Best Way to Start a Cut for Fat Loss

The Best Way to Start a Cut for Fat Loss

The best way to start a cut for fat loss is to first find your true maintenance calories by eating at a calculated baseline for 1-2 weeks. Once confirmed, create a moderate deficit of 300-500 calories from that number. This method removes the guesswork that causes most diets to fail before they even begin.

This approach works for anyone who wants to lose fat predictably without extreme hunger or metabolic crashes. It is especially critical for those who have been eating inconsistently or have never tracked their intake before. By establishing a reliable baseline, you turn a chaotic process into a simple equation. This ensures your deficit is real, sustainable, and effective from day one.

Here's why this works.

Why Starting a Cut From an Unknown Baseline Fails

The most common mistake we see is people starting a cut based on a generic online calculator and a guess. They drastically slash calories, feel miserable, and quit within weeks when the scale stops moving. The problem is not a lack of willpower. The problem is they started from a fictional baseline.

Your true maintenance calorie level is the amount of energy your body actually uses. Online calculators provide an estimate, but they can be off by hundreds of calories. If a calculator estimates your maintenance is 2,500 calories but your actual maintenance is 2,200, your intended 500-calorie deficit is actually an extreme 800-calorie deficit. This is unsustainable.

When you slash calories too aggressively, your body fights back. Levels of leptin, the hormone that signals fullness, plummet. Meanwhile, ghrelin, the hunger hormone, skyrockets. Your metabolism also begins to down-regulate in a process called adaptive thermogenesis, burning fewer calories to conserve energy. This hormonal and metabolic storm is why willpower alone is never enough. You're fighting your own biology.

Starting with a 1-2 week stabilization phase at your estimated maintenance solves this. It allows your body's daily fluctuations to average out, revealing the true number of calories required to maintain your current weight. This data-driven approach replaces guessing with certainty. You are no longer hoping for a deficit; you are creating one with precision.

Simple Calorie and Macro Calculator

While we recommend finding your true maintenance through tracking, you can get a solid starting estimate with some simple math. This is the same process online calculators use. Let's walk through it with an example.

Example Person: A 30-year-old male named Alex. He weighs 85kg (187 lbs), is 180cm (5'11") tall, and works out 4 days a week.

Step A: Calculate Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest. We'll use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered highly accurate.

• Men: BMR = 10 * weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 5 * age (y) + 5
• Women: BMR = 10 * weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 5 * age (y) - 161

Alex's BMR: (10 * 85) + (6.25 * 180) - (5 * 30) + 5 = 850 + 1125 - 150 + 5 = 1,830 calories

Step B: Determine Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Next, multiply your BMR by an activity factor to find your TDEE (maintenance calories).

• Sedentary (little exercise): BMR x 1.2
• Lightly Active (1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
• Moderately Active (3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
• Very Active (6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725

Since Alex works out 4 days a week, we'll use the Moderately Active multiplier.

Alex's TDEE: 1,830 * 1.55 = 2,836 calories. This is his estimated maintenance.

Step C: Set Your Calorie Deficit

Subtract 300-500 calories from the TDEE to create a sustainable deficit.

Alex's Cutting Calories: 2,836 - 500 = 2,336 calories. We'll round this to 2,350 calories for simplicity.

Step D: Calculate Your Macronutrients

1. Protein: Aim for 1.6-2.2g per kg of bodyweight.

• Alex's Protein: 85kg * 2.0g/kg = 170g of protein. (170g * 4 kcal/g = 680 calories)

1. Fats: Aim for 20-30% of total calories.

• Alex's Fats: 2,350 kcal * 0.25 = 587.5 calories. (587.5 kcal / 9 kcal/g = 65g of fat)

1. Carbohydrates: The rest of the calories.

• Calories remaining: 2,350 - 680 (protein) - 588 (fat) = 1,082 calories.
• Alex's Carbs: 1,082 kcal / 4 kcal/g = 270g of carbs.

Alex's Starting Targets: 2,350 Calories | 170g Protein | 270g Carbs | 65g Fat

This calculation gives you a powerful, personalized starting point for the 3-step process below.

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How to Set Up Your Cut Correctly in 3 Steps

Follow these three steps to build a sustainable and effective fat loss plan. This process requires patience upfront but guarantees better results long-term.

Step 1. Find your true maintenance calories

Use the calculation above or a reputable TDEE calculator online to get an initial estimate. Eat this exact number of calories every day for 14 days. Weigh yourself each morning under the same conditions and take a weekly average. If your average weight remains stable (+/- 0.5kg) over the two weeks, you have found your true maintenance. If you gained weight, your maintenance is lower. If you lost weight, it is higher. Adjust by 100-200 calories and test again if needed.

Step 2. Create a sustainable calorie deficit

Once you have a reliable maintenance number, the next step is simple math. Subtract 300-500 calories from your confirmed maintenance figure. For example, if your maintenance is 2,600 calories, your new target for fat loss will be 2,100-2,300 calories. This moderate deficit is large enough to stimulate fat loss but small enough to preserve muscle mass and keep hunger manageable. This should result in a loss of about 0.5-1.0% of your bodyweight per week.

