A cutting phase is a deliberate, time-bound caloric deficit aimed at fat loss while preserving as much muscle as possible. It's not the same as 'eating less and hoping' — a real cut has a target deficit, a defined endpoint, a macro plan that protects lean tissue, and a transition plan back to maintenance. This page lays out how to set cutting calories based on TDEE, when to use a lean cut vs aggressive cut, and the three things that decide whether the weight you lose is fat or muscle.
TDEE Calculator
Total Daily Energy Expenditure — your real maintenance calories.
Biological sex
BMR formulas use biological sex, not gender identity.
Leave blank if unsure — we'll fall back to Mifflin-St Jeor (the standard).
Most people overestimate this. When in doubt, drop one tier.
Different goals call for different deficit sizes. The mistake most people make is defaulting to the most aggressive cut they think they can survive — which usually means they don't survive it. Match the cut to the goal.
Lean cut / mini-cut (10% below TDEE). Best for: people 4–8 weeks from a beach trip or photoshoot who want to drop a few pounds without disrupting training. Also good for someone slightly off their preferred weight wanting a slow nudge back. Loss rate: 0.3–0.5 lb/week. Adherence is high because you're barely below maintenance. Duration: 4–6 weeks max.
Moderate cut (20% below TDEE). The standard. Best for: anyone with 5–25 lb to lose and at least 8 weeks of runway. Loss rate: 0.6–1.0 lb/week. Sustainable for most people. Duration: 8–16 weeks before a diet break.
Aggressive cut (25% below TDEE). Best for: people with significant fat to lose, time-bound goals, or those with strong adherence habits. Loss rate: 0.8–1.3 lb/week. Adherence drops faster than at 20%, but for the right person on the right timeline, it works. Duration: 6–10 weeks before a diet break, no more.
Cut size comparison: 30F, 150 lb, lightly active
Same person, three cut sizes. Note how target calories and macros shift.
Cut type
Deficit
Target kcal
Protein (g)
Fat (g)
Carbs (g)
Expected loss/week
Lean cut (−10%)
~190
1,720
150
57
171
0.3–0.5 lb
Moderate (−20%)
~380
1,530
150
42
154
0.6–1.0 lb
Aggressive (−25%)
~480
1,430
150
40
133
0.8–1.3 lb
Protein stays high (preserves muscle). Fat dips slightly. Carbs absorb most of the cut. TDEE estimate ≈ 1,910 for this profile.
The three things that decide if you lose fat or muscle
All cuts lose some lean mass — the question is how much. Three variables decide the ratio:
Protein intake. Research is unambiguous: 1.6–2.4 g per kg of body weight during a cut dramatically reduces muscle loss. Below 1.6 g/kg, muscle loss accelerates. Above 2.4 g/kg, you don't get much extra benefit.
Resistance training. Lifting weights signals your body that the muscle you have is needed. Without lifting, even a high-protein diet loses substantial muscle. With 3+ challenging strength sessions per week, lean mass loss can be reduced to less than 20% of total weight loss.
Deficit size. Larger deficits proportionally lose more muscle. A 20% deficit might lose 5–15% muscle (85% fat); a 35% deficit might lose 25–35% muscle. Stay moderate.
Cutting timeline: what a 12-week cut actually feels like
Weeks 1–2: easy. Hunger is modest, energy is fine, scale drops 2–4 lb (mostly water). You might think 'this is great, I'm going to crush this.'
Weeks 3–5: real cutting begins. Hunger increases, especially evenings. Workouts may feel slightly heavier. Loss settles to a consistent 0.7–1.0 lb/week. This is when adherence becomes the work — meal planning, prep, saying no to impulsive food.
Weeks 6–8: midpoint. Often a small plateau here as metabolic adaptation kicks in. Push through with consistent tracking. Sleep and stress management matter more now than they did in week 1.
Weeks 9–12: harder. Adherence requires real discipline. Cravings become more specific (not 'I want food,' but 'I want pizza specifically'). This is when 1–2 planned high-calorie meals per week help. If you have momentum, push to week 12. If you're crumbling, end the cut a week early — better to end at week 10 with a clean transition than to limp to week 12 and binge.
Weeks 13–14 (maintenance): the most important phase, and the one people skip. Eat at maintenance for 1–2 weeks. Sleep more. Resume hobbies. Let your body re-equilibrate. Then assess: do another cut block, or call it done?
