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Nutrition and cutting are inseparably linked. If you want to cut effectively and better highlight muscle definition, it almost cannot be done without adjusting the dietary pattern. Not only the adjustment of the amount of food and calories is important but also think about adjusting the distribution of macronutrients, i.e., carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. In this article, we dive deeper into exactly what you need to eat if you want to cut and in what quantity.
Nutrition and cutting
“Eat more often and get ripped.” “Train with higher repetitions and get ripped.” “Make sure you eat nothing after 8 pm.” These and more are all myths that circulate in many gyms. They are interesting propositions since they are not supported by any scientific evidence. How does cutting really work? First of all, you need to eat less than your body needs. After all, cutting is nothing more than losing weight with the difference that you want to preserve muscle mass. To lose weight, you need to consume less energy than you need. In this way, you create a calorie deficit in the energy balance.
Calories and cutting
Ok, this part has come up in several articles, but to be able to lose weight and also when cutting, a calorie deficit is required. How many calories you need varies per person and depends on, among other things, your activity level. You create a deficit by first calculating your calorie needs. This can be done by multiplying your weight by 20 – 30 kcal. Or by using the calculator below. BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate, the energy needs of your body without taking activities into account.
Is it now smart to immediately start starving yourself? Not really. When you decide to starve yourself or go on a crash diet, there’s a high chance that your carefully built-up muscle mass will disappear. You can also get a deficiency in micronutrients: the vitamins and minerals. Both are not good for your health and your muscle mass. Therefore, it is recommended to generate a calorie deficit of 10 to 15 percent. The lower the deficit, the longer the road to the end goal. The greater the deficit, the greater the chance that dear muscle mass is also lost.
Sufficient proteins
First of all, you want to preserve muscle mass. Your body is in the mode of muscle breakdown and muscle growth daily. When you take enough proteins, there is a great chance that muscle breakdown is prevented and that the proteins are used to promote muscle growth. It is therefore important to take 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Various studies have shown that your body cannot generate much more protein synthesis with an intake of 1.8 grams of protein per kg body weight. Bodybuilders use a higher amount of protein, but that may be due to the other testosterone-boosting agents they administer to themselves, allowing for higher protein synthesis. But for natural athletes, 1.8 grams is sufficient. If you are
cutting, 2 grams is recommended because you don’t want to be too low since your calorie intake is already reduced. Good sources of proteins are: chicken, beef, lean curd, protein shakes, tuna, mackerel, chicken
