Boost your confidence and shed body fat without diets and excessive cardio. This post breaks down how I lost 5% body fat as a woman through sustainable fat loss and balanced living. 

No diets. No restriction. And no dramatic lifestyle overhaul.

At the start of the year, I was sitting at 29.6% body fat. By October, I was down to 24.9%.

It took me 10 months… averaging under 1% per month.

It wasn’t quick. But it was consistent. It was intentional.

And it worked.

I built habits. I created a lifestyle I actually enjoy. I didn’t follow a diet. I didn’t starve myself. I didn’t do intense workouts every single day.

Just consistency, mindfulness, and intention in what I was doing.

This post isn’t here to sell you a quick fix or promise “how to lose 5% body fat in two weeks,” because real, lasting fat loss, especially the last few pounds, doesn’t come from pushing hard for a short time. It comes from small daily habits that compound over months.

I was at a point where my body felt stuck. I wasn’t comfortable in how I looked or felt and it was affecting my confidence and how I project and carry myself. Even the clothes I was buying was different because I didn’t feel comfortable in what I had.

So I locked in.

I came up with a plan that would be sustainable and fuel me.

And then I made a few simple changes little by little.

And guess what?!?

The weight came off.
The body fat came off.
I could feel my pants get bigger and my confidence increase.
And eventually, this became my new normal.

When you allow your body to adjust at a healthy pace, it doesn’t panic. It supports you. And everything I did is way easier than you might think.

It’s about doing the right things…not the most.

So here’s exactly how I lost 5% body fat as a woman without crash diets or excessive exercise.

1. Weight Training — And Training Heavy

There are two main things that changed everything for me. The first one?
Weight training. And lifting heavy.

My body has always been its leanest when I’m lifting weights, specifically heavy, barbell compound lifts that target several large muscle groups at once.

I HIGHLY suggest incorporate barbell lifts into your workout routine. Dumbbells are great and I still use them in most workouts but you can build and lift so much more on a barbell.

I worked out 3–4 times per week, for about an hour each session. That was enough to stimulate muscle growth and give my body time to recover.

Here’s the thing:
When you lift heavy enough, you create micro-tears in your muscle fibers. Then your diet (aka protein and fuel) help to repair those fibers and make them stronger and more dense.

And on top of that….more muscle = a faster metabolism.
A faster metabolism = you burn more calories all day long… even resting.

Imagine burning more calories just my breathing. Sounds pretty nice right?

Muscle takes up less physical space than fat, so you literally appear smaller.

This is why you look leaner even if the scale doesn’t move as dramatically.

And before you say you don’t want to look like a man, there are women working out everyday and training to build muscles and they still don’t look like bulky. If you need more convincing, check out this post!

Additionally, you can’t build that muscle without:
a) lifting heavy enough, and
b) eating enough protein to repair it.

Both are non-negotiable.

Which leads me to the thing that made just as big of a difference…

2. Protein-Heavy Meals

It’s cliché but true:
What you eat makes or breaks your progress.

I aimed for 130–150g of protein most days. That’s slightly under 1g per pound of body weight which is pretty standard for women who lift or are trying to lose fat while building muscle.

And notice I said most days. Not every day.

Nothing I did was perfect. Let me say that again…nothing I did was perfect.

It was simply consistent.

The biggest game-changer was finding meals I actually liked and could repeat easily.

A few of my protein staples:

• Fairlife Protein Shakes —
Tastes like chocolate milk, 30g of protein, low calories. Perfect afternoon snack.

• Eggs + lean meats at breakfast —
Eggs alone weren’t giving me enough protein, so I’d add turkey or ham to bump it up by 15g.

What I love about prioritizing protein is how full it keeps you.
I wasn’t snacking constantly AND I wasn’t hungry.
And because it helps rebuild muscle, it directly supports fat loss.

Recommended Read: 7 Effective Tips to Add More Protein to Your Diet

3. Adjusting My Calories (Based on My Real BMR)

I am not someone who tracks obsessively or believes you need to log every crumb you eat. But when I wanted to lose weight, I found it really helpful to know roughly how many calories I needed.

My BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) was 1446 calories, meaning that’s what my body burns just existing. I took an InBody composition test to calculate this number but you can use an online calculator like this one.

On top of that, I tracked my daily movement with my Apple Watch. My move goal is 700 calories, which I hit most days.

So on a typical day, I’d burn around:

1446 (BMR) + 700 (movement) = ~2146 calories burned

To lose weight slowly and sustainably, I aimed for:

1700–1800 calories per day.

That put me in about a 300–400 calorie deficit, which is gentle but effective, especially when you’re eating high-protein, satiating foods.

This felt sustainable, not draining.
I never felt like I was dieting.

4. Cross Training

In addition to weight lifting, I added in 1–2 sessions of a higher-intensity or cardio-based activity each week.

For me, this was swimming.

Swimming activates so many small stabilizing muscles, it lengthens the body, and it’s an incredible full-body cardio workout that’s gentle on the joints.

It kept my body balanced, helped lean out my muscles, and honestly just made me feel strong and athletic in a different way.

You can cross train with whatever you enjoy:
• cycling
• pilates
• HIIT
• running
• dance classes
• barre
• rowing

Just choose something that elevates your heart rate and uses muscles differently than lifting does.

5. Walking (Seriously… Walking Matters)

This might be the most underrated part of fat loss for women.

You can work out, but if you sit the rest of the day, it’s not enough movement.

I aimed for 8,000–10,000 steps per day.
That meant actively building in small walks throughout my day.

I have an office job and basically sit for a living. So I’d go for short walks during lunch, or a longer one after work. Nothing crazy. Just consistent movement.

It made a noticeable difference in my overall fat loss and how I felt.

Bonus: I workout fasted.

I hesitated to include this one because there’s a lot of contradictory advice out there about fasted workouts. Some people swear by it, others say it doesn’t matter at all. And honestly, personal preference plays a huge role…you have to know your own body.

But this is something I did consistently, and I genuinely think it helped me lose that stubborn layer of body fat.

I worked out in the mornings, and most days I trained fasted. I’d get up, drink some water, and head straight into my weight-training session without eating anything first.

For me, it worked really well. I didn’t feel hungry, I didn’t feel lightheaded, and I actually felt like I had more focus and energy. And while this isn’t true for everyone, I noticed that working out fasted seemed to help my body tap into fat stores more efficiently, especially during those early-morning strength sessions.

It wasn’t some dramatic strategy. It was just what felt natural to me and what became part of my routine.

And over time, I really believe it contributed to leaning out that last bit of body fat that felt impossible before.

So In Theory… This Is How I Lost 5% Body Fat as a Woman

Here’s the simple formula that changed everything:

• 3–4 heavy weightlifting workouts per week
• Eating in a 300–400 calorie deficit
• Prioritizing high-protein meals (130–150g daily)
• 1–2 cross-training workouts (swimming for me)
• 8–10k steps per day

That’s it.

No crazy diet.
No extreme workouts.
No “detoxes” or “resets.”

Just sustainable habits that became part of my everyday life.

If you’re trying to lose body fat as a woman, especially that stubborn 5%, remember this:

It will take time. Nothing bothers me more than advice or plans that promise you’ll lose weight or see substantial change quickly, because that’s just not sustainable or the mentally that will work long term.
But the more consistent and intentional you are, the more your body will support you.

And one day, without even realizing it, you’ll look in the mirror and see a version of yourself you’ve been working toward for months.