way to keep muscle is to train the same way you would to build it.

Stay hydrated.

Get enough sleep and rest.

Be consistent and patient.

Make sure those pull-ups aren't interfering with recovery from your other workouts. I don't know how many you're doing, and they're probably just body weight, so it's probably not, but pay attention to things that could be signs of poor recovery - constantly sore, not sleeping well, decrease in appetite and motivation, more aches and small injuries, overall not feeling well, more sluggish and tired.

How long can one expect before seeing results? I'm thinking a few months?

Btw, I'm doing 23 reps pullups every alternate day (1 set). Took me near 3 years to reach 23 lol. I'm thinking of doing weighted pullups soon.