The Aggressive Cutting Diet Plan: Ultimate Guide to Shred Fat Fast and Build Lean Muscle

Cutting, often called a shredding phase, is a diet and training approach designed to reduce body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. The key cutting principle is achieving a calorie deficit-burning more calories than you consume. While individual needs vary, a cutting diet typically focuses on nutrient-dense foods that support fat loss and muscle retention.

Understanding the Cutting Phase

Cutting is a fat-loss phase that bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts use to get as lean as possible. Typically started a few months before a major workout plan, it involves a weight loss diet that’s meant to maintain as much muscle as possible. The key distinctions from other weight loss diets are that a cutting diet is catered to each individual, tends to be higher in protein and carbs, and should be accompanied by weightlifting. Lifting weights regularly is important because it promotes muscle growth, helping prevent muscle loss when you start cutting calories.

Timeframe and Goals

A cutting diet lasts 2-4 months, depending on how lean you are before dieting, and is typically timed around bodybuilding competitions, athletic events, or occasions like holidays. Whether you should bulk or cut first depends on your goals. If you already have all the muscle mass you want and your goal is to get leaner, then there’s no need to go through a bulking phase. However, if your goals include gaining additional muscle, then adding that mass will require a surplus of calories to promote muscle growth. This means cutting is a secondary step.

Nutritional Needs: Tailoring Your Diet

A cutting diet is tailored to each individual and requires you to determine your nutritional needs.

Calorie Intake

Fat loss occurs when you consistently eat fewer calories than you burn. You can estimate the number of calories you need to consume daily to maintain your weight using an online calorie calculator. To lose 1 pound (lb) or 0.45 kilograms (kg) per week, simply subtract 500 calories from this number. Alternatively, a registered dietitian can help determine how many calories you should consume daily, depending on your goals. A slow, even rate of weight loss - such as 1 lb (0.45 kg) or 0.5-1% of your body weight per week - is best for a cutting diet. Although a larger calorie deficit may help you lose weight faster, it can increase your risk of losing muscle, which is not ideal for this diet.

Protein Intake

Maintaining adequate protein intake is important in a cutting diet, boosting your metabolism, reducing your appetite, and preserving lean muscle mass. If you’re on a cutting diet, you may need to eat more protein than if you’re merely trying to maintain weight or build muscle mass. That’s because while you’re getting fewer calories, you’re exercising regularly, which increases your protein needs. Most research suggests that 1-1.4 grams (g) of protein per lb of body weight (2.2-3.0 g/kg) is sufficient for conserving muscle mass on a cutting diet. For example, a 155 lb (70 kg) person should eat 150-210 grams of protein daily.

Fat Intake

Fat plays a key role in hormone production, which makes it crucial for a cutting diet. While it’s common to reduce fat intake on a cutting diet, not eating enough can affect the production of hormones like testosterone and IGF-1, which help preserve muscle mass. Experts suggest that, on this diet, 20-30% of your calories should come from fat. One gram of fat contains 9 calories, so anyone on a 2,000-calorie regimen should eat 44-67 g of fat per day on a cutting diet. If you do intense exercise, the lower end of that fat range may be best because it allows for higher carb intake.

Carb Intake

Carbs play a key role in preserving muscle mass while on a cutting diet. Because your body prefers to use carbs for energy instead of protein, eating an adequate number of carbs may prevent muscle loss. Additionally, carbs can help fuel your performance during workouts. On a cutting diet, carbs should comprise the remaining calories after you subtract protein and fat, or around 0.9-2.2 g/lb (2-5 g/kg) of body weight. Protein and carbs both provide 4 calories per g, while fat stands at 9 calories per g. After subtracting your protein and fat needs from your total calorie intake, divide the remaining number by 4, telling you how many carbs you can eat daily.

Meal Timing and Frequency

Meal timing is a strategy used for muscle growth, fat loss, and performance. Although it may benefit competitive athletes, it isn’t as important for fat loss. Instead, you should focus on eating whole foods and getting enough calories, protein, carbs, and fat throughout the day. If you’re hungry frequently, 2019 research suggests that a high calorie breakfast may keep you fuller later in the day.

Cheat Meals and Refeed Days

Cheat meals or refeed days are commonly incorporated into cutting diets. “Cheat meals” are occasional indulgences meant to ease the strictness of a given diet, whereas refeed days boost your carb intake once or twice per week, restoring your body’s glucose stores, improving exercise performance, and balancing several hormones. Although you may gain weight after a cheat meal or refeed day, this tends to be water weight that’s usually lost over the next few days. Still, it’s easy to overeat on these days and sabotage your weight loss efforts. Moreover, these routines may promote unhealthy habits, especially if you’re prone to emotional eating. On the other hand, bodybuilding is linked with an increased risk of muscle dysmorphia and disordered eating patterns. Following an overly restrictive diet plan with no room for cheat meals may negatively affect your relationship with food. Therefore, it’s best to work with a healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian, when planning your diet. This can ensure that you’re meeting your nutritional needs and help you avoid falling into overly restrictive eating habits.

