When cutting..how much of a deficit do you aim for?

Synyster

Well-known member
Trusted Member
As title states...I'm curious how much of a calorie deficit you guys aim for when dieting.
Particularly at the beginning of yoyr cut

Thanks
 
I'm the same as Goldenrod. For me, I start with reallocating my macro percentages with maybe a reduction of 200 cals.

I generally respond very well to healthy fats, and the simple switch-over does a great deal without the caloric restriction. If I want to get even leaner, I'll add in a couple days of boxing. So many variables to tweak to attain a goal without having to drastically cut healthy food intake. Also, I don't get so grumpy with this approach. I'm no competitor though.
 
10% max but I don't have to change my total calories to drop weight/fat - cut my carbs down and eat healthy fat and more protein. Get your energy from good fats vs. carbs or carb cycle.
If im 206 with a belly and just want to gain lean muscle what should I aim for daily for carbs? Like 300g on training day and 150 on rest days or
 
0.5-1lb a week. As I get bored of dieting I ramp it up to 1-1.5lbs a week for the last 4 or so
 
If im 206 with a belly and just want to gain lean muscle what should I aim for daily for carbs? Like 300g on training day and 150 on rest days or

That depends on how you react to carbs and how active you are.

I’m fairly active so I can stay lean (with abs) year round on 45% carbs, 30% fat and 25% protein. I have a friend who is built similar to me but that much carbs bloat and make him very fluffy

I start with 1 g of protein per pound of body weight, half gram of fat per pound of body weight and then everything else is carbs. My current maintenance is 385g carbs per day. If I want to tighten up I create a deficit by reducing it to 350 g wait afew weeks and the drip another 25-40g and if I want to grow I increase it to 400 or 425 g

As for healthy fats, I find if I go under 100 g per day my joints get unhappy and i get injuries


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If im 206 with a belly and just want to gain lean muscle what should I aim for daily for carbs? Like 300g on training day and 150 on rest days or
Thoughts based on 200lb guy.

Keep in mind that losing fat is a function of calories in vs calories out, your fat doesn't care about macros. The fact that you (we) are trying to gain muscle separates us from the average, misguided, house wife or disco barbie who just want to lose "weight", we need a different approach . You didn't explicitly say you were but if you're trying to cut fat manipulating the carbs is a very manageable way to go about it.

IMO Best way to go about this is to decide on an Average daily calorie intake over a time period, a week or so works fine for most. Next set a minimum daily intake of Protein then Fats. Barring pre-contest or something these macros have a non negotiable minimum, carbs don't. Carbs are next of course. I like to carb cycle and match that cycling with energy expenditure on each particular day. As far as the gym goes this means legs day or back day get the max carbs and a day off or light cardio day get the minimum or even zero. The bulk of the days carbs are also taken in around the workout, Pre, Intra and Post meals.

So - Determine avg calories and try to keep each day within a few hundred calories of that whether plus or minus.
Set Protein.
Set Fats.
Set Carbs with intent to hit daily calorie total.

Trying to cut fat? For myself and many others IME Cycling carb intake between about 300 and 50-0 with an average daily target of less than 100 in a given time period is the ticket.

More concerned with performance? As above the P and F have set mins but can be added to, Carbs total and timing will have the most effect on performance for almost everyone.

200 lbs guy -
Calories- based on experience and careful monitoring. Don't have that? Start at somewhere between 2500 and 3500. Monitor and adjust as needed.
P min- 250. F min- 90. C -Fill in as above.

Note how even though we differ in Macro ratio's this lines up very well with what @Oldguyjiujitsu does
 
Thoughts based on 200lb guy.

Keep in mind that losing fat is a function of calories in vs calories out, your fat doesn't care about macros. The fact that you (we) are trying to gain muscle separates us from the average, misguided, house wife or disco barbie who just want to lose "weight", we need a different approach . You didn't explicitly say you were but if you're trying to cut fat manipulating the carbs is a very manageable way to go about it.