Step 3. Set your protein and track your intake

To preserve muscle during a cut, protein intake is critical. Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your bodyweight. For an 80kg person, this means 128-176g of protein daily. Beyond muscle preservation, a high-protein diet increases satiety, keeping you fuller for longer. It also has the highest Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), meaning your body burns more calories digesting protein compared to fats and carbs. This gives you a small metabolic advantage that adds up over time.

The remaining calories can be filled with carbohydrates and fats based on your preference. You must track your daily intake to ensure you are hitting these targets. You can do this manually with a spreadsheet, but looking up every food item and calculating macros is tedious. Mofilo lets you log meals by scanning a barcode, snapping a photo, or searching its database of 2.8M verified foods. It takes seconds instead of minutes.

Sample 7-Day Meal Plan for Fat Loss (~2,200 Calories)

Here is a sample meal plan to show you what a day of eating could look like. This plan is approximately 2,200 calories and 170g of protein. Adjust portion sizes to meet your specific targets.

Day 1

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (3 large) with 1/2 cup spinach and 30g feta cheese. 1 slice of whole-wheat toast.
• Lunch: 150g grilled chicken breast, 2 cups mixed greens, 1/4 avocado, cherry tomatoes, and light vinaigrette.
• Dinner: 150g baked salmon, 1 cup quinoa, and 1 cup steamed broccoli.
• Snack: 1 scoop whey protein shake with water; 1 apple.

Day 2

• Breakfast: 1 cup Greek yogurt (0% fat), 1/2 cup berries, 20g almonds.
• Lunch: Leftover salmon and quinoa from dinner.
• Dinner: Turkey Chili (150g lean ground turkey, beans, tomatoes, spices).
• Snack: 2 hard-boiled eggs.

Day 3

• Breakfast: Protein smoothie (1 scoop whey, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp almond butter, spinach, almond milk).
• Lunch: Leftover turkey chili.
• Dinner: 150g lean steak, 1 medium sweet potato (baked), and a side salad.
• Snack: 1 cup cottage cheese.

Day 4

• Breakfast: Oatmeal (1/2 cup dry oats) made with water, mixed with 1 scoop of protein powder and cinnamon.
• Lunch: Leftover steak and sweet potato.
• Dinner: Chicken stir-fry (150g chicken, mixed vegetables like bell peppers and snap peas, light soy sauce) with 1 cup of brown rice.
• Snack: Greek yogurt.

Day 5

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (3 large) with whole-wheat toast.
• Lunch: Leftover chicken stir-fry.
• Dinner: Large salad with 1 can of tuna (in water), mixed greens, cucumber, and 1/4 cup chickpeas.
• Snack: Protein shake.

Day 6

• Breakfast: Protein smoothie (as Day 3).
• Lunch: Tuna salad from dinner.
• Dinner: Homemade burgers (150g lean beef patty) on a whole-wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, and a side of roasted asparagus.
• Snack: Handful of almonds and an orange.

Day 7

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt bowl (as Day 2).
• Lunch: Leftover burger patty crumbled over a salad.
• Dinner: 150g baked cod, 1 cup roasted potatoes, and 1 cup green beans.
• Snack: Cottage cheese.

What to Expect in the First 4 Weeks of Your Cut

Expect a larger weight drop in the first week. This is primarily water weight and glycogen, not fat. After week one, look for a consistent and steady loss of 0.5-1.0% of your total bodyweight per week. For a 90kg person, this is about 0.45-0.9kg per week.

Good progress is a consistent downward trend in your weekly weight average. Do not panic over daily fluctuations. Your strength in the gym should remain stable or decrease only slightly. If your weight loss stalls for two consecutive weeks, it is time to make a small adjustment. Reduce your daily calories by another 100-150 or add a 20-minute walk each day.

Fat loss is never a perfectly linear process. The goal is not perfection but consistency. Sticking to the plan 80-90% of the time will yield fantastic results over a period of 8-16 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a fat loss cut last?

A cutting phase should typically last 8-16 weeks. Longer periods can lead to diet fatigue and increase the risk of muscle loss. It is better to take a 2-week diet break at your new maintenance calories after.

Do I need to do cardio to lose fat?

No, cardio is not required for fat loss. A calorie deficit is the only requirement. Cardio is simply a tool to help create or increase that deficit without lowering food intake further.

How should my training change during a cut?

Your primary training goal during a cut is to maintain muscle mass. You should continue to lift heavy with a focus on progressive overload, just as you would when building muscle. Your recovery may be slower, so you might need to slightly reduce your total training volume (fewer sets or exercises), but you should fight to maintain strength on your main compound lifts.

What are the best supplements for a fat loss phase?

Supplements are not necessary, but a few can be helpful. Caffeine can help with energy levels and slightly boost metabolism. A quality whey or casein protein powder makes hitting your protein target much easier. Creatine monohydrate (5g/day) is also highly recommended to help maintain strength and performance in the gym.

What is the biggest mistake when starting a cut?

The biggest mistake is cutting calories too aggressively from day one. This leads to rapid muscle loss, extreme hunger, and makes the diet psychologically impossible to stick to long-term.

You read this far. You're serious.

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