Read also: The Reverse Diet Guide

Tips for Staying on Track

Here are some helpful tips to keep your goals on track on a cutting diet:

Choose more fiber-rich foods: Fiber-rich carb sources like non-starchy vegetables tend to contain more nutrients and can help you stay fuller for longer while on a calorie deficit.
Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated may help curb your appetite and temporarily speed up your metabolism.
Try meal prepping: Preparing meals ahead of schedule can help save time, keep you on track with your diet, and avoid the temptation of high calorie convenience foods.
Avoid liquid carbs: Sports drinks, soft drinks, and other sugar-rich beverages lack micronutrients, may increase your appetite, and aren’t as filling as fiber-rich, whole foods.
Consider cardio: Aerobic exercise - especially high intensity cardio - may further your fat loss when used alongside weightlifting.

The Mini-Cut Approach

Want to lose a lot of fat quickly without sacrificing muscle gains? You can do so by making use of something called a "mini-cut". I explain what that is - and how you can properly implement it - for rapid fat loss here. How long does it take to get shredded? Well, I was able to lose fat fast - and go from lean to shredded in just 6 weeks. This was made possible with something called a "mini-cut".

What Is A Mini-Cut?

Let's start by breaking down what a mini-cut is. And how effectively it works. So, we know that the typical approach to dieting is to take it slow to lose fat at a sustainable pace. But mini-cuts are quite the opposite of this. More specifically, there are 2 things that make them different in particular:

Speed: Refers to the short period of time you'll be dieting for. Typically, with mini-cuts, you won't be dieting for more than about 4-6 weeks.
Aggression: Yes, you might be a little more grumpy than usual. But the aggression we're referring to here related to how big of a calorie deficit you'll be on. And how much weight you'll aim to lose every week. Typically, you'd want to aim for a rate of fat loss of about 0.5-1% of your body weight weekly. With mini-cuts, though, you should aim to lose around 1-1.25% of your body weight weekly. For most people, this is somewhere between 1.5-3 lbs weekly.

What's the underlying idea behind this fast yet aggressive diet? Well, it's just that this approach allows you to quickly lose fat without the muscle loss and fatigue that would occur if you'd extended it any longer.

Mini-cuts are most effectively used:

During a bulk to quickly reduce your body fat percentage before returning back to a bulk
As a way to quickly lean down before an event, like a wedding or vacation

How Effective Are Mini-Cuts For Fat Loss?

A recent study run by one of our researchers here at Built With Science, Alex, provides some insight. The study took a group of resistance-trained males and females - and attempted to see the maximum amount of fat they could lose in just 2 weeks. To do so, the test group reduced their calorie intake by almost 40% while continuing to train and eat a high-protein diet. After 2 weeks, they lost a total of almost 4 lbs. Of course, some of this weight loss was water weight. But the rest of it was pure fat, with virtually no muscle mass loss. But the problem with mini-cuts is that they're hard to stick to. Plus, even if you do manage to stick through it? The changes your body experiences during the mini-cut, unfortunately, make it very easy to regain the fat you lost as soon as you're done.

Workout Tweaks for a Mini-Cut

Prior to the mini-cut, I was lifting 5 times a week. I was using the 5-day workout split from my Built With Science Intermediate program. However, an aggressive calorie deficit now means I have much less fuel to energize my workouts and support my recovery. This can quickly lead to excessive fatigue and strength loss. To avoid this, I made a few tweaks based on the findings of a 2011 study. The researchers took 70 trained males and had them lift weights 3 times a week for months while monitoring their gains. After 4 months, the researchers then tested to see the minimum amount of workout volume needed for them to maintain their new gains. They found that just 1 workout per week - so a third of what they were doing previously - was all that was needed.

To do so, I switched to a 4-day workout split from my Built With Science Intermediate program. And I removed 1 set from every single exercise in my routine. This essentially halved the total workout volume I was doing. But was still more than enough for me to maintain my gains.

As for cardio, prior to the mini-cut, I was, on average, taking 10,000 steps a day. And doing two 20-minute HIIT per week. My approach during the mini-cut was to further increase my overall activity to burn more calories every day. That's because I didn't want to have to rely solely on eating fewer calories to achieve my goal deficit. Those of you who're more sedentary will benefit greatly from this strategy.

