A Step-by-step Guide on How to Train and Eat for Your First Cut As a Beginner

Your First Cut Is Just 3 Simple Numbers

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to train and eat for your first cut as a beginner: eat in a 500-calorie deficit, consume 1 gram of protein per pound of your bodyweight, and keep lifting heavy. That’s it. That is 90% of a successful cut. You’re probably frustrated by the endless, conflicting advice online. One person says endless cardio, another says no cardio. One influencer promotes high-rep “toning” workouts, while a bodybuilder tells you to lift heavy. It’s overwhelming, and the fear of losing the muscle you’ve worked hard to build is real. Let's cut through the noise. A successful cut isn't about magic supplements, secret workout routines, or eating six bland meals a day. It’s a simple, predictable process governed by three principles. First, a calorie deficit forces your body to use stored fat for energy. Second, high protein intake tells your body to preserve muscle tissue during this deficit. Third, heavy resistance training provides the stimulus your muscles need to stick around. Get these three things right, and you will lose fat while keeping your hard-earned muscle.

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The Diet Math: Why Most Beginners Lose Muscle on a Cut

The number one reason beginners fail their first cut and lose muscle is they get the math wrong. They either slash calories too aggressively, creating a massive deficit their body can't sustain, or they don't eat enough protein to protect their muscle mass. Your body is a survival machine. If you starve it and stop giving your muscles a reason to exist (heavy lifting), it will gladly get rid of that metabolically expensive muscle tissue. We are going to prevent that with simple math.

First, find your approximate daily maintenance calories. This is the energy you need to maintain your current weight. A simple, effective formula for active individuals is your bodyweight in pounds multiplied by 14. For a 200-pound person, this is 200 x 14 = 2,800 calories.

Next, create your deficit. To lose about 1 pound of fat per week, you need a daily deficit of 500 calories. So, our 200-pound person's cutting calories would be 2,800 - 500 = 2,300 calories per day.

Now, we set your macros to ensure you lose fat, not muscle:

1. Protein: This is your most important macro on a cut. Set it to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. For our 200lb person, that's 200 grams of protein. (200g x 4 calories/gram = 800 calories).
2. Fat: This is essential for hormone function. Set it to 0.3 grams per pound of bodyweight. For our 200lb person, that's 60 grams of fat. (60g x 9 calories/gram = 540 calories).
3. Carbohydrates: These will fill the remaining calories and fuel your workouts. To find this, subtract your protein and fat calories from your total: 2,300 total calories - 800 protein calories - 540 fat calories = 960 calories left for carbs. (960 / 4 calories/gram = 240 grams of carbs).

So, the daily target for a 200-pound person is: 2,300 calories, 200g protein, 60g fat, and 240g carbs. You have the exact numbers now. But knowing the target and hitting it are two completely different skills. Can you say for certain you hit 200 grams of protein yesterday? Not 'I think so,' but the exact number? If you can't, the math doesn't work and you're just guessing.

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How to Train on a Cut (Hint: It's Not High Reps)

The most pervasive and destructive myth about training for a cut is the idea that you need to switch to high-rep, low-weight workouts to “tone” the muscle. This is fundamentally wrong and will accelerate muscle loss. “Toning” isn’t a real physiological process; it’s simply the visual result of having low body fat and adequate muscle mass. Lifting light weights for high reps does not burn more fat or create more definition. What it does is send a powerful signal to your body that you no longer need to be strong. In a calorie deficit, that’s an invitation for your body to discard muscle.

The goal of training during a cut is muscle retention. Your diet creates the fat loss; your training protects the muscle. The single most important stimulus for muscle retention is intensity, which means lifting heavy weight relative to your strength.

Step 1: Keep Your Main Lifts Heavy

Your primary compound exercises-squats, deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses, and rows-are non-negotiable. You must continue to train them with heavy weight in the 4-8 rep range. Your goal is to fight to maintain your strength. If you were benching 185 pounds for 5 reps before the cut, your goal is to keep benching 175-185 pounds for 3-5 reps during the cut. A slight dip in performance is normal as the diet progresses, but you should not be dropping the weight to 135 pounds for 15 reps. That is a recipe for muscle loss.

