Cut Phase

Everyone talks about “cutting,” but most people do it wrong. They slash calories too deep, train themselves into exhaustion, and wonder why they’re losing muscle instead of fat. Let’s break this down the TACTICAL way so you understand exactly what to do and why it works.

Step One: Know Your Numbers

TDEE – Intake = Deficit. That’s the formula. Your TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories you burn in a day including rest, activity, digestion, and workouts. Your RMR is your Resting Metabolic Rate — what you’d burn lying still for 24 hours.

This matters because people often compare their food intake to RMR. That’s wrong. Deficits should be set against TDEE, not RMR.

What’s the target? A deficit of –200 to –500 kcal/day. If you’re leaner, stay closer to –200. If you have more to lose, you can push –500. Anything deeper and you’ll pay the price in muscle, hormones, and recovery.

Why Six Weeks?

Six weeks is the sweet spot. Long enough for measurable changes in weight, waist, energy, and body composition. Short enough to avoid metabolic slowdown and the mental fatigue that comes with months of restriction. Science shows habit formation and metabolic adaptations start locking in between 4–8 weeks, which makes six the perfect tactical strike.

Protein: The Shield for Your Muscle

The number one rule of cutting: lose fat, not muscle. That means protein intake has to be locked in. Aiming for 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kg body weight per day will give your muscles the building blocks to repair and grow even while you’re in a deficit.

And don’t spread it thin. Distribute protein evenly across 3–5 meals per day to maximize muscle protein synthesis.

Training: Don’t Just Burn Calories — Signal Your Body

Here’s the mistake: people think cutting = endless cardio. Wrong. Your body decides what to keep based on the signals you send. If you send “I run marathons,” it spares endurance but drops strength. If you send “I lift heavy things,” it keeps muscle.

Stick with resistance training 3–4 times a week. Compound lifts first (squats, presses, pulls, rows), then accessories. Cardio is fine, but it’s supplemental — not the main signal.

Activity: Where the Magic Happens

NEAT — Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis — is the overlooked weapon. It’s the calories burned walking, standing, fidgeting, cleaning, carrying groceries. When you diet, NEAT tends to drop without you noticing. Fight back. Track steps. Park further. Take walking calls. These small moves add up.

What Six Weeks Looks Like

Week	Focus	Deficit	Training
1–2	Dial in intake, learn your rhythm	–200 to –300 kcal/day	3x lifting, light cardio
3–4	Push activity, bump steps	–300 to –400 kcal/day	3–4x lifting, moderate cardio
5–6	Peak deficit, lock consistency	–400 to –500 kcal/day	4x lifting, cardio intervals

Notice it’s progressive. You don’t start at the deepest cut. You build into it, so your body adapts and your mind stays strong.

Common Mistakes

1. Cutting too deep. A 1000+ kcal deficit is not “hardcore,” it’s self-sabotage. Muscle loss, hormone crashes, binge cycles.

2. Ignoring protein. You’ll lose weight, but half of it will be muscle. Then your metabolism tanks.

3. Overdoing cardio. More miles ≠ more fat loss. It’s the deficit that matters, not the treadmill mileage.

4. Forgetting NEAT. You sit more, move less, and erase your deficit without noticing.

Mindset for Six Weeks

Six weeks is a commitment. It’s not forever. Tell yourself: “I can do anything for six weeks.” That’s the mindset. At the end, you’ll have the choice: reverse diet back to maintenance, or run another phase with a break in between.

Putting It Together: Your Six-Week Cut Checklist

Category	Checklist
Nutrition	Track intake, hit protein, set deficit at –200 to –500 kcal/day
Training	Lift 3–4x/week, keep strength as priority
Activity	Maintain or increase daily steps, add cardio strategically
Mindset	Commit to 6 weeks, don’t expect overnight magic
Recovery	Sleep 7–9 hours, manage stress, hydrate

Final Word

Six weeks is enough time to see real fat loss without losing yourself in the process. Set the right deficit, train with purpose, fuel with protein, move outside the gym, and stay locked in.

It’s not starvation, it’s strategy. And if you follow it, you’ll come out leaner, stronger, and more confident in six weeks than you are today.

Need workout ideas? Check out the TACTICAL Exercise Library to plug directly into your cut.