Wish you could look lean whenever you wanted?
Like always be at your most fabulous for a vacation or big event?
Well I’m going to share how you can actually accomplish this and stay leaner all year around.
The secret is MINI CUTS.
And I’m going to explain what mini cuts are and how you’ll be able to design your own by the end of this video.
What Is A Mini Cut?
Mini cuts are NOT something you do long term.
They are hard.
They are miserable. They aren’t fun. You’ll feel hungry. Your body will be a bit mad.
But the point of them is to kickstart those results.
And to feel extra fabulous for that vacation or event.
To stay lean, you can’t be in a deficit forever.
And, even if you aren’t yet at your goal, if you’ve been dieting for longer, you need to take a break at points.
Because you will hit a plateau or reach a point of diminishing returns.
The longer and stricter we’ve been dieting, the more our body and our mind will fight against us.
That is why at points you have to shift into maintaining your results, even if you aren’t yet fully at your goal.
During these times you want to increase your calories and focus on more balanced macro ratios.
These are a BREAK for your body and mind but ESSENTIAL if you want to see the full benefit of mini cuts.
By maintaining your results for a time, you create a new set point off of which you can build.
You can then strategically use more intensive deficits and macro breakdowns to achieve amazing results very quickly and get that extra definition whenever you want.
And these strategic deficits and intense macro breakdowns are called mini cuts.
And you’ll only use these strategically for 1-3…4 weeks max.
They are to look extra fabulous for that big event or even to overcome a plateau when you’ve been stuck.
Mini cuts are times where you are going to go to an extreme that you know is NOT sustainable but with a purpose and an exit strategy.
You are doing this built off of those key fundamentals not just doing some shake or detox fast fix.
And because the mini cuts are short, you won’t sabotage your metabolic health or feel restricted for so long you can’t get back on track after!
So…How Do You Set Your Macros And Calories For Your Own Mini Cut?
Yup. You’re going to have to track to really use these mini cuts to your advantage. Precision is key so we don’t lose muscle and focus on that recomp quickly.
We need that data to help us avoid the cut backfiring because we are going to be going to a strategic short-term extreme.
To set your calories, a good starting place is 10x goal bodyweight (which may even be your current bodyweight if you’re already lean).
This number is going to be low.
If you are super active and super lean, you may simply cut 500 off of your usual maintenance if you track consistently.
But you are pushing the most extreme deficit here for a very short term!
Then adjust your protein.
You want your protein intake between 45-50% for this mini cut.
You can then divide the rest between carbs and fat, but the more active you are and the leaner you want to be, the more you will want to keep carbs higher while dropping fat closer to 20%.
Often for a mini cut with clients I recommend something like 45% protein, 35% carbs and 20% fat.
I’ll show you how I would hit this ratio with a full day of eating at 1400 calories.
Full Day Of Eating – 45% protein, 35% carbs, 20% fat at 1400 calories
Pre-Workout:
Because my calories are low and I want to maintain my lean muscle mass, I will often train earlier in the morning after a protein shake and some coffee.
I love this morning routine and find the coffee allows me some time to wake up and gives me a bit of an energy boost while my calories are low.
The protein shake is also key so that I have those amino acids available to help me repair and rebuild from my lifting.
During my workout, I’ll consume my BCAAs.
I find because I’m in an extreme deficit and not getting “enough” of anything, these help me recover faster from my training and protect my lean muscle.
I also am very strategic during these mini cuts to focus my progressions on lifting over cardio.
Post Workout/Breakfast:
After my workout, I’ll head home and have breakfast. I generally make an egg white omelet with smoked salmon as well as oatmeal.
I love using the Everything Bagel seasoning and Melinda’s hot sauce on the omelet.
Because sauces often pack a calorie punch, hot sauces and seasonings will be your best friends to make meals still tasty so you aren’t completely miserable with your calories so low and macros being stricter.
I also love the oatmeal packets that have a bit of flavoring.
If I don’t have one, I may add my own sugar free syrup!
Lunch:
I then have lunch before I get too hungry.
The exact timing may vary based on what I’m doing, but I like to make sure I’m never starving when I next eat or I find it easier to end up wanting to overeat or eat so fast I don’t really taste it.
I also try to drink some tea or water before I eat to feel a bit fuller from the meal.
For lunch, I keep it simple, pan-searing some chicken with some frozen sweet potato chunks and broccoli.
I’ll use some sugar-free bbq sauce on my chicken as well as garlic salt on the potatoes and veggies.
Finding things that give your food flavor is key. Trader joe’s has some amazing seasonings for diversity and there are tons of sugar-free sauces to bring some fun to boring chicken!
Yes, it is more processed BUT because of the low calories and intensive macro ratio, your overall food quality will have to be high with lots of whole natural foods anyway so that 80/20 balance to not make yourself feel extra miserable is key!
And if I’m in a pinch, I often even get the Good And Gather cooked chicken to reheat. Always good to have options for when you’re on the go!
Dinner:
For dinner I love shrimp. They are easy to get frozen and basically have on hand no matter what.
I’ll cook them with rice and a stir-fry vegetable mix.
I’ll add in sesame oil and soy sauce and top off with sriracha because I love the spice and flavor. Adding in some garlic as well can be good to make things tasty.
Bonus if you are a spicy food person as well, capsaicin is a chemical that has been shown to increase the rate at which the body burns calories. So an extra metabolic boost is never bad while adding flavor!
