Shedding Weight and Fat Through Caloric Reduction
Cutting is a strategy used to lose weight, primarily by reducing body fat through a decrease in calorie intake. After discussing bulking, it’s time to delve into cutting, which is essentially the process of creating a calorie deficit to shed excess weight. The main goal of cutting is to lower overall body weight, ideally by losing fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible.
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) represents the number of calories your body needs each day to maintain your current weight. For instance, if your TDEE is approximately 2000 calories, you must consume fewer calories than this amount to achieve weight loss. To lose one pound of body weight, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories.
If you aim to lose one pound per week, you would need to reduce your daily caloric intake to about 1500 calories. However, a person that has been training consistently for 1 to 3 years, will have to accept the fact that even with regular lifting, cutting calories may result in some loss of muscle mass and strength.
During a cutting phase, elevated levels of stress hormones like catecholamines and cortisol can cause your body to break down fats and amino acids for energy. Simultaneously, decreased insulin levels can reduce the delivery of protein to your muscles, slowing down muscle growth. This process, known as catabolism, can lead to muscle loss, especially the longer you stay in a caloric deficit. To counteract this, some experts recommend incorporating refeed days—occasional days with increased carbohydrate intake—to help mitigate the effects of catabolism and protect your muscle gains.
For beginners, the gains and losses can occur simultaneously. When starting an exercise and diet regime they will lose fat and gain muscle, which means some individuals experience increased strength and muscle development while reducing body fat. In contrast, for more advanced individuals, achieving this same level of body recomposition—losing fat while gaining muscle—can be more challenging and may require a different more advanced strategy.
When adjusting your caloric intake for a cutting phase, most people reduce carbohydrates, as they are typically the easiest macronutrient to modify. If you find yourself feeling hungry, increasing your intake of protein and fats can help you stay full for longer periods. A slower rate of weight loss, such as one pound per week, may help preserve muscle mass during your cut phase. But another way to assess progress, instead of focusing solely on the scale, paying attention to your appearance in the mirror can provide a better gage for improvement. If you need more guidance, giving your friendly neighbourhood fitness professional a shout is a good idea as you embark on your fitness journey. Like always, thanks for reading.
Emmanuel Ofori - eMotivates
Your friendly neighbourhood fitness professional
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