Picture this, you’ve been putting off your diet for months now and now you’re one month out from that big event. It’s the perfect time to consider a mini cut.
We’ve all been there before and usually at this point we give up completely or resort to extremes which are inevitably bound to explode in our face. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
What Is a Mini Cut and Why Use It?
Here’s where a mini cut comes in. A mini cut consists of a severe calorie deficit (750-1000) for a short period of time (2-6 weeks) to promote as much fat loss as humanly possible within that time period.
Mini cuts serve two different functions and those are 1. Allow for the extension of a bulking season without excess fat gain and 2. Allow for a rapid change in aesthetics and obviously we’re going for the second so, how do we do it?
The Risks and Requirements of a Mini Cut
We’ll get to that however first I must clarify the risks to this approach. Even if you do everything right there’s no guarantee that you won’t relapse and gain all the weight back. Potentially more, unless you REALLY know what you’re doing and even then, there’s always a chance so if you’re a beginner I highly discourage this approach and caution you to approach at your own risk. Now, let’s break it down.
First you need to have a rough estimate of your maintenance calories. And chop off whatever gets you in a 1-1.5% BF loss per week. So, if you’re 200lbs that would 2-3lbs per week or a 1000-1500cal daily deficit. Not sustainable at all however, it’s called a mini cut for a reason. You will have to track your food to the dot whenever possible as there is very little room for error here.
In addition, you’ll have to continue training keeping intensity and volume where they are in order to prevent muscle loss. It will feel a TON harder, especially as you approach the end however this is a key step in order to ensure you look your best instead of stringy or skinny, losing fat instead of muscle.
Tips for Surviving and Thriving in a Mini Cut
Now, here are some recommendations to make the process as easy as possible. 1. Raise your NEAT, take a walk, do some warm-up or cool down cardio, maybe both and try to keep moving throughout the day more than you already do. 2. HIGH VOLUME FOODS. Look up recipes online and make them! When it comes to dieting and especially hard dieting like this, high-volume low-calorie foods are crucial towards raising your chances for success. It’s really this simple, raise your calorie burn, eat high volume foods, hit your protein and stay busy.
As a side note and from my personal experience here’s a few words.
Although simple, chances are it’s not going to be easy. You’re going to want to quit and honestly, unless you really have a strong why for doing this then I encourage you do. This isn’t the way to lose AND keep weight off, I thought it was, but it just isn’t.
If you do have that why though then all I can tell you is to persevere. Use the suggestions I outlined and anything else you can come up with to lessen the hardship. But know that after a while, it’s just going to come down to sheer willpower, discipline and determination. How long it takes before that will depend on your starting leanness and genetic tolerance for dieting.
It’s simple, not easy. Wish you the best in your journey and hope this helped!
Transformation For Life
