A cutting diet is a fat-loss strategy that keeps your muscles intact while helping you drop unwanted weight. It’s not about crash diets or starvation, it’s about eating with intention. The diet focuses on dialing in your macros and pushing yourself to achieve real results.
For anyone looking to lean out, cutting diets are essential. Whether you're prepping for summer, chasing abs, or just ready to take your physique to the next level ... this guide will show you what a cutting diet looks like, how to set it up, and what foods and habits will get you there.
Don’t worry, I'll cover everything you need to know. We'll go through a cutting diet example, common mistakes, and how to tweak your plan based on your goals and lifestyle.
That said, let’s start by looking at what a cutting diet is, how it works, and a few particularly important details and tips you need to know.
What Is a Cutting Diet?
So what is a cutting diet, exactly? It’s a targeted nutrition strategy where you eat fewer calories than you burn. There's one major goal of a cutting diet: lose fat without losing muscle.
Unlike typical weight loss diets that only focus on the scale, a cutting diet is about improving body composition. It’s structured, it’s intentional, and it’s built to bring out the definition from your training.
If you're wondering what a cutting diet looks like, it usually includes high protein intake, controlled calories, and macro targets that match your preferences.
It’s how you go from bulked-up to dialed-in. If you want to see abs or muscle definition, this is how. It's also what I personally do when I go to lose body fat.
Having a good base of muscle mass to hold onto while losing fat can leave a very defined and “cut” look. It can also make it easier to stay lean long-term, as muscle tissue burns calories at rest.
We’ll get to the foods, macros, and structure in a bit, but first, let’s talk about how long you should actually be in a cutting phase.
How Long Does a Cutting Diet Last?
How long should you stay on a cutting diet? That depends on your goal. In most cases, you don’t want to stay in a calorie deficit forever.
If you’re prepping for a show or a photoshoot, most cutting phases last between 8 to 16 weeks. If your goal is more general, like getting leaner or dropping 10 to 20 pounds, you’ve got more flexibility.
It might take a few months or even a full year, depending on how aggressive your plan is and how consistent you are.
Normally, though, I wouldn’t recommend staying in an aggressive calorie deficit for longer than 2-3 months at a time.
The key here isn’t speed, it’s sustainability. You want to give your body enough time to lose fat and reveal muscle without sacrificing energy, strength, or long-term results.
The Details of a Cutting Diet
To really complete the cutting diet, you need to count all of your calories and manage exactly how much protein, fat, and carbs you eat.
If you’re unsure how to do this, you've come to the right place.
Counting Your Calories
If you want to lose fat, you have to be in a calorie deficit. That's just the science and is why the foundation of any cutting diet is eating fewer calories than you burn.
Really, the number of calories you should be eating will depend on a few factors. This includes your body weight, body composition, activity levels, and more.
A good starting point is this: multiply your body weight by 10 to 12 based on how active you are.
Here’s how we break it down at 1st Phorm:
Less than 10,000 steps/day = Bodyweight x 10
10,000–15,000 steps/day = Bodyweight x 11
15,000+ steps/day = Bodyweight x 12
This gives you a starting estimate for your daily calorie intake on a cutting diet. Don’t overthink it ... just start here, track your progress, and adjust as needed.
So, find a good starting point, then make your adjustments over time as needed.
One last thing: don’t go below your resting metabolic rate (10 times your bodyweight). Dropping too low can burn muscle and slow down your metabolism, which is exactly what you don’t want on a cutting diet.
Always Hit Your Protein Goal
If you’re serious about losing fat and keeping muscle, protein has to be your top priority.
On a cutting diet, high protein intake protects your lean mass while helping you burn fat more effectively.
In fact, skimping on protein is one of the fastest ways to lose muscle.
The RDA for protein intake is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. However, this is the bare minimum to avoid malnutrition, not to support fat loss and training.
Studies show that 2.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight helps maintain more muscle and is superior to eating even 1 gram per kilogram (1). This ends up being roughly 1 gram per pound of body weight. This is what I recommend, too: 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight.
So, if you weigh 200 pounds and want to lose 15 pounds, shoot for a minimum of 185 grams of protein a day.
On an actual cutting diet, this can help you maintain more muscle while losing more body fat.
Fun Fact: Higher protein intake not only reduces muscle loss when losing weight, but it also puts your hormones in a more favorable position for weight loss (2).
Also, keep in mind: every gram of protein contains 4 calories. So, when you're calculating your macros, you'll want to factor that in.
Maintain Your Fat Intake
Fat isn’t the enemy ... it’s essential. On a cutting diet, your goal isn’t to cut fat out.