Dessert:
Next is dessert. And yes, even in a cut I need my sweet treat to end the night.
I’ll usually have a greek yogurt and rice cake with peanut butter and fluff.
I often have a few brands of yogurt in the fridge to hit whatever macros and calories I need. And I have pre-planned a few rice cake variations as well.
Always key we have options we can adjust if something does pop up during the day or we are craving something specific!
I also personally have a diet soda with dinner or dessert. I find it extra satisfying and a bit filling when you know you’ve slashed your calories low strategically.
All about finding that balance so you can maintain the aesthetic you want without constantly being on a diet!
SUMMARY:
They aren’t fun. Or easy.
And they are intense.
But they are a short term pain to be able to look the way you want, whenever you want and stay leaner all year around.
Mini cuts are a great option if you need that extra kickstart or want to feel extra fabulous for an event.
Just remember you are using these short-term and strategically.
Make sure to really plan ahead as these calories are low and the macro ratios are intense!
Learn how to create YOUR lifestyle balance…
This is great information I’m going to try this! Would love to see more specific workout information for a mini cut.
Glad it helps! Workouts would depend on your schedule, current fitness level and such. You always want to design for the time you have. But focusing on LIFTING and even lifting sessions with longer rest periods and heavier weights are key! Less cardio is actually better!
Are minicuts something that could be used to help me stay lean while going through a muscle macros cycle? I always stick with Cycle 2–gain muscle without fat. But even so, I feel like my body fat percentage creeps up a bit during the cycles. Would it be advisable to break up the muscle mac’s with an occasional minicuts?
Omg—Ive combed through my macro hacks book millions of times in the last 3 years and after all this time, the answer to my previously submitted question just popped out at me. Derp🤦. So, yeah, doing a mini cut as reverse diet break IS a thing!!!
Thanks for all the info to keep the motivation flowing!!
So you may use a mini cut after you’ve built a certain amount of muscle, but you might also just want to change ratios to more of a cut ratio while staying higher in calories. We have to remember that the additional muscle means we need more calories to maintain it.
I did want to give additional tips so I replied on your other comment 🙂
What is fluff? Or is it peanut butter fluff?
Either way, what is it please
I’m in UK btw
Marshmallow fluff 🙂
Help!! I have really fallen off the wagon! Would a mini-cut be a good jumpstart? Or should I follow cycling in the macro hacks book? I’ve gained 20-25 lbs over the past few years and need to get it off!
Once you complete your mini-cut, do you go straight back to your previous macros/calories or build back up to them gradually?
Australian here: the 10x goal bodyweight is that in pounds of kilos?
Hi Cori, not sure if I’m understanding this.
I get the calories percentages for protein,fat,carbs. What I don’t get is how much grams of each macro I need?
Thank you Cori.
Hi Jen. If you haven’t been tracking, I may get back to that and using the beginner’s section. And if you do need that kickstart, my coaching is fabulous to get that accountability and really learn what you need – https://redefiningstrength.com/private-coaching/
You can technically do either. It depends on exactly how low you go and what you were working toward (macros and calories you were hitting) prior. Smaller changes are good but you do want to bump up as fast as feels comfortable.
Pounds 🙂
When you put the ratios in with your calories to a tracker, it will calculate your grams for you. But you need your calorie intake with the ratio to get grams.
I don’t eat meat, but I do eat some fish. I also use protein powder. How else can I get my protein to maintain and build muscle?
Hey Shawna. I have lots of plant-based clients that hit their protein. And eating fish you already have that bonus. Here are more tips to help you increase your protein intake – https://redefiningstrength.com/the-best-way-to-use-protein-to-build-muscle-or-lose-fat-7-tips?sl=blogcomment
I lift 5 days a week and instruct group classes 6 days a week. I would love to do a mini cut so how do I adjust for the training ?I don’t want to lose my muscle as well as crashing! I have never counting macros and just tried to meet my protein requirements. I want to lean out at this point. I am 5-3 and 129. Oh and I am 65😊
Honestly before attempting a mini cut with all of that training, I’d track to get your baseline and even make sure your calories and protein are high enough. Then go from there. As too often I’ve seen trainers eating too little to start with all of the activity and even increasing calories and protein pays off more. Just food for thought!
Hi Cori
What about for those in keto lifestyle?
Thanks
Honestly if you’re doing keto you may want to use this with still a low carb ratio and changes to calories but even with my clients doing overall keto ratios, we may switch macro breakdowns just for the cut.
My shoulder and wrists are permanently injured, but after a rest of a few years I want to build muscle again. I can’t lift as heavy as I want to but the 10 to 15 lb weights are requiring so many reps to get decent muscle pump. I’m not sure if I’ve gotten any gains after the past 6 weeks of trying! It’s hard to build at 70 years old. Suggestions please!!!
Making sure to eat to fuel is key and focusing on protein. This post is more about fat loss so wouldn’t be what you’d want to start with in terms of nutrition. And honestly focusing on getting a pump or being sore will hold you back. The key is creating progression, which isn’t just done through loads. You can use tempos and ranges of motion and even exercise variations to build muscle. Here are tips to help – https://redefiningstrength.com/cant-build-muscle-try-these-5-strength-training-techniques?sl=blogcomment
I’m am starting this today.
Super excited to start.
YAY! Rock those macros!