Cut planning: how do I shape my calorie deficit?
The Cut Planner gives you a controlled diet plan — a moderate deficit, ample protein and clear checkpoints, so strength and muscle stay protected as much as possible.
Your plan
Suggested calorie intake
2,360–2,560 kcal
Estimated maintenance: 2,864 kcal
Daily macronutrients
Protein
158–211 g
1.8–2.4 g per kg of bodyweight — especially important in a deficit.
Fat
62–88 g
0.7–1.0 g per kg of bodyweight.
Carbohydrates
240–300 g
Remaining energy from carbohydrates.
Expected weekly change
-0.70–-0.53 kg/week
(-0.80–-0.60 %)
Estimated time to target
9–12 weeks
Weekly plan & checkpoints
Daily — Morning fasted weight (weekly average)
Log it — day-to-day swings are normal.
Weekly — Strength on the main lifts
Stable strength is a useful trend signal, but it does not prove complete muscle preservation.
Weeks 2–3 — Weekly average vs. starting weight
Losing much less than 0.53 kg/week? Check tracking and steps first, then drop 100 kcal.
Weeks 2–3 — Weekly average vs. starting weight
Losing much more than 0.7 kg/week? Add 100 kcal.
Every 6–8 weeks — Energy, sleep, motivation
A 1–2 week diet break at maintenance calories is normal and useful.
When to adjust
- Plateaus are normal. Check data quality (tracking, daily steps, sleep) before lowering calories.
- Do not cut back on resistance training. Muscle is why we bother with calories at all.
- For very lean people (< 10 % BF men, < 18 % women) go slower.
- Diet breaks (1–2 weeks at maintenance) are a tool, not a weakness.
Example trajectory (illustrative)
Example (illustrative): starting at 88 kg, target 82 kg, moderate pace.
Calorie range ~2,200–2,400 kcal/day, ~0.5–0.7 kg loss per week.
Expected duration 9–12 weeks — with a diet break in between if energy or sleep drop.
This result is a sensible starting point, not a fixed target. Watch your real progress and adjust step by step if needed.
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Model note
Planning model, not medical clearance
Calorie ranges, target pace and time windows are modelled starting values based on estimated maintenance and internal planning rules. Product guardrails stop the tool from automatically generating progressively lower targets, but they are not universal medical safety thresholds. Your real multi-week trend remains the deciding reference.
Method
How the calculation works
Age, height, weight, sex and activity are used to estimate maintenance via Mifflin-St Jeor plus an activity factor. This TDEE is a starting estimate, not measured energy expenditure.
Depending on the selected pace, the planner subtracts an internal range of 250–550 kcal per day from estimated maintenance. A conservative product guardrail prevents lower automatic targets; it is not a medical safety threshold.
The displayed loss pace and time to target are planning models. Real bodyweight trajectories are not linear because water, glycogen, daily movement and adaptations in energy expenditure all vary.
Estimate confidence
How reliable is this estimate?
Medium
The plan is based on your estimated maintenance needs. How fast you actually lose weight also depends on daily movement, tracking accuracy and adaptations in energy expenditure.
Context
When this planner makes sense
When you want to lose fat in a controlled way over several weeks while keeping as much strength and muscle as possible – with a moderate deficit, enough protein and clear checkpoints instead of a short-term crash diet.
Context
Who this planner is not for
If you are underweight, have or have had an eating disorder, are pregnant or breastfeeding, are under 18 or are being treated for a health condition, a self-planned calorie deficit is not the right path. In those cases please speak with a doctor first.
And more generally: if food, weight or your body image weigh on you, that matters. A qualified professional is then the better place to turn than a plan.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes when running the plan
- 01Starting the plan without recording your baseline and strength numbers.
- 02Skipping the weekly checkpoints and reacting to the scale every day instead.
- 03Increasing the deficit after one week without change instead of checking the data first.
- 04Planning no diet break and stretching the phase until nothing works anymore.
- 05Pushing the plan through unchanged during illness, stress or lack of sleep.
Interpretation
How to read your plan
The calorie range is a starting point. What you want is a weekly average weight descending inside the suggested corridor — not a single-day scale reading.
If strength on the main lifts stays flat, you are protecting muscle — the main goal on a cut. If strength drops sharply, check sleep, protein and calories first.
Limits
Where this planner ends
The largest uncertainty is estimated maintenance: Mifflin-St Jeor predicts resting energy and the activity factor extends it coarsely to TDEE.
The deficit and pace ranges are internal planning frameworks, not individually validated optimal values. Strength and bodyweight trends can provide signals but do not prove complete muscle preservation.
The planner is intended as a general tool for adults. Underweight, pregnancy or breastfeeding, medical conditions and current or previous eating disorders belong in professional care.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How large is the deficit in this planner?
Depending on the selected pace, the model uses an internal range of roughly 250–550 kcal below estimated maintenance. Whether that starting point fits you is determined by your real multi-week trend.
Is 0.5–1 % of bodyweight per week a safety limit?
No. Percentage loss rates are practical planning ranges used in sports-nutrition contexts, not a universal medical safety threshold and not a requirement for every person.
Why can the target date be wrong?
The timeline is a static calculation from target weight and selected pace. Water, glycogen, tracking error, daily movement and expenditure adaptations make real trajectories uneven.
What does the calorie guardrail mean?
It stops a general tool from automatically generating progressively lower targets. It is a product decision, not individual medical clearance.
How should I judge progress?
Use a multi-day or 7-day bodyweight trend together with training, hunger, energy and sleep. Change the plan only after enough consistent data and then gradually.
When should I not use the planner on my own?
Underweight, pregnancy or breastfeeding, medical conditions, prescribed dietary requirements, and current or previous eating disorders belong in professional care.
Sources
Sources
- 01Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ, Wildman R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Diets and Body Composition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:16.
- 02Hector AJ, Phillips SM. Protein Recommendations for Weight Loss in Elite Athletes: A Focus on Body Composition and Performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2018;28(2):170–177.
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Guide
Lose Fat and Keep Muscle. What Actually Works
Fat loss follows no secret method. For your body to release stored energy, a calorie deficit has to be maintained over a longer period of time. How well a diet works, however, is not decided only by how fast body weight drops. Sensible fat loss should preserve as much muscle mass, training performance, and everyday capacity as possible. The decisive fundamentals are a controlled calorie deficit, sufficient protein, consistent resistance training, enough everyday movement, and a realistic evaluation of your progress.
Related glossary terms
If food, weight or body image weigh on you, please talk to a doctor or qualified professional.
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