Starting Cutting Phase

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anthony150paolucci
anthony150paolucci Posts: 85 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am going to be starting a cut today for the first time. This will be the first time I ever introduced Strength Training into my workout regimen as all I did before was Cardio leaving me with muscle loss.

Considering I don't have a lot of muscle mass for me to start, I think it would be best to cut down to a really lean level before I consider packing on muscle.

I will be cutting at around 1500 calories with a large focus on protein intake.

Is there anyone I should know going into this cut that might be of benefit to me and how long of process do you think this will take?

Replies

  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    What's your weight/body fat % goal? Without knowing that and your starting weight it's impossible to say how long it'll take.

    For a cut you typically want to lose at .5 or 1 pound per week. The more weight per week you lose (i.e. the larger the calorie deficit) the more muscle you will lose. I'm not sure your stats so 1500 calories could be a perfect amount orbit could be off, I will assume that's what mfp sets for you to lose 1 pound per week.

    "They" usually say the perfect time to start a bulk is at 12-15% body fat. Based on your profile picture you already look pretty lean so idk how much weight you really have to lose.

    A progressive lifting program is crucial for cut/bulks/anything strength related. Typically during a cut you want lower reps, higher weight. I would highly recommend finding an established lifting program to follow that utilizes compound lifts. You can find tons of them bodybuilding.com is a good place to start.

    Also yes protien is important but your body only needs so much, I would say 1 gram per lean pound of body weight is a good amount. Also I would say fat is equally as important to protien. Make sure you're getting good healthy fats from foods like avacado and nuts.
  • anthony150paolucci
    anthony150paolucci Posts: 85 Member
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    I am 5'8" and my last weigh in on Saturday was 154 lbs. I never had my body fat percentage taken but I definitely don't think I am at 15% body fat yet. Maybe it would be a good idea to get a body fat caliper?

    I really don't want to lose too much weight, but I would just feel better If I removed the extra fat I have now so I can have a solid base for when I decide to build muscle afterwards. It would just make me feel more comfortable that way.

    I am going to follow a beginner strength routine that focuses on compound lifts. Since I am a beginner I am starting light, but eventually get heavier as I progress.

    And yeah, most of this is dependent on my diet. I just want to make sure I am getting enough protein to maintain what little muscle I have, so I am putting an emphasis on high protein and low carb foods.

    All of the nutrition and lifting that goes into this is all pretty new to me, but for now I am going to see what works for me. It's a wait and see process right now.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
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    How did you arrive at 1500 calories? That seems extremely low for a 5'8'' male who will be lifting...
    Since you are new to lifting you may see great body recomp without having to cut right now. Maybe try maintenance cals for a few months.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    1500 seems awfully low for a cut. You sure you have your numbers worked out right?
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    I wouldn't waste your money on any kind of body fat caliper.

    And if you want to lose more fat go for it then. Esp. If you'd feel better losing some fat, because when you switch to building muscle you'll want a small calorie surplus which means you'll add a bit of fat in the processes.

    Many people do high protien/fat low carb during cuts iifym has a pretty good macro calculator you could check out. At the same time don't be too afraid of carbs.

    Sounds like you've got a pretty good grasp on things. Goodluck! Also if you're new to strength training make sure to watch videos on proper form.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    1500 for a 5'8" 20 year old male is kind of low yeah. Especially one that wants to be lifting weights.

    You should get either calipers or a body fat electrical device. Accuracy isn't THAT important. What is important is that you do it at the same time of the day under the same conditions every time, the numbers moving is what matters more. Unless of course, for some sort of competition reasons you must be 100% accurate.

    Anyway, you do look thin. But you seem to think you should lose a couple pounds... which given your size already, shouldn't be too difficult. Take this time to master MFP, weighing food and logging exercise. Maybe you'll lose a couple pounds along the way and by the time you are in the groove of MFP, you'll be ready to do the bulking phase.

    You should definitely see about joining a MFP group dedicated to the process as they will have practical and personal knowledge of everything.
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    OP since you're new to lifting a recomp actually might be a good place to start. Eat at like 100/200 calorie below maintenance you'll see some fat go away but you can also build muscle.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited April 2016
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    tillerstouch wrote: »
    OP since you're new to lifting a recomp actually might be a good place to start. Eat at like 100/200 calorie below maintenance you'll see some fat go away but you can also build muscle.

    I agree with this. A small cut/recomp
    and you should be able to make some gains since you are new to lifting.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
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    For body fat estimates use the mirror or pictures to compare to google images "male body fat percentage". Also use a tape measure and a site like http://www.linear-software.com/online.html . Or you can post images for an estimate here or on bodybuilding.com .

