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If you’re using the same aggressive calorie deficit whether you’re 30% body fat or 10%, you’re making fat loss harder than it needs to be—and risking muscle.
When you’re 25 to 30% body fat, your body has plenty of stored energy, so you can handle a larger daily deficit—about 500 to 750 calories below maintenance—as long as you’re lifting and eating enough protein. That can give you roughly 1 to 1.5 pounds of fat loss per week without trashing your training.
Once you’re in the 15 to 25% range, back off to a 300 to 500‑calorie deficit; you’ll still lose fat, but with better energy and recovery. The real shift happens under 12%, especially under 10%. At that point, there isn’t much fat left to lose, so you shrink the deficit to around 200 to 400 calories and accept slower progress to protect muscle.
Think of it this way: the leaner you are, the smaller your deficit should be and the more attention you should pay to protein and strength work. That’s how you get leaner without turning into a smaller, weaker version of yourself.