However, I had to make sure to add in the right type of cardio. That meant cardio that was easy to recover from. And something I could actually stick to throughout the 6 weeks despite my lower energy levels. So, I decided to do 2 things:

Taking more walks throughout the day and making frequent use of an under-desk treadmill at my office: Doing this easily increased my daily step count to 15,000 steps a day on average.
Replacing my two 20-minute HIIT sessions with something much easier to recover from: That meant ligth cycling for 30 minutes, 3-4 times a week instead. I did this either indoor or outdoor on a road bike depending on the weather.

Dietary Tweaks During a Mini-Cut

At the time, my body needed about 2,600 calories to maintain my weight. During the mini-cut, I dropped this by about 25% to around 2,000 calories. This drastic drop in calories created 2 problems I had to solve:

I had to find a way to save most of my energy for my weight workouts so that I didn't end up losing a ton of strength and muscle.
I had to find a way to manage my hunger levels and cravings.

To solve problem 1, I was strategic in what specific foods I'd be eating less of. The minimal amount of fat you should eat per day for your health is around 0.2g/lb of your body weight. So, to cut calories from my diet while still ensuring I still had enough carbs for energy and enough protein to maintain my muscle, I reduced my fat intake close to that minimum amount rather than considerably dropping my carb and protein intake. In addition to this, I strategically timed the ingestion of my carbs to best fuel my performance and recovery. This was done by saving most of my daily carb intake for my:

Pre-workout meal: To give me energy for my workout
Post-workout meal: To help with recovery

The rest of my meals were then relatively low in carbs.

To solve problem 2: hunger and cravings. I made simple food swaps that kept me full and enabled me to eat pretty much the same meals as I was before the mini-cut. But now with far fewer calories.

For example, here's what a typical breakfast would look like for me before the mini-cut. Here are the swaps I made, along with their impact on my total calorie count:

Whole eggs for egg whites (280 calories down to 160 calories)
Bagel with avocado for low-calorie bread (300 calories down to 150 calories)
Adding more greens I was able to save several hundreds of calories (total savings of 270 calories) without decreasing the actual volume of food.

This applied for lunch. I kept the ingredients pretty much the same. But instead of using a 300-calorie tortilla, I used a low-calorie wrap (300 calories down to 120 calories). Again with dinner. I was able to drop the calorie count of this meal by over 300 calories just by making the following swaps:

White rice for cauliflower rice (400 calories to 200 calories)
Reducing the fat content by not including eggs in the rice (140 calories to 0 calories)

For dinner, that came up to a total calorie savings of 340 calories.

In addition to these food swaps, I also had to resist temptations during the day. Not to mention, curb my cravings at night. To do so, I always made sure I had some kind of tasty yet low-calorie dessert. Examples include:

Banana ice cream
Apple fritters
Frozen yogurt

Just something sweet at night that I could look forward to during the day - which would help keep me on track.

Post Mini-Cut: Maintaining Results

There are 2 factors that cause rapid fat re-gain after a mini-cut or any dieting phase, for that matter. The first has to do with your metabolism. As a result of weighing less and the effects of dieting, my metabolism is slightly lower than what it was previously when I was carrying around more weight. In other words: before I'd gone on a mini-cut. In addition to this, drastically reducing my activity or cutting it out altogether after the mini-cut would not only mean:

I'm burning even fewer calories every day
There is also data to suggest, and I can definitely attest to this, that lower levels of activity make regulating hunger more difficult. Which makes it easier to overeat after a diet.

The second point is ultimately what causes people to unknowingly overeat after their diet is over. To avoid this, members of my Built With Science programs use our nutrition software to pinpoint exactly how their metabolism changes. But for those who aren't on my programs (yet), expect that your new maintenance calories may be slightly lower by 100 or 200 calories. That means you'd need to remain active by doing things you enjoy - and can sustain. You should also keep a close eye on your body weight. Of course, your weight will initially increase by 1 or 2 lbs (mostly from water, due to the increase in food intake). But your weight should stabilize shortly after. And is an indication that you've found the right balance.

Mini-Cut Takeaway

Keep in mind that mini-cuts are exactly what their name implies. Mini. They are NOT a long-term, sustainable solution. It's short and aggressive for a reason. Bear in mind that they can quickly become unsustainable if continued for too long. But, when used properly, they are effective.

Aggressive Fat Loss: A Month-by-Month Approach

First Month: Extreme Fat Loss Program

Around the first month is a golden window for implementing an aggressive fat loss regimen, as you're much more motivated because you're starting something new. Motivation typically fades with time, so it's about grabbing that motivation by its neck and making the most of it.

Aggressive Diet Plan: Calorie Deficit Calculation

When figuring out her calorie deficit goal, which was the most vital component within her aggressive diet plan, the key was to be aggressive enough but not go absurdly low.