Step 2: Reduce Your Total Volume by 20-30%

While intensity (weight on the bar) must stay high, your ability to recover is diminished in a calorie deficit. This is where you make the adjustment. You cannot handle the same total amount of work (volume) as you could at maintenance or in a surplus. The smartest way to manage this is by reducing the volume on your accessory exercises. For example, if your workout plan called for 4 sets of 12 on dumbbell curls, reduce it to 2 or 3 sets of 12. If you did five exercises on your leg day, maybe you cut it down to the four most important ones. Keep the main, heavy work as the priority and trim the “fluff” around the edges. This preserves your recovery resources for what matters most: maintaining strength.

Step 3: Add Cardio Strategically, Not Mindlessly

Cardio is a tool to assist your calorie deficit, not the main driver of fat loss. Do not start your cut by immediately jumping into five hour-long cardio sessions a week. You'll have nowhere to go when fat loss stalls. Start with 2-3 sessions per week of 20-30 minutes of Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) cardio. This means walking on an incline treadmill, using the elliptical, or light cycling at a pace where you could still hold a conversation. Aim for a heart rate of around 120-140 beats per minute. LISS is effective because it burns calories with minimal impact on your recovery and won't interfere with your strength training. Only increase cardio-by adding 10 minutes to your sessions or one additional session per week-if your weight loss has completely stalled for at least two consecutive weeks.

What Your First 12 Weeks Will Actually Look Like

Starting a cut can be exciting, but your body and mind will go through predictable phases. Knowing what to expect will keep you from making panicked decisions. A well-planned beginner's cut should not exceed 12 weeks. Beyond that, the negative hormonal and psychological impacts of dieting begin to outweigh the benefits.

Weeks 1-2: The 'Whoosh' and the Flat Feeling

In the first week, you will likely see a rapid drop on the scale, maybe 3-6 pounds. This is not all fat. It's primarily water weight being shed as your body uses up its stored glycogen. Don't get overly excited. You will also likely feel “flat” and your muscles may look smaller. This is just due to less water and glycogen in the muscle cells. Your strength in the gym should remain stable. Stick to the plan.

Weeks 3-8: The Steady Grind

This is where the real progress happens. The initial water weight is gone, and you should now be seeing a consistent, predictable loss of 0.5 to 1.5 pounds per week. Your lifts should feel solid, and you'll start to see new lines of definition appearing as the fat layer thins. Take progress photos and body measurements (waist, hips) weekly. The scale can fluctuate daily, but photos and measurements don't lie. This is the most motivating phase of the cut.

Weeks 9-12: The Final Push and The Fatigue

This is the hardest part. Fat loss will slow down. Your body is fighting back by reducing its metabolic rate and increasing hunger signals. You'll feel more tired, and your motivation may wane. Your lifts might finally start to feel heavy, and you may lose a rep here or there. This is normal. This is the time to be mentally tough and consider implementing a weekly “refeed day”-one planned day of eating at your maintenance calorie level, with the extra calories coming from carbs. This can help psychologically and temporarily boost performance. At the end of 12 weeks, the cut is over. It's time to reverse diet back to maintenance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What If My Weight Loss Stalls?

A true stall is two full weeks with no change in your average weekly weight or your body measurements. First, double-check the accuracy of your food tracking. If everything is perfect, you have two options: reduce your daily calories by another 100-150, or add one 30-minute cardio session. Only make one change at a time and see how your body responds.

How Do I Know If I'm Losing Muscle?

The best indicator is your logbook. If your strength on your main compound lifts (like your squat or bench press) drops by more than 10% for two weeks in a row, it's a red flag. A small dip is normal, but a significant, sustained drop means your deficit is too aggressive or your protein is too low. Increase calories by 150-200 and confirm you're hitting your protein target.

Can I Drink Alcohol on a Cut?

You can, but it will slow your progress. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, provides no nutritional value, and directly impairs muscle protein synthesis and recovery. If you choose to drink, you must account for its calories in your daily total. Stick to one or two lower-calorie drinks per week, if any.

What About 'Refeed' Days or 'Cheat Meals'?

A refeed is a structured, planned day of eating at maintenance calories, with the increase coming from carbohydrates. This can help with training performance and psychological relief. A cheat meal is an unstructured, untracked free-for-all. For a beginner, a planned refeed day once every 1-2 weeks is a much better tool than a cheat meal, which can easily undo several days of your deficit.

Do I Need Fat-Burning Supplements?

No. Over 99% of fat-burning supplements are ineffective and a waste of money. They cannot and will not make up for a poor diet or inconsistent training. The only supplement with a noticeable effect is caffeine, which can boost energy for workouts and slightly suppress appetite. Focus on nailing your diet and training; that is what delivers results.