How to Cut: 7 Steps to Lose Fat Without Losing Muscle

Intro

I believe everyone should work out for a healthier life — for the energy, the strength, and the confidence it brings. Most importantly, I believe you should do it for yourself, so you can be happy with the person you see in the mirror.

Not for Instagram likes, not to impress strangers.

But let’s be real for a second: vanity plays a part too. There’s nothing like being shredded. It shows the world how hard you’ve been working, and yeah, it feels good when other people notice. The real question is: how do you cut in a way that shows off your hard work without losing the muscle you’ve built?

That’s what this post is all about — how to cut properly, step by step, so you can lose fat while keeping your strength and size. I’ll share what’s worked for me, the mistakes I’ve made, and the 7 steps you can follow to make your next cut the best one yet.

What Does “Cutting” Mean?

In the fitness world, cutting means going into a calorie deficit to burn fat while holding onto as much muscle as possible. It’s the opposite of a bulk, where you eat more calories to gain size and strength.

But here’s the truth: cutting is tough. In my opinion, it’s much harder than bulking. Bulking is fun — you get to eat more and watch the numbers on the bar go up.

Cutting, on the other hand, takes careful planning, patience, and consistency. Lord knows I’ve done it wrong several times in my years of training, whether it was cutting too aggressively, losing strength too quickly, or panicking when I saw my lifts go down.

The payoff, though, is worth it. When you cut the right way, you get lean, shredded, and finally see all the muscle you’ve been building underneath. That’s why learning how to cut properly matters — it’s not about starving yourself, it’s about having a plan that keeps you strong while the fat comes off.

My Experience Cutting Too Fast

When I first started learning how to cut, I went at it all wrong. I dropped my calories way too low, added a ton of cardio, and thought the faster I lost weight, the better.

I also wasn’t even tracking what I was eating — I’d just skip meals and hope for the best. Very bad idea from young ACG Fit.

At first, the scale moved quickly — but so did my strength. Every week my lifts went down, and I panicked. I wasn’t just losing fat, I was losing muscle, too. Instead of feeling shredded, I felt flat, weak, and exhausted.

Looking back, the problem wasn’t that I was cutting — it was how I was doing it: too much cardio, too aggressive of a deficit, skipping meals, and no real plan to keep my strength.

These are the exact mistakes I’ll show you how to avoid in the steps below so you can cut properly, keep your muscle, and actually feel good during the process.

Step 1: Set Realistic Cutting Goals

One of the biggest lessons I learned from my early mistakes with cutting is that speed isn’t your friend. When you cut too aggressively, you don’t just lose fat — you lose strength, motivation, and sometimes even muscle.

A good cut should be slow and steady. The sweet spot for most people is about 0.5–1 pound of fat loss per week. That might not sound exciting, but over a few months, it adds up to a leaner body while keeping your strength and size.

When I finally slowed down, tracked what I was eating, and stopped skipping meals, everything changed. My lifts stayed more stable, I felt better in the gym, and for the first time my cut didn’t feel like punishment.

👉 Start by setting a realistic timeline for yourself. Ask: Do I want this cut to last a few weeks or a few months?

Then match your calorie deficit to your timeline so it’s sustainable and you don’t panic halfway through.

Step 2: Calculate Your Calorie Deficit

Here’s the simple truth: if you’re not in a calorie deficit, you’re not cutting. That’s the entire foundation. But the trick is doing it in a way that’s sustainable and doesn’t wreck your strength.

For most people, a 300–500 calorie deficit per day is the sweet spot. That’s enough to lose fat at a steady pace without going so low that your body starts burning through muscle for fuel. Going way deeper than that? That’s when you feel flat, hungry, and miserable — exactly the mistakes I made when I first tried to cut.

This is where tracking comes in. Don’t guess and don’t skip meals like “young ACG Fit” used to do. Whether you use Cronometer, MyFitnessPal, or even a smart tool like the Omni Health Ring to keep an eye on your nutrition and daily burn, just make sure you use something. Trying to track a cut without any help is foolish — you’ll never really know if you’re in the right deficit.

💡 Pro Tip: Expect to feel a little hungry during a cut — that’s normal. One of the easiest ways to manage it is by drinking more water throughout the day. It helps curb your appetite and keeps you from snacking just because you’re bored.

👉 Remember: your deficit should make you a little hungry, not starving. If you feel like you’re dragging through your workouts or panicking when your lifts drop, you’ve probably cut too hard.

Step 3: Prioritize Protein Intake

I know it almost feels counterproductive — you’re eating less overall, but at the same time, you need to keep your protein the same or even increase it while cutting. This is where you have to be smarter about your protein sources.

No more fried chicken — go grilled instead. Swap out those steak-heavy meals for leaner turkey. Focus on lean protein sources that give you the nutrients without all the extra calories. Some of my favorites:

• Chicken breast
• Ground turkey
• Salmon
• Greek yogurt
• Eggs (in moderation if you’re watching calories)
• And yes, maybe even beef liver — it’s cheap, packed with protein, and loaded with nutrients most people are missing.

Protein is what keeps you fuller, helps preserve muscle, and makes a cut actually work. Without it, you’ll end up smaller and weaker instead of lean and strong.

👉 If you’re cutting on a budget, check out my post on affordable protein sources. And if you need an easy boost, protein shakes or bars are a simple way to hit your daily target without blowing your calories.

Now, if you were paying attention to what I said earlier, you can probably see why I think cutting is much harder than bulking. But if you’re still with me, don’t worry — we’ve got more steps ahead to make sure your next cut goes right.

Step 4: Balance Carbs and Fats (Don’t Fear Carbs)

A big mistake people make when learning how to cut is thinking carbs are the enemy. They slash them way too low and end up with no energy for their workouts. The truth is, your body needs both carbs and fats to perform at its best — you just need to be smart about the amounts.

