Calorie deficit phase — a.k.a. cutting

angel4878

I am not new to my fitness pal, however, this is my first post.

I am in week four of a calorie deficit. I have increased my protein, and been lifting for 14 months. My weight loss has been less than 5 pounds in 18 months, but I have made some gains in replacing muscle for fat. My trainer suggested a cutting phase because I wasn’t making much progress.

Technically, I am in the exactly middle of my seven week goal and wondered about other peoples experience. When I searched, most of the information I saw about cutting was wasn’t current. Perhaps I’m not looking in the right area. My apologies if I have not looked thoroughly.

Also, do you immediately go back to your pre-deficit, caloric intake, or do you gradually go back up,? I have been reducing intake by 50 cal a week.

Thank you in advance.

drjeff0609

Hi Angel

When I go on a cut, it’s from a muscle building phase where I’m running a small surplus. Because of this, the cuts are a bit more aggressive and short term with the intent of shredding fat while maintaining lean muscle. As soon as it’s over, I usually jump back up close to my previous maintenance, however, this may be a bit higher since I would have lost some scale weight. That being said, because my cuts are generally pretty short, I don’t notice a lot of metabolic adaptations.

drjeff0609

Overall, just be patient and don’t make drastic moves. Good luck!