Dietary fat plays a major role in hormone production (think testosterone, IGF-1, and others that help you hold on to muscle).
If you drop your fat too low, you risk slowing your metabolism and wrecking your results.
The World Health Organization recommends keeping fat intake at a minimum of 20% of your total calorie intake (4), but we like to keep things simpler.
Here's what I recommend:
• Men should aim for no less than 50 grams of fat per day
• Women should stay above 40 grams per day
That should be enough to cover your basic needs. But remember, that's the minimum, so don't go lower than that.
In general, though, as long as you hit that minimum amount of fats on a consistent basis, hit your protein goal, and end up in the correct calorie range … you’ll be fine.
Also remember: every gram of fat contains 9 calories. This is more than protein or carbs, so it adds up fast. Track it right and it’ll work in your favor.
Maintain Your Carb Intake
I get it, carbs have a bad reputation. But if you want to train hard and keep your muscles, they belong in your cutting diet.
Carbs fuel your workouts, help you recover, and give your body the energy it needs. Cutting them too low can kill your performance, which could impact your results.
That said, it’s about balance. Some people prefer higher-fat, lower-carb diets. If that works for you, go for it. The most important thing is that you hit your protein and calorie targets consistently. Protein intake will always be
Once you’ve locked in your protein goal and daily calories, you can decide how to split the rest between carbs and fats.
Want higher carbs? Keep your fats closer to the minimum. Prefer more fats? Drop carbs a bit. Your cutting diet can and should match up with your personal preferences.
Personally, I like keeping my carbs higher when I am working to lose body fat. That way, I can train with plenty of intensity, and I just feel better overall. That doesn't mean you have to do the same!
Now, once you have chosen whether you want carbs or fats to be lower, all you have left is math.
Calculating Your Macros For a Cutting Diet
Here’s a cutting diet example to show how macros break down once you know your calorie target.
Let’s say you’re eating 2,200 calories per day and your goal is to maintain muscle while burning fat. You’ve decided to eat:
• 185 grams of protein (because your goal weight is 185 lbs)
• 65 grams of fat (moderate, not too low)
Now let’s do the math:
Protein: 185g x 4 = 740 calories
Fat: 65g x 9 = 585 calories
Combined = 1,325 calories from protein and fat
2,200 - 1,325 = 875 calories left for carbs
Carbs: 875 ÷ 4 = ~219g carbs
So, this would give you these macros:
Calories: 2,201
Protein: 185g
Carbs: 219g
Fat: 65g
Timing Your Meals
With a cutting diet, it’s not strictly necessary to precisely time your meals. It could help you stay on track, though.
Many people end up not eating enough when cutting. I mean, we all lead busy lives and don’t make eating a priority.
Because people are on a cutting diet, they know they need to eat less. So, they use that to make it acceptable to eat even less than they planned.
That’s a BAD idea. Trust me … I’ve done it. It caused my energy levels to tank, and I felt like it slowed my metabolism down more than it needed to.
That, and the cravings for sweets and junk food came in SO MUCH stronger at night. Trust me when I say it’s a bad idea to take it too extreme when cutting.
On a different note, here are some meal timing tips that have helped me fit in all of my meals and really feel my best throughout the entire day:
Here are a few meal-timing tips that can help you stay on track:
• Eat 4 to 6 meals a day. It keeps your metabolism active and makes hitting your macros easier.
• Spread your protein out. Take your protein goal and divide it across your meals. Hitting 20–50g per meal is a solid move.
• Eat every 2–4 hours. This can help manage hunger and blood sugar levels.
• Use a sustained-assimilation protein shake. It's a great tool for those busy times when you can’t sit down for a full meal.
• Don’t skip meals. Skipping leads to cravings and under-recovery, especially on low calories.
• Take a post-workout shake. Fuel recovery and make sure you’re feeding your body when it needs it most.
The goal isn’t to obsess over the clock ... it’s to fuel your body in a way that supports fat loss, energy, and muscle retention.
Cheat Meals and Refeed Days
It's not uncommon for people who are following a cutting diet to use cheat meals and refeed days. While the concept is simple, it's a more advanced type of strategy. Most of the time, it's something bodybuilders use.
During these cheat meals or refeed days, you basically allow yourself to eat more than your diet typically allows. The problem with this technique is ... it's very easy to use this as an excuse to pig out on junk food.
That’s not to say there is no benefit to these cheat meals or refeed days if you actually do them correctly, though. Refeed days can be beneficial for boosting your metabolism and improving your exercise performance (5).
