Yes, it is pretty simple to lose weight if you can maintain more calories out than in. It is pretty difficult to maintain muscle mass while on a calorie deficit diet though. It is even harder to add muscle mass while in calorie deficit mode. Dropping carbs from your diet and burning fat in their place MAY allow you to increase muscle mass while shedding fat. I am not convinced of this but I have seen some pretty impressive people who are on a ketogenic diet.