Field note from Sukie
Why I run cuts in 12-week blocks now (not 24-week sagas)
Early in my own attempts, I'd run cuts as long as possible — 20, 24, even 28 weeks at a stretch, chasing a goal weight that kept moving. The problem was always around weeks 16–20: I'd be exhausted, lifts would be in the toilet, my mood would be a low background grumble, and I'd inevitably break in some loud way (a weekend binge, a 'cheat week' that turned into three).
The fix that stuck was structured: 12-week blocks max, then 4 weeks at maintenance, then assess. The 4-week maintenance phase isn't 'eating whatever' — it's eating at calculated maintenance with all the discipline of the cut, just at a higher number. By the end of those 4 weeks, my hormones, hunger, and motivation reset enough that the next 12-week block was approachable. Across three blocks I lost what a single 36-week brutal cut would have, but with no binges, no quitting, and better muscle preservation. Slow is durable.
— Sukie
Macro defaults this calculator uses for cutting
When you set the goal to 'Cut' in our calculator, the macro defaults are:
Protein: 2.2 g per kg of body weight, scaled by your weight regardless of deficit size. Protects muscle during the deficit.
Fat: 25% of target calories. Above the 20% hormone-support floor, below the 30% threshold that leaves too little carb budget for training.
Carbs: fills the remaining calorie budget after protein and fat are set. For a typical cutter this is 35–45% of calories.
These are defaults, not laws. If you respond better to higher fat (some people do), pull from carbs to bump fat to 30%. If you train hard and need more carbs around training, hold fat at 22–23% and add to carbs. The protein number is the one to keep stable.
What to track and what to ignore
Track: daily weight (averaged weekly), calories, protein (every day), workout performance (key lifts, every week).
Mostly ignore: daily scale weight in isolation, body fat percentage estimates from scales or watches (unreliable), single-day macro miss alarms, the mirror in unflattering lighting. These all introduce noise without signal.
Use the trend, not the snapshot. A 7-day rolling weight average that's trending down, combined with protein hit consistently and lifts holding or progressing, is the picture of a successful cut. Anything else is detail.
The structure of a 12-week cut that actually works
Weeks 1–2: the easy ones. Water weight drops 3–6 lb in the first 7–10 days. People feel motivated, the scale rewards them, adherence is high. The trap is letting these weeks set unrealistic expectations for the rest of the cut. The 1.5 lb/week pace of weeks 1–2 will not continue.
Weeks 3–6: the productive middle. Real fat loss happens at 0.5–1 lb/week. The body has adjusted to lower intake, hunger has settled, energy is steady. This is the phase to defend with everything you've got — meal prep, sleep, training consistency. Most of the cut's actual fat loss comes from this 4-week window.
Weeks 7–9: the grind. Hunger may rise. Energy dips. Scale slows. Adaptive thermogenesis is real now. The temptation to either cut deeper (bad — accelerates muscle loss) or quit (also bad) peaks here. The right move is to push protein higher, sleep more, and trust the trend over the snapshot.
Weeks 10–12: the close. Real weight loss has accumulated by now. You can usually see the difference in the mirror. Stay disciplined and finish — most people undermine their cut by 'celebrating' early. Lock down through week 12.
Then: a 4–6 week diet break at maintenance. Non-negotiable. Both to recover hormones and to let the next cut start from a cleaner baseline. The cut that ends without a maintenance phase is the cut that turns into the rebound.
15–25% below TDEE. For most women that's 1,400–1,800 kcal; for most men 1,800–2,400 kcal. Use the calculator above for your specific number.
Should I cut on training days and rest days differently?+
Most people find flat daily calories easier. Some advanced lifters carb-cycle (more carbs on training days, same protein and fat). Both work. Pick the simpler one unless you have a reason.
Do I need cardio to cut?+
No — diet does the calorie deficit. Cardio is a tool for adjusting TDEE, not a requirement. Some find cardio helps with adherence (eat back the cardio calories on hungry days). Others prefer strength-only.
Can I cut and gain muscle simultaneously?+
Yes, in some circumstances. Beginners, returners after a layoff, and those with significant fat to lose can build muscle in a deficit if protein is high and training is hard. Advanced lifters at single-digit body fat usually cannot.
Is the scale lying when I look leaner but the number isn't moving?+
Not lying — telling a different story. Recomposition (losing fat, gaining muscle simultaneously) shows up in the mirror and tape measure before the scale. Trust the mirror over the scale when they disagree.
How do I know my cut is done?+
You've hit your goal weight or body fat, OR you've cut for 12–16 weeks and need a structured break, OR adherence is collapsing. Any of these means: transition to maintenance for at least 4 weeks.