Refeed days are typically higher-calorie, higher-carb days used to temporarily boost leptin levels and prevent your metabolism from slowing down. They can also give you a nice bump in energy and gym performance.
Cheat meals, on the other hand, are where most people get into trouble. One burger won’t ruin your progress, but a full day of overeating can easily erase your weekly deficit.
Here’s how to handle them right:
• Use them sparingly. Every week is probably too much.
• Track them honestly. Yes, even cheat meals have calories and limits you need to adhere to.
• Plan them ahead of time. Don't cheat when you’re emotional or overly hungry. There should be a method to the madness!
...and if you gain a little weight afterward? It’s most likely water, not fat (7). Don’t let the scale mess with your head.
Best Foods For Cutting
When it comes to cutting diets, I always get questions about which foods are best. Well, I would argue that there are no "best foods for cutting". As I said earlier, your protein and calorie intake are ultimately what matter most.
Now, are there foods that can help you meet your calorie and protein goals more easily? Sure! Are there foods that are "healthier" in the sense that they are more nutrient-dense? Sure again!
However, to say there are foods that are "best" for cutting would be misleading. I would just argue that some foods are going to be a better fit for cutting. Generally, these are foods that are high in protein and lower in calories.
I'll cover some of my personal favorites briefly. Who knows, you may get some good ideas for meals and snacks based on these recommendations!
Lean Protein Sources
Now, I would definitely encourage that lean protein sources should be the core of your cutting diet. By lean, I mean it doesn't contain high amounts of fat. It can be easy to go overboard on your calories by picking high-fat protein sources. Here are some good ideas for lean protein sources you can choose from:
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Cod
• Tilapia
• Egg whites
Complex Carbohydrates & Vegetables
Incorporating a variety of complex carbs and vegetables can help you stay satiated. They can also help you keep your energy levels more regular throughout the day. Let me explain.
Complex carbohydrates are just carbohydrates that will take your body longer to break down. They also typically have more fiber, among other nutrients. Since they break down more slowly, they won't spike your blood sugar levels as high as simple carbs (AKA sugar) will.
This could help you keep hunger and cravings at bay, too. Plus, when you're on a cutting diet, you can feel hungry often. For me, the hunger and cravings can be the most difficult part. That's why I choose complex carbohydrates and vegetables as opposed to simple carbs.
That's not to say you can't have simple carbohydrates on a cutting diet. If anything, they can still serve you well as a quick source of energy for workouts. This is when I'll often have fruit! Yes, believe it or not, most fruits have a lot of sugar, which is a simple carb.
So, what are some good vegetables and complex carbohydrates you could try out? Here are some that I always go with:
• Leafy greens (kale, spinach)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Peppers
• Quinoa
• Whole grains
• Oats
• Brown rice
• Beans
Healthy Fats
As I mentioned earlier, it will still be important to keep fats in your diet when you're cutting. Sure, fats do have a lot of calories. As a reminder, each gram of fat is 9 calories. So, how do we work around this?
Well, even with lean protein sources, you can still get a good amount of fat. If you find that you need to increase your fat intake, this is where you can do some fattier protein sources. Some good options you'd have there would be fatty fish like salmon, tuna, or mackerel.
Red meat and dairy are other options you have for getting some more fats in your diet. I personally like lean beef here and there or even low-fat cottage cheese.
You can also add some healthy fats such as avocado, chia seeds, whole eggs (yolks), almonds, and more. Again, just make sure you watch your calories and don't go overboard here. It can be easy!
Now, let's get into some tips that can help you optimize your cutting diet for even better results…
Cutting Diet Tips
I’m not going to act like going on a cutting diet is easy for everyone. It isn’t, and most people will have trouble with it.
Because of that, I want to give you some tips that can help you stay on track! Here’s what I consider to be the top 4…
1. Drink a Lot of Water
Water helps you stay hydrated and healthy. Exercise dehydrates you, so it’s very important to stay hydrated in order to prevent injury as well!
Not only that, but it can help you keep your stomach full and be less hungry ... to keep from unplanned snacking or overeating.
2. Start Preparing Your Meals
It’s hard to make sure you stay on plan if you just wing it every day on your meals. Planning ahead is the key to success!
It may take a few hours a week to do, but it’ll set you up to actually reach your goal. I find that by investing that extra time up front, I also save time throughout the week by not having to worry about what to eat. That also means I don’t spend my time and money trying to order a different meal or going out for lunch & dinner every day.
3. Eat Plenty of Fiber
Fiber plays multiple roles in the gut, and it can help with fat loss, too.
It’ll help feed the good bacteria in your gut and keep things moving regularly. It will also play a role in how full you feel from your meals.