    Since you are low on muscle mass already and aren't overweight, start at maintenance calories and a beginner's strength routine. If you insist on cutting, start with a very small deficit (maybe 250 calories). I wouldn't bother with the low carb, unless you naturally eat that way. I agree with everyone else 1500 is too low and probably counterproductive at your age and size.
  • anthony150paolucci
    anthony150paolucci Posts: 85 Member
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    I understand why people think recomposition may be a good idea, but I'm not really interested in building a little muscle right now. My main goal is to lose fat while maintaining the muscle mass I have now. I want to cut down to a lower body fat percentage when I won't have a lot of muscle and fat on me. This will put me in a great position to bulk afterwards so I can see gains more clearly and stay within a reasonable body fat percentage.

    1500 may seem low, but I have ate at this caloric intake before and I didn't feel tired at all and now that I am eating more protein (100+ grams daily) I feel fuller with more energy.

    I am still doing research on the whole cutting process, but I have read several forums on bodybuilding.com and other websites where people say cutting is the way to go when you have a high body fat percentage.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Cutting at 1500, you will lose muscle you have. No way around that. A smaller deficit and you will lose less muscle mass but at those numbers, you can say goodbye to quite a bit of what you already have.
  • anthony150paolucci
    anthony150paolucci Posts: 85 Member
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    My maintenance calories is around 2000. If I create a 500 calorie deficit and hit my protein intake, shouldn't I at least keep muscle loss minimal?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited April 2016
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    How did you determine 2000 to be maintenance for you? I am an old man and maintenance is twice that. I only ask cause I don't think I know a male that maintains on 2000.
  • anthony150paolucci
    anthony150paolucci Posts: 85 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I used my BMR * activity level and got around 2000. So I figured if I can cut 500 calories from maintenance, I can lose a pound a week on average.
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    anthony150paolucci wrote: »
    I understand why people think recomposition may be a good idea, but I'm not really interested in building a little muscle right now. My main goal is to lose fat while maintaining the muscle mass I have now. I want to cut down to a lower body fat percentage when I won't have a lot of muscle and fat on me. This will put me in a great position to bulk afterwards so I can see gains more clearly and stay within a reasonable body fat percentage.

    1500 may seem low, but I have ate at this caloric intake before and I didn't feel tired at all and now that I am eating more protein (100+ grams daily) I feel fuller with more energy.

    I am still doing research on the whole cutting process, but I have read several forums on bodybuilding.com and other websites where people say cutting is the way to go when you have a high body fat percentage.


    I can tell from your profile picture that you do NOT have a high body fat percentage... and just by the fact that you weigh 154 shows it also. I think you don't understand what a cut truly is. It is meant to be a slow process not see how fast I can drop weight. Losing half a pound a week even, will be minimal muscle loss but even that slow you will lose some muscle. Cuts usually take place after a bulk so lifters don't want to put all that energy into gaining muscle/strength just to lose it.

    The key to keeping muscle isn't protein. Most people over estimate how much protein they need anyway. What really preserves muscle is adequate protein (probably as little as .6g per kg of body weight) and LIFTING! Having a good full body lifting program will help you keep the muscle.

    Now I believe your maintenance could be 2000 calories but I would make sure of that before you drop to 1500. Why not start at 1800 calories and see what happens.

    We suggest a recomp because if you don't have much muscle to start with you'll need to get super low body fat % to see any definition. The more muscle you have the sooner it will show through. So instead of trying to rush things do a recomp. You are new to lifting so you will see some strength gains even in a deficit and still lose weight (fat).

    But if you're stuck on losing weight, go for it. Good luck.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    anthony150paolucci wrote: »
    I used my BMR * activity level and got around 2000. So I figured if I can cut 500 calories from maintenance, I can lose a pound a week on average.

    Hmm, I've done 3 calculators and they all put you between 2400-2700 based on lightly active for your job.


  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    anthony150paolucci wrote: »
    I understand why people think recomposition may be a good idea, but I'm not really interested in building a little muscle right now. My main goal is to lose fat while maintaining the muscle mass I have now. I want to cut down to a lower body fat percentage when I won't have a lot of muscle and fat on me. This will put me in a great position to bulk afterwards so I can see gains more clearly and stay within a reasonable body fat percentage.

    You might want to read this paragraph again & hopefully you'll realize how absurd it sounds. You have several very knowledgeable people telling you that a recomp is your best route and your reasoning is the above?

  • anthony150paolucci
    anthony150paolucci Posts: 85 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    anthony150paolucci wrote: »
    I understand why people think recomposition may be a good idea, but I'm not really interested in building a little muscle right now. My main goal is to lose fat while maintaining the muscle mass I have now. I want to cut down to a lower body fat percentage when I won't have a lot of muscle and fat on me. This will put me in a great position to bulk afterwards so I can see gains more clearly and stay within a reasonable body fat percentage.

    You might want to read this paragraph again & hopefully you'll realize how absurd it sounds. You have several very knowledgeable people telling you that a recomp is your best route and your reasoning is the above?

    I can't see what your hinting at about what I said. Can you explain it to me?

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