This is where the tracking apps come in. Whether you use Cronometer, MyFitnessPal, or another tool, they’ll tell you exactly how much protein, carbs, and fat you need for your goals. No guessing, no random “low carb” plans — just clear numbers based on your calorie deficit.

👉 Use carbs wisely: before workouts to fuel your training, and around the times of day when you need energy the most. Stick to quality sources like rice, oats, fruit, or potatoes.

👉 Don’t fear fats: you need them for hormones and recovery. Focus on healthy fats like avocados, nuts, olive oil, or fatty fish.

When you balance carbs and fats the right way, cutting becomes less about restriction and more about fueling your body to perform — while still dropping fat.

Step 5: Train for Strength, Not Just Calories

This is the hardest part about cutting and the one that requires the most focus and determination on your how to cut journey: you have to keep lifting the same weight you did before your cut — and, ideally, continue lifting even more.

Now, going back to what I said earlier, this is exactly why you need to drop weight slowly. If you cut too aggressively, your strength will plummet, and you’ll panic when your lifts start to decrease. The goal during a cut isn’t just to lose fat, it’s to hold onto as much muscle as possible — and the only way your body gets that message is if you keep training heavy.

Being able to lift heavy while you’re losing weight is the biggest test of your resolve. It’s what separates the serious lifters from the novice ones. You can’t just walk into the gym and wing it during a cut — you need to be intentional. Track your lifts. I don’t care if it’s just one more rep or an extra 2.5 pounds on the bar — just aim to do the same or better than you did last time.

👉 Bottom line: lifting heavy is what separates a successful cut from a failed one.

Step 6: Use Cardio the Right Way

Cardio is one of the easiest traps to fall into when you’re figuring out how to cut. I used to think the more I ran, biked, or hit the treadmill, the faster I’d get shredded. All it did was leave me drained, weaker in the gym, and panicking when my lifts went down.

Cardio should be a tool, not the entire strategy. It helps create a calorie deficit, but it should never replace strength training. If you rely only on cardio, you’ll lose muscle along with fat — and end up looking “smaller” instead of leaner.

Here’s how to use it the right way:

• 👉 Stick to low- to moderate-intensity cardio (like walking, cycling, or incline treadmill) a few times a week. Zone 2 cardio is perfect because it burns fat without wrecking your recovery.
• 👉 Keep sessions 20–40 minutes — enough to make a difference, not so much that you’re dragging the next day.
• 👉 Add it gradually. Start with 1–2 sessions per week, then build up if needed. Don’t jump to 6 days of cardio out of desperation.
• 👉 Use your tracker. Find out how many calories you need to burn and keep it simple — even just a daily walk at a moderate pace can get the job done. No need to overdo it.

If you want to dive deeper into why Zone 2 cardio is the best choice for preserving muscle while losing fat, check out my full post on Zone 2 cardio.

When you balance cardio with strength training, it works with your cut instead of against it. You’ll burn extra calories, keep your recovery intact, and stay lean without sacrificing the muscle you worked so hard to build.

👉 Remember: cardio should support your cut, not control it.

Step 7: Be Patient and Stick With It

This is the part nobody wants to hear, but it’s the truth: cutting takes time. There’s no magic workout, no “fat-burning food,” and no shortcut that will make the process instant. If you want to know how to cut properly, you have to be consistent week after week.

I’ve rushed cuts before and always ended up frustrated. Either I lost muscle, burned out, or gave up too early. The cuts that actually worked for me were the ones where I stayed patient, trusted the plan, and let the results build up over time.

👉 Don’t panic if the scale doesn’t move for a few days. Your body fluctuates. Focus on the long-term trend.
👉 Don’t panic if you don’t see the shredded look right away either. Losing weight doesn’t always instantly show in the mirror. Focus on what you’re lifting. If your numbers in the gym are going up while the scale is going down, that means you’re gaining muscle and your body is still in the process of changing. You’re on the right track — stick to it.
👉 Celebrate the small wins — hitting your protein goal, getting your walk in, lifting the same weight for one more rep. These small victories add up to big results.
👉 Remember, cutting isn’t forever. It’s just one phase in your fitness journey to reveal the work you’ve already put in.

The people who succeed at cutting aren’t the ones who crash diet or overdo cardio — they’re the ones who stay consistent long enough for the results to show.

👉 Bottom line: patience and persistence are your best tools for getting shredded without losing muscle.

FAQ: How to Cut Properly Without Losing Muscle

Conclusion: How to Cut the Right Way

For me personally, cutting has always been harder than bulking. Staying strong in the gym while eating less takes focus, discipline, and patience. But when you do it right, the payoff is worth it — you see the muscle you’ve worked so hard for, you feel leaner, and you prove to yourself what you’re capable of.

If there’s one thing I want you to take away, it’s this: cutting isn’t about starving yourself or running endless miles on the treadmill.

It’s about being smart, tracking what you eat, lifting heavy, and staying consistent long enough to let the results show.

Now that you know how to cut properly, here’s the harsh truth: your new shredded body won’t last forever. It’s tough to stay lean and jacked all year round. And that’s okay. At some point, you’ll need to go into another cutting or bulking cycle. The real win is learning how to manage those phases without panicking or feeling like you’ve failed. I’ll be covering more on how to maintain a lean, shredded physique in a future post — so stay tuned.

Now, I want to hear from you. What do you struggle with more — cutting or bulking? Leave a comment below and share your experience.

We’re all here to help each other.

And remember: the body you want isn’t just built in the gym — it’s built in your kitchen, in your bed with proper rest, and most importantly, in your mind with the belief that you can change.

Action Creates Greatness.