Stages of fat loss protocols

[gauge22-v2]

I was pondering how folks setup their diets and when they layer on things that accelerate and/or maintain fat loss.

For instance:

Weeks 1-2 set food deficit at -200 calories/day
Weeks 3-4 add in cardio of X days at Y minutes
Weeks 5 - Start layering in fat burners such as clen/T3 and drop another 200 calories/day
Weeks 8 - end of diet - Add in additional cardio of X days at Y minutes
etc


If you had a 12 week cutting plan what does your plan typically look like?

What is your typical weight loss target per week?

Do you take the 'marathon' approach and make small adjustments?

Do you come out of the gate and take a large deficit and start with fat burners asap?

Obviously it would revolve around how much to lose and timelines, but looking to see how folks approach the logic behind this.

 

[aDw32]

In my opinion most fixed protocols it's the best way to lose fresh tissue

For me, i can't do deep cut without coach and never could. Have tendency to over diet, over cardio and at the end i loose tissue

 

[luki7788]

there is no such thing - every time and for everyone it will look different because you start cutting each time with a different level of body fat, different insulin sensitivity and many variables.

Of course the ideal situation would be to subtract 200-400 kcal at the end of the growth phase and immediately be in deficit until the very end, but only people who stick to the plan 365 days a year without the slightest deviations and do not create an unnecessarily large calorie plus in the growth phase can afford such a thing - but you will find a few such people around the world lol

 

[b-boy]

Each cut is very different for me, but some basic things are I like a long slow approach (helps me keep my sanity and not freak out running out of time). My calorie drop is very slight as I don't eat a lot anymore so it more just adjusting my macros and having a higher % of calories as protein helps me start shedding fat on basically the same calories I was eating minus the cheat meals. I slowly ramp up cardio and this sustains my fat loss for quite some time without changing much (also factoring in the fact that anabolic dosage has increased also).

 

[jackedsanta]

As a former fat guy what i found is slow and controlled makes Santa much better to deal with in every area of life. I've tried everything and atm carb cycling has been my answer.

 

[qbkilla]

I'm not a bodybuilder but I stay lean year round...if I'm ever feeling too fat I just subtract calories. Been counting calories Ed for 20 plus years (pen and paper before apps) so have a good idea What amount will be a deficit. Always keep cardio on my non lifting days so for me it's just manipulation of total calories. If I really want to lose fast usually do intermittent fasting or incorporate low carb days, maybe add ec on non training (cardio) days.

 

[Astro95]

Not a competitor, so couldn’t say about specific time frames, but I like the marathon approach. Currently cutting and as a regular gym bro my approach is dial in maintanance (duh) then slight decrease in carbohydrates. I don’t look at total calories, I mean I do by proxy, but the target is x carbs x protein x fats. Fats and protein are set in stone only variable is carbs. Im a believer in doing cardio no matter if growing or cutting, so of course cardio out of the gate on TDs except leg days. No cardio on NTDs and go from there. Rate of weight loss per week depends on how much you have to lose I guess. Carbohydrate cuts like 10g per week, cardio +5minutes per session, but not weekly as needed to not cut food down too fast. Then add cardio on NTDs when needed. No fat burners or anything aside TRT till 10%. Fat burners would come past 10.

 

[Freedom69]

I like to take a slow approach so I don’t burn my self out . I like to do a 16 week cut

 

[hawkmoon]

I always do food and cardio first.
Then we go to the toolbox when, and only when things stall.

Each person will see this at different points so we can't really say add clen at week x.
I do t3 and then clen as my progress stumbles or stalls. This should be in the last weeks of a prep, or I did something wrong to start with.

Leave yourself tools in your box so you have something to go to, don't use them too early.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

clen and t3 are absolutely not needed to get peeled

 

[aHarness]

I don’t see why you try and pre-set arbitrary changes to an arbitrary timeline
I make changes on an as needed basis to upkeep the fatloss rate I want

 

[gauge22-v2]

Thanks for the replies.

My biggest issue is being impatient. Once I start to diet down, I tend to drop calories too fast and/or start doing to much cardio.

The comment by Hawkmoon about leaving "tools in the tool box" hits home. I just need to be more patient.