IMO Best way to go about this is to decide on an Average daily calorie intake over a time period, a week or so works fine for most. Next set a minimum daily intake of Protein then Fats. Barring pre-contest or something these macros have a non negotiable minimum, carbs don't. Carbs are next of course. I like to carb cycle and match that cycling with energy expenditure on each particular day. As far as the gym goes this means legs day or back day get the max carbs and a day off or light cardio day get the minimum or even zero. The bulk of the days carbs are also taken in around the workout, Pre, Intra and Post meals.

So - Determine avg calories and try to keep each day within a few hundred calories of that whether plus or minus.
Set Protein.
Set Fats.
Set Carbs with intent to hit daily calorie total.

Trying to cut fat? For myself and many others IME Cycling carb intake between about 300 and 50-0 with an average daily target of less than 100 in a given time period is the ticket.

More concerned with performance? As above the P and F have set mins but can be added to, Carbs total and timing will have the most effect on performance for almost everyone.

200 lbs guy -
Calories- based on experience and careful monitoring. Don't have that? Start at somewhere between 2500 and 3500. Monitor and adjust as needed.
P min- 250. F min- 90. C -Fill in as above.

Note how even though we differ in Macro ratio's this lines up very well with what @Oldguyjiujitsu does
Thanks man that makes perfect sense
 
So - Determine avg calories and try to keep each day within a few hundred calories of that whether plus or minus.
Set Protein.
Set Fats.
Set Carbs with intent to hit daily calorie total.
I think a ton of people miss this concept. your Protein and Fats are set in relation to your size. This SHOULD makes it way easier because people then only have to be concerned with one variable - Carbs to reach the caloric targets.
 
If im 206 with a belly and just want to gain lean muscle what should I aim for daily for carbs? Like 300g on training day and 150 on rest days or
Morning @Jerbear - looks like two smart lads already answered. To reiterate, everyone is different (activity level but when I want to lean out I don't over-complicate things.) and I sit on my ass all day using my brain. I don't have an active job.

I prefer to carb cycle with the following in mind:
On days I don't exercise - carbs kept low around 100 grams and energy comes from fats.
Days I workout - 125-150 grams for carbs / 150-200 on days I hit the weights and have cardio sessions.
I also drop my calories by 10% and if needed more but I rarely try to 'lean out' anymore.

I am 6'1 230 right now and my metabolism isn't as fast as it once was. I try to eat 300 grams of protein a day and over 100 grams of healthy fats.

What I eat won't necessarily work for you. For example there is a guy logging his diet on another forum who eats 3500 cals, usually over 300 grams of carbs and weighs less than 180 lbs (no he isn't 5 feet tall either). I average 2700 cals and less than 200 grams of carbs and I sit around 230. He is younger and I assume is taking something that is speeding his metabolism - I'm just on TRT and 100 mg of another compound.

I have said it 100 times and to repeat what @gondar1 said - calories in / calories out. Might seem too simplistic but it works. If you eat 5000 calories but burn it all off because you work cutting wood all day and then hit the weights and get lucky with your partner at night - you might lose weight.

You say with a belly - what does that mean? Just not a six pack or do you have a large stomach? Do you know what your maintenance caloric intake is?
 
Morning @Jerbear - looks like two smart lads already answered. To reiterate, everyone is different (activity level but when I want to lean out I don't over-complicate things.) and I sit on my ass all day using my brain. I don't have an active job.

I prefer to carb cycle with the following in mind:
On days I don't exercise - carbs kept low around 100 grams and energy comes from fats.
Days I workout - 125-150 grams for carbs / 150-200 on days I hit the weights and have cardio sessions.
I also drop my calories by 10% and if needed more but I rarely try to 'lean out' anymore.

I am 6'1 230 right now and my metabolism isn't as fast as it once was. I try to eat 300 grams of protein a day and over 100 grams of healthy fats.

