So, how does this look in real terms? If you weigh 90kg and consume on average 3000kcal per day and wanted to lose 1kg of fat per week, you need to create a daily deficit of 1000kcal per day. This means you will need to be on a daily deficit of 500-1000kcal. Decide on the rate of weight loss you want - usually 0.5 to 1kg per week is a good place to start. As mentioned above, calculating and sticking to a calorie deficit is the first step when starting your cut. While there are no particular types of foods more likely to make you gain weight (all foods contain calories), there are some foods that become more important during a cut and will make the process a lot easier. A combination of less food and more exercise work in combination to get you bodybuilding lean.Īlmost any diet can contribute towards your cutting phase if you have a large enough calorie deficit in place.

So, the two sides of the energy balance equation are energy intake (how much you eat) and energy expenditure (how much activity and exercise you get in). Lastly, cardio can be added in a systematic way to help increase energy expenditure.3 Training and general activity levels will contribute slightly to energy expenditure. Your diet will make the biggest difference to your fat loss. There are three main ways to lose body fat: Summary: Successful cutting requires tracking to achieve a consistent calorie deficit during the cutting period. As you start to get leaner, the rate should slow down as you don’t want to lose hard-earned muscle. To lose 2lbs (approximately 1kg) a week, simply double the daily calorie deficit.2 It’s normal to lose fat more quickly during initial cutting stages when body fat is higher. To lose approximately 1lb of fat, you need a 3500kcal deficit throughout the week (that’s 500kcal less each day of the week). Next, you need to create a calorie deficit. This will give you an estimate of your weight, as it’s normal for it to fluctuate daily. At the same time, you should weigh yourself each morning and look at your average over the week. This could be as simple as downloading a food tracker app, recording what you eat each day and taking the average for the week. A simple way to do this is to track your daily food intake, along with your daily weight, and see what the average is for the week. Now, before you can create an energy deficit you need to work out how much you’re eating on average throughout the week. This means you need to be burning off more energy than you consume. To lose weight and body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit.

Bodybuilding basal metabolic rate