One calorie deficit formula we used for our new aggressive diet plan was using her goal body weight as part of the equation. For the specific examples below, we'll use a random goal bodyweight§ of 170lbs to determine what she'll aim for within her first few weeks:

Week 1: 170lbs times by 7 = 1,190 calories daily
Week 2: 170lbs times by 8 = 1,360 calories daily
Week 3: 170lbs times by 9 = 1,530 calories daily
Week 4: 170lbs times by 10 = 1,700 calories daily

The mistake many people make, potentially you included, is continuing with the aggressive calorie deficit beyond the first four weeks. Do not do this. You are not an exception, no matter how much of a special butterfly you think you are.

So, for week 5, she transitioned into a sustainable calorie deficit, which we used my free calorie calculator to calculate. Click here to check it out.

However, it was vital that Laura did not go lower than 50% of her maintenance calories. So, if any of the above equations were to give her a calorie deficit goal lower than 50% of her maintenance calories, she would stick with the 50% goal instead for the first week, slowly increasing it from there following the above formula. This helped prevent the pitfalls of being overly aggressive to the point it'll do more harm.

If you don't know how to calculate your maintenance calories, then use the free calorie calculator that I mentioned above.

Ensuring a substantial deficit is crucial in an aggressive diet plan. You must also track all food accurately.

Daily Goals for an Aggressive Fat Loss Plan

With knowing how to figure out the calorie deficit goal cleared up, here are a few other daily goals to consider:

Protein Intake: Maintain a high protein intake, targeting 0.7 to 1 grams per pound of your goal body weight or a gram of protein per centimetre of height. A protein goal is essential for muscle maintenance or growth during an extreme fat loss program.
Step Goal: Setting an aggressive yet achievable step goal, like adding 5,000 steps above last month's average, to boost the aggressive fat loss process.
Resistance Training: Strength train with an emphasis on progressive overload 3-5 times weekly to ensure fat loss, not muscle. This aligns with super aggressive workout strategies that focus on muscle preservation. If you need a free workout plan, then click here.
Fruits and Vegetables: Increase your intake by three portions compared to your average for the last two weeks. This nutritional boost is vital for an aggressive fat loss plan.
Cardio: Whilst not generally recommended for fat loss, a target of 60 to 90 minutes of cardio zone 2* per week can be beneficial during a short-term aggressive weight loss plan. I do not recommend HIIT if you have a lot of weight to lose.

Low-Calorie Density Foods for Aggressive Fat Loss

Mastering hunger while maintaining a calorie deficit is crucial when embarking on an aggressive fat loss journey. The key lies in choosing foods that fill you up without overloading on calories, this is vital for any aggressive diet plan or extreme fat loss program.

Low-calorie dense foods allow for larger portions with fewer calories, which is essential if you're wondering how to aggressively lose weight. Consider watermelon, for instance. You can enjoy a generous 670 grams for merely 200 calories, aligning perfectly with aggressive fat loss. Tuna, a great source of lean protein, can be your go-to for low-calorie meals, supporting muscle maintenance-a vital aspect of any fat shredder regimen.

Practical Swaps in an Extreme Fat Loss Program

Implementing food swaps in your aggressive fat loss strategy ensures you maintain a calorie deficit whilst feeling fuller. Here are a few suggestions for how you can apply these swaps within the framework of a fat loss extreme program:

Choose minced beef with 5% fat over the 20% variety.
Using a one-calorie oil spray instead of traditional cooking oils or butter is a smart tactic within an aggressive diet plan, reducing unnecessary fat intake.
Opt for low-sugar ketchup rather than the regular kind.
Select light mayo instead of the full-fat version.
Pour semi-skimmed or 0% fat milk rather than whole milk.
Sipping on diet soft drinks instead of sugary ones is a simple yet effective swap that improves aggressive fat loss efforts.
Enjoy low-fat cheese, not the full-fat counterpart.
Picking 0% fat Greek yoghurt instead of the standard option.
Replacing a regular bagel with a thin bagel can be an excellent example of how to aggressively lose fat without sacrificing flavour.
Drink your coffee black or with low-fat milk.
Boil or air fry foods as a low-calorie alternative to frying in oil or butter.
Cut down to 0 or 1 teaspoon of sugar in your coffee, down from 2 or 4.
Favour lean meats like turkey and chicken over higher-fat meats.
If ordering takeout, go for smaller portions.
When choosing drinks, consider sticking to water. Sparkling water with a wedge of lemon makes for a nice drink when eating out.
Aim for at least 30 grams of protein in every meal or one portion the size of your palm.
Make sure to get at least three portions of fruits and vegetables daily. This is a foundational aspect of an aggressive fat loss plan.
If you usually have two servings of something, try just one.
Choose air-popped popcorn over chips or buttered popcorn.
Select thinner crusts or whole wheat crusts for pizza.

tags: #aggressive #cutting #diet #plan