This will help to keep the hunger at bay and make it easier to stick to your plan.
4. Pay Attention to Sugary Drinks and Sauces
Too many people fall into the trap of forgetting to pay attention to the calories in sugary drinks and sauces.
Because we are thinking about what foods we eat, it’s easy to overlook the other things. However, the calories in drinks and sauces add up quickly.
Let’s say you go to Chick-fil-A and you decide to keep it healthier with a grilled chicken sandwich. That’s not a bad option, but let’s say you also order a large lemonade and some Chick-fil-A sauce.
Well, if you only pay attention to the sandwich, you’re looking at 390 calories. Seems pretty low, right?
But if you don’t factor in the lemonade and sauce, you’ll be off. The lemonade adds 74 grams of sugar and 300 calories. The sauce adds 13 grams of fat and an additional 140 calories.
So, you would be thinking you just got 390 calories, when in reality, you just consumed 830 calories.
See how easy it is to overeat when you don’t pay attention to the details?
That brings me to my next point...
5. Pay Attention to The Details
Let me also make it clear that this is just an example. I’m not saying you shouldn’t get the lemonade or ever have sauces. You just need to be sure that the choices you make are in line with your goals.
Remember this: what gets measured, gets managed. If you don’t pay attention to your real calorie intake, it’ll be hard to know where you’re going wrong if progress stops.
6. Seek Help From a Coach
We all need help staying accountable to another person from time to time. This is normal.
It’s easy to talk yourself into going off plan. It’s a different story when you have someone else helping you and rooting for you. Nobody wants to disappoint someone who’s trying to help them achieve something.
The person to help you get results and hold you accountable needs to know what they’re doing. They need knowledge of exercise science, nutrition, and ideally supplementation.
One Last Word About Cutting Diets
Overall, a cutting diet is a way for you to lose body fat without losing much muscle. If you want to see your hard-earned results, this is the best way to do it.
It can be a difficult diet to stick to unless you have discipline and someone to coach you through the challenges and struggles.
If you go to a personal trainer or dietitian, it might cost you quite a bit. Some are over $100 for an hour session or $200-300 per month.
You can get some great help by going that route, but it’s not practical for everyone.
That’s where the 1st Phorm App can be a complete game changer.
It will cost you less than an average meal per month to gain access to every tool we have at our disposal to get you real and long-term results!
I've been using it for years, and it has been a key part of earning the results I've been working toward ... and I'm confident it can help you too.
Inside the app, you'll get access to:
• Nutrition tracking - Log your food & water to stay on track. The 1st Phorm App is connected to a massive food database to make it easy.
• A full library of workout programs catered to help you reach your goals. Choose between at-home programs, weightlifting, cross-training, and so much more!
• Daily activity and step tracking to set goals and encourage a healthier lifestyle.
• Educational live streams 5x a week that cover a wide variety of topics from nutrition to training and supplementation. Equip yourself with the knowledge to earn and maintain your results long-term!
• Progress & body metric tools to help you measure your progress over time.
...and so much more!
With the premium version of the 1st Phorm App, you'll even get your own advisor! This is a Certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach you can message 24/7. They'll help you make adjustments, answer your questions, and even hold you accountable when you need it most!
Hundreds of thousands of people have already transformed their lives with the 1st Phorm App. You can too! No matter where you're starting from or how crazy your schedule and lifestyle are ... the 1st Phorm App can help you achieve the results you've always wanted.
Check out the 1st Phorm App here, and I promise you won’t regret it!
That said, I know we covered a lot of information, so if you have more questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri. Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central. We'll be more than happy to help in any way we can!
References:
(1) Mettler S, et al. Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;42(2):326-37.
(2) Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020;29(3):166-173.
(3) Antonio J, et al. A High Protein Diet Has No Harmful Effects: A One-Year Crossover Study in Resistance-Trained Males. J Nutr Metab. 2016;2016:9104792.
(4) Liu AG, et al. A healthy approach to dietary fats: understanding the science and taking action to reduce consumer confusion. Nutr J. 2017;16(1):53.
(5) Mitchell L, et al. Do Bodybuilders Use Evidence-Based Nutrition Strategies to Manipulate Physique? Sports (Basel). 2017;5(4):76.
(6) Boggiano MM, et al. Motives for eating tasty foods associated with binge-eating. Results from a student and a weight-loss seeking population. Appetite. 2014;83:160-166.
(7) Murray B, Rosenbloom C. Fundamentals of glycogen metabolism for coaches and athletes. Nutr Rev. 2018;76(4):243-259.
