The exercises should also be compound exercises no matter which plan you choose. All in all, Upper Lower, Push Pull Leg, and Full Body Circuit or HST are best for cutting phases. If you are a beginner who is considerably overweight, then the first thing you should do is lose fat, so following a cutting plan is the way to go. Our cutting plan will have you working out 6 days per week, with 3 days of cardio and 3 days weightlifting.

Nutrition Basics for Female Bodybuilders

  • Athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts commonly use it, but anyone can adapt it to their fitness level.
  • However, athletes may be a little lower, especially during their respective season, and as you get older, being on the higher side (even around 20% BF in your 50s) is fine.
  • Lean meats, fish, nuts and low-fat dairy products are your best source of protein.
  • My plan was to try these macros for a week and adjust if needed.
  • On February 22, I weight 203 pounds with 10.2% body fat.
  • Understanding how to fuel your body is key to achieving your bodybuilding goals.

So, if you have more muscles and less fat, you’re naturally burning more calories than someone with lesser muscle mass. Remember, cutting and dieting are extremely hard and take a lot of work. Dieting is very important while trying to cut and cannot be ignored.

Why Is Weight Lifting Important During The Cutting Phase?

With that in mind, aim for 20% or less of your calorie intake from good fats. The amount of calories you need to cut back on varies from person to person and involves your height, weight and activity levels which determine your metabolic rate. Because of this variation, only you can decide how many total calories you’ll need each day. While cutting requires dedication and discipline, following these guidelines and tracking your progress can help you reach your goals. Remember to focus on nutrient-dense whole foods, track your intake, and adjust as needed to find the right balance for your body. Although some hunger and muscle loss may occur, with the right approach, you can achieve a leaner, healthier physique.

How to Meal Prep for Muscle Gain and Fat Loss

Losing weight can be hard, but apart from eating healthier and exercising regularly, there are some changes you can make in your daily habits to make it easier. The ISSN also recommend eating protein with carbohydrates before exercise, after exercise, or both. A person can decide the duration of a cutting diet according to their individual needs, but it is not a long-term diet. Tracking your progress is essential to be sure you’re on the right path towards achieving your goals. This can include weighing yourself regularly and taking measurements of different body parts to see changes in body composition.

All natural foods are required and should make up the bulk of your diet. Fiber rich foods like https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-eating-plate/ green vegetables and lentils and barley are healthy sources for carb intake. @JAKE TILL, after HIIT you can enjoy the rest of your day OR work on some flexibility training (light static stretching). If you feel like you have more energy, you can increase the difficulty of your HIIT workout (more time or harder hiit workout).

As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more. Carb cycling improves insulin sensitivity, allows you to keep more muscle mass, and reduces bad food cravings. So, carbs are the one macronutrient which gets a lot of hate. The carb quality is important and since we need them for physical activity, we can back off when we don’t need as much.

How Much Fat can You Loose in a Month? (My Body Fat Percentage Measurements)

This hellopeter means you need a special approach to macro planning—or your daily diet, in general— that works with your biology. Ready in about 30 minutes, these are perfect for a healthy weeknight meal. Here are Juge’s picks for the top three foods to turn to when you’re trying to shed fat. Strict form is required to keep tension on the muscles and make the most of the lighter weight. Handle lighter weight with slow, hyper-focused repetitions.

Breakfast options – select one from the following list each day

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. 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. First things first, figure out how many calories you must consume each day.

Rest time:

cutting diet for women

That shakes out to 182.2 pounds of lean mass and 20.78 pounds of body fat. Since I want to drop 16 pounds of fat, I need to a 56,000 calorie deficit over the next seven weeks. I was eating zero sugar, cutting carbs and things were going well. However I needed a more controllable approach to manage my weight. Keep in might I prioritize a high protein diet to I start to reducing fat intake. This is the single most effective step to reduce your caloric intake.

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Fiber isn’t exactly a food group but is crucial when cutting. It keeps your digestive system humming and makes you feel full longer (12). Fiber naturally comes with carbohydrates, especially in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, so ensure they’re part of your routine. Healthy fats keep your hormones balanced and your brain sharp (14). You’ll want fats to account for about 30-35% of your daily caloric intake.

The Benefits of Losing Fat

The cutting phase aims to eliminate the fat gained during the bulking phase while retaining as much muscle mass as possible. Bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts often use a cutting diet after a bulking phase to achieve a leaner physique. Remember to consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet or exercise routine.

The Importance of Strength Training

Creating the right meal plan makes hitting your macro targets much easier. Using Sarah’s numbers as our guide (1,651 calories, 140g protein, 144g carbs, 57g fat), let’s build practical meal plans that work in real life. Women Fitness is an exhaustive resource on exercise for women, workouts for women, strength training, Zumba, HIIT, weight loss, workout, fitness tips, yoga, pregnancy. Weight lifting is important because it will help you build more muscles and maintain the ones you already have (2). Building muscles will also help in your fat/ weight loss journey. This comes from the fact that muscles burn more calories at rest than fat mass, which helps you burn more calories.