How long does a cut last?

For a moderate cut (-20% TDEE), expect 8 to 14 weeks depending on starting body fat and target. Beyond 12 continuous weeks, schedule a 7–14 day diet break to preserve hormones and metabolism. A very long cut (16–20 weeks) should always be split into 8–10 week blocks with maintenance breaks.

Cutting vs caloric deficit: what's the difference?

A caloric deficit is the general mechanism (eating less than you burn). A cut is a deficit protocol applied to a trained lifter, with specifics: protein at 2.5 g/kg of lean mass (vs 1.8–2.2 g/kg body weight), unchanged training to preserve muscle, programmed refeeds, starting body fat ≥ 15% M / 22% F. For someone without a muscle base, a standard deficit fits better than a strict cut.

How many calories during a cut?

The rule: a 15 to 25% deficit from TDEE, never more aggressive. For an 80 kg male with a TDEE of 2,800 kcal, that's 2,100–2,380 kcal/day. Absolute floor: never go below BMR + 200 kcal. If the calculated deficit drops below that, increase expenditure (cardio, NEAT) rather than intake.

How much protein for cutting?

2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean body mass (LBM = weight × (1 − body fat %)). For an 80 kg male at 18% body fat: LBM = 65.6 kg → 165 g of protein/day. Spread across 4–5 feedings of 30–50 g, 3–4 h apart. Beyond 3.1 g/kg LBM, studies (Helms 2014, Phillips 2019) show no additional benefit.

Should I do cardio during a cut?

Not mandatory — nutrition accounts for 80% of a cut. But useful to deepen the deficit without dropping intake too low. Recommendation: 2–3 sessions of moderate cardio (zone 2, 30–45 min) per week, on a bike or rower. Avoid excessive HIIT — too costly to recover from in a deficit, can compromise lifting. Daily walking (8,000–10,000 steps) remains the best tool.

Should I keep lifting during a cut?

Absolutely yes, this is the central point. Unchanged strength training is what tells the body: this muscle is being used, don't catabolize it. Holding the loads from the previous bulk is the goal (no progression, no decline). If your loads drop sharply (-10 to -15%), your deficit is too aggressive or your recovery is insufficient (sleep, stress, protein).

Female cutting: what's specific?

Three major adjustments. (1) Starting body fat: minimum prerequisite of 22% (vs 15% M) — below that, risk of RED-S (cycle loss, hormonal issues). (2) Deficit capped at -20% of TDEE max, never -25%. (3) Hormonal cycle: pre-period water retention can stall the scale 5–7 days; always weigh yourself at the same phase to compare. Female cutting takes longer but is more sustainable than male cutting.

Refeed: what is it, when to place it?

A refeed is a day at TDEE (maintenance) with high carbs (4–6 g/kg body weight), protein maintained, fat moderate. Effects: partial leptin restoration, muscle glycogen recharge, motivation boost. Frequency: 1×/week if BF ≤ 15% M / 22% F, every 10–14 days at higher BF. Place it on a heavy training day (legs, back) to capitalize on the glycogen surplus.

Diet break: what's the point?

A diet break is a 7–14 day full maintenance pause, scheduled every 8–12 weeks of cutting. The MATADOR study (Byrne et al., 2018) showed this intermittent protocol produces ~50% more fat loss and significantly less metabolic slowdown than a continuous deficit over 16 weeks. Mechanism: restoration of leptin, T3, and unconscious NEAT.

Aggressive vs slow cut: which to choose?

Moderate cut (-20% TDEE) for 80% of lifters. Slow cut (-15%) for advanced lifters, finishing phases (going from 12% to 9% body fat) or when performance matters. Aggressive cut (-25%) only if starting body fat is ≥ 25% M / 30% F, and limited to 4–6 weeks before returning to moderate. The leaner you start, the more you must slow the deficit.

How much fat can you lose per week on a cut?

0.5 to 1% of body weight per week (Helms et al., 2014) — i.e. 0.4 to 0.8 kg/week for an 80 kg person. Beyond that, you also lose muscle in a non-trivial proportion (30–40% of the loss). In a finishing phase (body fat < 12% M), drop to 0.3–0.5%/week to maximally preserve muscle. The scale may show more in the first few weeks (water, glycogen) — that's normal, don't extrapolate.

What to do when you hit a plateau?

Five levers, in order. (1) Verify actual intake (7-day weigh-in, the #1 trap). (2) Recalculate TDEE on the new weight. (3) Add 2–3 light cardio sessions (30 min). (4) Schedule a diet break (7–14 days). (5) Cut intake by 100–150 kcal/day (last resort, never below BMR + 200 kcal). If the plateau persists > 3 weeks despite these adjustments, schedule a diet break even if not planned.

How do I end a cut without regaining everything?

With a reverse diet: gradually ramp calories back up over 4–6 weeks. Week 1: +100–150 kcal/day vs cut. Weeks 2–4: +100 kcal/week additionally. Weeks 4–8: fine-tuning to stabilize at the recalculated TDEE. Snapping back to 100% of pre-cut maintenance = +3–5 kg in 2 weeks (60% as fat), because the adapted metabolism no longer burns as much. The patience of a reverse diet is worth all the effort of the cut.

Personne courant sur une colline au coucher du soleil

TrainingSourced · Helms 2014 · Phillips 2019

Cutting calculator for lifters

Get your daily calories, lean-mass-based macros, and the estimated time to reach your target body fat. For trained lifters (≥ 6 months of resistance training).