 

[3BILLS]

Thanks for the replies.

My biggest issue is being impatient. Once I start to diet down, I tend to drop calories too fast and/or start doing to much cardio.

The comment by Hawkmoon about leaving "tools in the tool box" hits home. I just need to be more patient.

If your biggest problem is being impatient then don't let yourself get to heavy.

If you stay within range you won't feel the need to rush things and will it enjoy it more

Us old guys have to enjoy everyday brother

Or you can dm @SouthernMuscle for his 2 week blow out extravaganza soup only crash diet

 

[danieltx]

Thanks for the replies.

My biggest issue is being impatient. Once I start to diet down, I tend to drop calories too fast and/or start doing to much cardio.

The comment by Hawkmoon about leaving "tools in the tool box" hits home. I just need to be more patient.

I was surprised you had more cardio in it as the diet went on. If anything you should be doing less cardio as the diet progresses, not more.

When I diet I usually cut cardio completely by the halfway point because my metabolism is cranking along enough to do the work in conjunction with my caloric deficit.

I always looked at it like this - what requires more energy, doing cardio or eating less? Obviously it's doing cardio, and we want to preserve as much energy as possible in a cut. Your diet should be your main route of fat loss, cardio should just be a fat loss supplement.

 

[gauge22-v2]

If your biggest problem is being impatient then don't let yourself get to heavy.

If you stay within range you won't feel the need to rush things and will it enjoy it more

Us old guys have to enjoy everyday brother

Or you can dm @SouthernMuscle for his 2 week blow out extravaganza soup only crash diet

My being impatient is a personality flaw.

Not too fluffy at the moment and Monday was day one of the diet. Going to try and refrain from just jumping to tons of cardio and dropping 500+ calories a day etc....

 

[3BILLS]

My being impatient is a personality flaw.

Not too fluffy at the moment and Monday was day one of the diet. Going to try and refrain from just jumping to tons of cardio and dropping 500+ calories a day etc....

Ya nothing to be impatient about there

 

[jackedsanta]

My being impatient is a personality flaw.

Not too fluffy at the moment and Monday was day one of the diet. Going to try and refrain from just jumping to tons of cardio and dropping 500+ calories a day etc....

But the gravel tattoos are fire
Jus sayin

 

[bbxtreme]

My being impatient is a personality flaw.

Not too fluffy at the moment and Monday was day one of the diet. Going to try and refrain from just jumping to tons of cardio and dropping 500+ calories a day etc....

This game is all about uncomfortable patience and delayed gratification. There’s been a ton of great responses so far.

All I have to add is that you should tailor your cut to your goal. Saying “12 weeks” or whatever number sets you up to lose lean tissue. Set your cut up to match how much you have to lose and at the slowest rate possible.

Sure you may recomp a bit by shifting factors around or upping dosages, but it’s minimal as most of that will be not be true lean tissue.

Step one for me is always to nail the constants while upping T4- remove saturated fats, drop excess carbs and try to sit at your baseline so you can see what is glycogen and what is lean tissue. Adjust slowly from there. No two cuts will ever be the same.

 

[luki7788]

I was surprised you had more cardio in it as the diet went on. If anything you should be doing less cardio as the diet progresses, not more.

When I diet I usually cut cardio completely by the halfway point because my metabolism is cranking along enough to do the work in conjunction with my caloric deficit.

I always looked at it like this - what requires more energy, doing cardio or eating less? Obviously it's doing cardio, and we want to preserve as much energy as possible in a cut. Your diet should be your main route of fat loss, cardio should just be a fat loss supplement.

I am exactly on the other side. After years of experience I have discovered that it is better to eat more and move more than the other way around. Being on a deficit diet we not only have a deficiency of kcal but also minerals and other ingredients and by cutting food we only deepen this deficiency even more so I always rely on more cardio/steps for myself and my clients than on constantly eating less

 

[tornquad201]

I am exactly on the other side. After years of experience I have discovered that it is better to eat more and move more than the other way around. Being on a deficit diet we not only have a deficiency of kcal but also minerals and other ingredients and by cutting food we only deepen this deficiency even more so I always rely on more cardio/steps for myself and my clients than on constantly eating less

How many steps are you doing