WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE CUTTING
Maybe you're finally “ready” to enter a dieting phase - we often call this a “cut” or a “deficit”. Being mentally ready for a deficit and being physiologically ready for a deficit are two different things! But for the sake of this post, let's say you're mentally, physically, and physiologically ready to enter into a dieting phase.
Let's talk expectations…
What To Expect When Entering A Dieting Phase…
1.) The decrease. Expect somewhat of a larger macro or calorie cut at. the very start of your dieting phase. This often looks like ~15% of your total calories, or 300-500 calories for most people. Don’t worry, we aren’t chipping away at food that fast (or that steep) from here on out.
2.) Hunger. You may experience some hunger. This is normal and makes sense given the calorie reduction. Less food typically = less satiated. Keep in mind, when we reverse diet we're often increasing food in small incremental doses to force upward adaption. However, we don't want adaptation as quick on the way down (in a deficit) as “quick to adapt” would mean sooner decreases in calories. NOTE: We always want to keep calories as high as possible for as long as possible in a cut (for a multitude of reasons!)
3) Less lenience. With a decrease in calories, you may have to pay closer attention to your food choices, nutrient density, and what's “macro friendly” for your new deficit macros. You probably won't be able to “wing it” quite as much, and your food tracking will likely require a it more planning.
3.) Cardio. You may already have a step goal - but that step goal may require an increase OR additional cardio may be required based on how your body is responding, your biofeedback, etc. With an increase in cardio, you may be spending a bit more time in the gym, be prepared.
A dieting phase doesn't need to be doom and gloom - but it's important to set realistic expectations regarding the differences among reversing, maintaining, and cutting - other than the obvious caloric changes.
Okay, What Else?
We have GOT to be consistent. A dieting phase requires the most adherence out of the three phases (Reverse, Maintenance and Dieting Phases). One “cheat” or “untracked” meal could take you out of a caloric deficit for the entire week. As Coach John says, “there is a much smaller margin of error” in a dieting phase.
Note: A dieting phase isn't something we just want to jump into haphazardly - even if you’re desperate to see physique changes for a specific event, vacation, wedding, etc. It is better to wait until you can be consistent and disciplined for a specific period of time.
Now for the MOST COMMON question: When should you make another calorie decrease? Ultimately, we don't want to make another decease in macros or calories if we're still seeing significant progress and maintaining positive biofeedback.
Remember: The goal is always to diet on the highest amount of calories possible.
Keep in mind: There may be weeks where the scale doesn’t move - and that is OKAY! Don’t rush to slash calories without giving your body a solid chance to respond. Not to mention, the scale should not be the only variable considered when assessing progress. We have to look at other variables and other measures of biofeedback as well! Were you on your period? Were you extremely stressed? Did you train hard? Are you having daily, regular bowel movements? Are you hydrated? Are you getting enough sleep? These factors MATTER for your fat loss goals!
When progress DOES stall, it means your body has adapted to your current caloric intake. This doesn't mean you've done anything wrong! A “plateau” is simply metabolic adaptation at it's finest. It's supposed to happen - in fact, it's your body doing its job!
If and when progress does stall (which it eventually will, naturally), it may be time for another macro adjustment OR it might be time to increase your NEAT (Non-Exercise-Activity-Thermogenesis), or add a few more minutes of cardio.
You do not need to do all of the above - simply pick ONE factor to change.
Note: After your initial calorie cut, 100-200 calorie decreases are often sufficient to keep progress moving after each “stall”.
Hangry Yet?
You’re going to have to mentally prepare yourself for some increased hunger, but there are things we can do to help mitigate that hunger.
Examples: Keep protein, fat and fiber higher; these are going to help keep you fuller and satiated for a longer period of time due to their slower digestion.
Focus on whole, nutrient dense foods:
You are going to get a lot more volume for your macros if you stay away from processed foods. Literally, more bang for your buck!
Note: Biofeedback is extremely important (energy, hunger, libido, stress, sleep quality, digestion, menstrual health, recovery, etc). That said, we must remember that a caloric deficit is a stressor on the body. Stress impedes positive biofeedback. Meaning, when entering a cut, stress needs to be VERY well managed if we want progress to continue. If your biofeedback isn’t great, your cut phase likely won’t be either. The body can only handle so much stress, you have to pick and choose or you have to manage it better.
So You've Completed Your Cut…
Every deficit phase should always be followed by a reverse diet and maintenance phase of some sort. This is to restore metabolic processes, sex hormones, thyroid health, etc as well as get your metabolic capacity back to a sustainable, healthy amount.
We started this post with the fact that you’re only ready for a deficit if you’ve spent enough time OUT of one. We know this can seem scary, BUT if done correctly and you’re spending adequate time in each phase, training with the appropriate intensity, implementing progressive overload, and maintaining positive biofeedback, your body will likely respond very well to a gradual increase in calories.
A healthy body finds a healthy weight and a healthy body responds well without drastic measures.
We Hope You Learned Something New - Coach Alex