1. Spending the better part of a year in a slight surplus is brilliant.
I built a a lot of muscle mass and that muscle has quickly showed within the first 4 weeks of my cut. The muscle definition is already the best it's been, possibly ever, and it is all thanks to the fact that I committed to patiently adding muscle while allowing myself to hang around the 15-18% body fat range for the final 8 months or so of my bulk. More muscle has made it easier to lose body fat and to show off that hard earned muscle from the previous year of slow bulking.
2. Eating a small, protein packed breakfast is key.
When I've gone in calorie deficits in the past, I often leaned into intermittent fasting. However, I would inevitably run into 2 issues:
(1) I would be starving in the afternoons and would eat calorically dense foods that were suboptimal food choices for my health AND my calorie goals. This has been a problem during this past month when I've skipped breakfast, as well.
(2) I would struggle to hit my protein goals. I'd be able to hit around 0.7-0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. But in a calorie deficit, I REALLY want to be closer to 1+ grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to maximize my body's ability to build/maintain muscle mass.
Eating a quick breakfast of either 2-4 Greek yogurts, a protein shake, or even 3-4 eggs with a yogurt on the side have allowed me to get a head start on my protein goal for the day (while keeping calories low) AND it has helped me manage hunger and cravings.
This has led to me consistently opting for more frequent, smaller, high protein meals throughout the day that keep me satiated and energized.
3. Fish is my friend.
I've been eating tuna fish, salmon burgers, 'cook from frozen' cod filets, and shrimp regularly. These are great high protein, low calorie options that pair well with fruit and veggies and keep me satiated.
4. Low fat milk is key if you're a dairy lover, like myself.
I love my whole milk. 1% milk ain't whole milk, but it's a heck of a lot better than skim milk, and saves me 40 calories per serving while giving me the same amount of protein per serving as whole milk.
5. Hopping in the sauna a few days per week, for 30 minutes at a time, helps burn extra calories and aids recovery from my training sessions.
6. This is no different from any other phase for me, but I have found that frequent, 30 minute hypertrophy focused sessions are best for me. It is easy to muster the energy to train for 30 minutes, it allows me to do 3-5 exercises per session for 2-3 sets per exercise. I'm able to progressively overload regularly but without being drained, and it makes a [near] daily training schedule an easy habit – which leads to sustainability, consistency, and gains.
7. Eat low resistance meals.
This means eat foods that are quick and easy to prepare.
For me, frozen turkey burgers, frozen salmon burgers, canned tuna, ground beef, ground turkey, salmon, cod, tilapia, eggs, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, frozen veggies, carrots, and protein powder are ALL quick and easy to prepare (sometimes zero preparation is needed) and encourage me to eat meals that fit my calorie and macro goals regularly. Snacking on Greek yogurt, protein shakes, fruit, and carrots while eating eggs, lean burgers, tuna sandwiches, protein oatmeal, and fish for my bigger meals has been incredibly easy and enjoyable thus far.
8. Maintain the smallest deficit needed to lose 0.5-1 pound of bodyweight per week.
This is a good rate of loss and the minimal deficit will allow you to keep training efforts high, mood and energy levels high, and all this will help you build/maintain muscle while slowly losing body fat. This also extends the length of time you can stay in a deficit which will allow you to get leaner while maintaining quality muscle.
Keep in mind that during the first 2 weeks you'll likely lose more than 1 pound per week. I lost 2-3 pounds per week initially. That happens and it's mostly just water loss. After those initial 2 weeks, the body settles in and a rate of 0.5-1 pound per week is ideal.
9. If you overeat one day, just eat less the next day.
If the goal is 2,500 calories and my total energy expenditure is 3,000 calories per day, but I eat 3,300 calories today, I can simply decrease my calorie intake to around 2,000 calories tomorrow and be right back on track in 2 days.
Don't fall off the wagon because you have 1 high calorie day. Use it to your advantage and train extra hard the following day. And take some extra steps or an extra sauna session if you're terribly worried. Everything will be fine.
Comments