By Adrien Grusse · Founder of Micron

Published April 28, 2026 · Updated April 28, 2026

Your information

Gender

Age

years

Height

Weight

Current body fat %

Target body fat %

Visual estimate or BIA scale. If you don't know, use 18% (male) or 25% (female) as a default.

Physical activity level

Cut type

Recommended for 80% of cases. Good balance between speed (0.5–0.7 kg/week) and muscle preservation. Lasts 8–14 weeks.

Lifting experience

The more advanced you are, the higher protein is calibrated (up to 2.8 g/kg LBM) to preserve muscle mass in a deficit.

Enter your age, height, weight and body fat %

to get your cutting calories, macros and estimated duration

How does the calculation work?

Step 01

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the most accurate by the scientific literature. Calculates your minimum resting calorie needs from your gender, age, height and weight.

Step 02

TDEE and deficit calibration

BMR is multiplied by an activity factor (1.2 to 1.9) to estimate your real expenditure. A 15%, 20% or 25% deficit is then applied based on the chosen mode.

Step 03

Macros from lean body mass

Protein is calculated from LBM (weight × (1 − body fat %)) at 2.3–2.8 g/kg depending on your level. Fat at 25% of target kcal, carbs make up the rest. This evidence-based approach preserves muscle mass in a deficit (Helms et al., 2014).

What is a cut in lifting?

A cut is a caloric deficit phase run by a trained lifter, with the goal of losing fat while preserving muscle mass and strength built during bulking phases. It's the second half of the natural bodybuilding bulk/cut cycle.

It differs from a standard caloric deficit by: a population already training for ≥ 6 months, very high protein intake (2.5 g/kg of lean mass), unchanged training to signal to the body that the muscle is needed, and programmed refeeds to preserve hormones and performance.

Not a trained lifter yet? Read our standard caloric deficit guide, better suited to get started →

Why 2.5 g/kg of lean mass?

Under caloric restriction, the body activates muscle proteolysis to supply amino acids. High protein intake saturates this mechanism: nitrogen balance stays positive, muscle is preserved. Meta-analyses (Helms 2014, Phillips 2019) converge on 2.3–3.1 g/kg LBM in a deficit for trained lifters. That's higher than general recommendations (1.8–2.2 g/kg body weight) because muscle stress in a deficit raises repair needs.

6 tips to nail your cut

Aim for 2.5 g/kg of lean mass in protein

Spread across 4–5 feedings of 30–50 g, 3–4 hours apart. Priority sources: lean meats, fish, eggs, skyr, with whey as a supplement.

Never drop your loads

Training stays identical to the bulk. If your loads drop sharply (-10 to -15%), your deficit is too aggressive or your recovery is insufficient (sleep, protein).

Walk 8,000–10,000 steps/day

The #1 lever to deepen the deficit without taxing muscle recovery. More effective than 5 hours of intense cardio, and sustainable.

Schedule 1 refeed per week

A day at TDEE with high carbs (4–6 g/kg body weight), placed on a heavy training day. Restores leptin and muscle glycogen.

Weigh all your food for the first 4 weeks

80% of plateaus come from underestimated intake (Lichtman, 1992). Precise tracking calibrates your eye for later.

Exit gradually (reverse diet)

+100 to +150 kcal/week over 4–6 weeks after the cut. Snapping back to your previous maintenance = +3–5 kg in 2 weeks, 60% of which is fat.

Bulk / cut cycle

Coming off a cut? Time to lean bulk.

Once you hit your target body fat and finish the reverse diet, switch to a calibrated caloric surplus phase (lean bulk +10%) to gain clean muscle before the next cut.

Calculate my lean bulk surplus →

Frequently asked questions about cutting

Sources scientifiques

This article draws on 8 peer-reviewed studies and publications, listed below. Every link points to the original source (PubMed, NIH, government agencies, scientific journals).

[1]Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. View source ↗PMID : 24864135
[2]Phillips SM, Van Loon LJC (2019). Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of Sports Sciences. View source ↗PMID : 22150425
[3]Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA (2018). How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. View source ↗PMID : 29497353
[4]Byrne NM, Sainsbury A, King NA, et al. (2018). Intermittent energy restriction improves weight loss efficiency in obese men: the MATADOR study. International Journal of Obesity. View source ↗PMID : 28925405
[5]Longland TM, Oikawa SY, Mitchell CJ, et al. (2016). Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. View source ↗PMID : 26817506
[6]Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. View source ↗PMID : 2305711
[7]Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Norton LE (2014). Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. View source ↗PMID : 24571926
[8]Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms ER (2019). Nutrition recommendations for bodybuilders in the off-season: a narrative review. Sports. View source ↗PMID : 31247944

About the author

Adrien Grusse

Founder of Micron

Adrien is the founder of Micron, the app that helps more than 150,000 users track their micronutrients daily. Before Micron, he worked on the Growth team at Finary (Y Combinator). Adrien is not a credentialed dietitian — his role here is to translate the scientific literature into accessible content, rigorously. Every article cites peer-reviewed sources (PubMed, Cochrane, recent meta-analyses); no claim is made without a verifiable reference. For individual medical follow-up, consult a healthcare professional.

LinkedIn ↗Link ↗Link ↗

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