“Going on a cut” refers to a structured phase focused on reducing body fat percentage. The goal is to shed fat mass while safeguarding existing lean muscle tissue. This process requires a precise strategy that goes beyond simply eating less food. A successful cut demands a careful balance of calculated nutrition adjustments and optimized training protocols to ensure the body prioritizes fat for energy.
Establishing the Caloric Deficit
The foundation of fat loss is creating a consistent caloric deficit, meaning the body must burn more energy than it consumes. To begin, estimate your maintenance calories, also known as your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This figure represents the calories required to maintain current body weight and is calculated using online tools that factor in age, weight, height, sex, and activity level.
Once TDEE is established, implement a safe and sustainable deficit to initiate fat loss. A recommended starting point is reducing daily caloric intake by 250 to 500 calories below maintenance. This conservative approach allows for steady fat loss of about one pound per week, minimizing the risk of muscle mass loss. A more aggressive deficit can trigger metabolic adaptations and increase the likelihood of muscle breakdown.
A conservative deficit helps preserve metabolic function over the long term, preventing excessive fatigue and hormonal disruption that often accompany severe calorie restriction. The body prefers to use stored fat for energy when the deficit is moderate and coupled with appropriate training. The deficit is the primary driver of fat loss, making its accurate establishment and consistent adherence the most important step.
Optimizing Macronutrient Intake for Muscle Retention
While total calorie intake dictates weight change, the distribution of macronutrients—protein, fats, and carbohydrates—determines the quality of weight loss. Protein is the most important macronutrient during a cut because it directly supports muscle tissue preservation in a calorie-restricted state. Adequate protein intake signals the body to retain muscle and contributes to satiety, helping manage hunger in a deficit.
A high protein intake is recommended, typically ranging from 0.8 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight (1.6 to 2.4 grams per kilogram). This quantity provides the necessary amino acids for muscle repair and maintenance, which is important when energy intake is low. Protein also has a higher thermic effect, meaning the body expends more energy to digest it. Spreading this intake evenly across all meals helps maximize muscle protein synthesis throughout the day.
Fats and carbohydrates fill the remainder of the calorie budget after setting the protein target. Healthy fats are necessary for crucial bodily functions, including hormone production and nutrient absorption, and should not be dropped too low. Aim for 20 to 30 percent of total calories from fat, or about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Carbohydrates provide the primary fuel for high-intensity training sessions, supporting performance and recovery.
Adapting Training for Fat Loss
The training strategy during a cut must shift focus from building new muscle to maximizing the retention of existing muscle mass. Continuing resistance training is paramount because it provides the necessary stimulus to signal the body that muscle is still needed. Maintaining strength and intensity is more important than increasing volume; the goal should be to lift the same heavy weights for slightly fewer sets or reps.
Compound exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and presses, remain the most efficient way to challenge multiple muscle groups and maintain overall strength. The principle of progressive overload, which involves gradually increasing the weight or resistance, must still be applied to constantly challenge the muscle fibers. This continued mechanical tension is the strongest signal the body has to preserve muscle tissue despite caloric restriction.
Cardiovascular exercise should be strategically incorporated to increase total daily energy expenditure and deepen the caloric deficit. Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) cardio, such as brisk walking, is favored because it burns calories without significantly increasing recovery demands or muscle breakdown risk. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can also be used, but its intensity requires careful management to prevent excessive fatigue that could negatively impact primary resistance training sessions.
Monitoring Progress and Adjusting the Strategy
Monitoring progress during a cut is a multi-faceted process that requires looking beyond daily scale weight, which fluctuates due to water retention or food volume. The most reliable metric is the weekly average weight, which smooths out daily variations and provides a clearer trend of actual fat loss over time. Tracking body measurements, particularly waist circumference, offers a direct indication of fat loss in the midsection.
Consistent progress photos taken under the same lighting conditions each week can reveal changes in body composition that the scale may not capture. Tracking training performance, such as whether strength is maintained or slightly decreased, is an important metric for gauging muscle retention. If fat loss stalls for two or more consecutive weeks, it indicates the body has adapted to the current energy intake, and an adjustment is necessary.
The most effective way to break a plateau is to make a small, incremental change rather than a drastic one. This typically involves further reducing daily caloric intake by 100 to 150 calories, or increasing activity level, such as by adding 2,000 to 3,000 daily steps. These small, controlled adjustments ensure the deficit is maintained without creating unnecessary metabolic stress, allowing the fat loss phase to continue sustainably.