What I eat won't necessarily work for you. For example there is a guy logging his diet on another forum who eats 3500 cals, usually over 300 grams of carbs and weighs less than 180 lbs (no he isn't 5 feet tall either). I average 2700 cals and less than 200 grams of carbs and I sit around 230. He is younger and I assume is taking something that is speeding his metabolism - I'm just on TRT and 100 mg of another compound.

I have said it 100 times and to repeat what @gondar1 said - calories in / calories out. Might seem too simplistic but it works. If you eat 5000 calories but burn it all off because you work cutting wood all day and then hit the weights and get lucky with your partner at night - you might lose weight.

You say with a belly - what does that mean? Just not a six pack or do you have a large stomach? Do you know what your maintenance caloric intake is?
No I don't know what my maintenance caloric intake is, all I've done thus far is aim for at least 200g of protein and 400g of carbs per day. I have only just started introducing healthy fats. My belly is not too fat since I stopped bulking with 400g of carbs a day I have lost almost 20 pounds. I have a pot belly the type that is small enough I can suck in and flex and still see abs. My winter goal was to cut and only eat 150g of carbs a day but I don't necessarily want too get so thin that I stop building muscle or lose all my energy
 
No I don't know what my maintenance caloric intake is, all I've done thus far is aim for at least 200g of protein and 400g of carbs per day. I have only just started introducing healthy fats. My belly is not too fat since I stopped bulking with 400g of carbs a day I have lost almost 20 pounds. I have a pot belly the type that is small enough I can suck in and flex and still see abs. My winter goal was to cut and only eat 150g of carbs a day but I don't necessarily want too get so thin that I stop building muscle or lose all my energy
Hi @Jerbear - are you taking any PED's right now? You should be able to maintain your muscle and lose some fat with higher protein/fats compared to protein. Don't watch the scale / watch the mirror or even better take pics of yourself and compare.
I asked about the PED's because the idea of calories in/out - macros may still apply but some PED's help maintain muscle while you are in a deficit.
 
Hi @Jerbear - are you taking any PED's right now? You should be able to maintain your muscle and lose some fat with higher protein/fats compared to protein. Don't watch the scale / watch the mirror or even better take pics of yourself and compare.
I asked about the PED's because the idea of calories in/out - macros may still apply but some PED's help maintain muscle while you are in a deficit.
No I am not taking anything at the moment may start trt and possibly primo but not for sure. Depends on what my trt doctor will tolerate
 
Many good answers above.

Here is my thoughts and what I’ve found works for me.

  • Increase cardio or activity
  • consume 1g of protein per kg of lean body weight.
  • Backfill with good fats (nuts, avocado) but remain in a small deficit
  • Keep intensity of work out high and train to failure
  • Keep ”white” carbs to a minimum
  • Include a few days of intermittent fasting.
 
Many good answers above.

Here is my thoughts and what I’ve found works for me.

  • Increase cardio or activity
  • consume 1g of protein per kg of lean body weight.
  • Backfill with good fats (nuts, avocado) but remain in a small deficit
  • Keep intensity of work out high and train to failure
  • Keep ”white” carbs to a minimum
  • Include a few days of intermittent fasting.
My only problem with my own advice is I rarely follow it. Except working to failure.

And at this point not even sure what my lean body mass would be. Been sitting at 280 for so long. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
 
I would say try 300-400 for a few weeks until you plateau then 500 until llateau and increase by small amounts. You don‘t want to jump into a huge deficit like 1000 valories because once you plateau you‘ll have to increase the deficit, you‘ll plateau and before you know it you‘ll need a 1500cal deficit to lose any weight because your metabolism has slowed down so mich. Now you‘re already eating little food and you cant possible eat less. So now you increase your calories again and you‘ll rebound because of it until your metabolism speeds up again.
 
My maintenance is about 3200. I drop 500. Cheat meals on weekends without exaggerating of course.
 
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