How To Create The Optimal Caloric Deficit For Fat Loss

How many calories should you cut to lose weight and keep it off?
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0:00 Intro
0:31 Deficit Size
2:29 Enough for High Training Energy
3:13 Sleep Quality
4:10 Hunger levels
5:45 How hard should it be?
8:04 Bonus - Practically Navigating the Diet

[@damjansabanovic7418]

That ended weird 😂😂

[@m_t_t_]

They always do

[@mr8raves292]

I see you're new around here. Ewok sex is par for Doc's college course.

[@xX_dash_Xx]

Seemed like a pretty tame Dr Mike ending tbh

[@rayray3357]

Welcome to the channel 😂

[@caiopenhalver4900]

Yeah! It's getting weirder and weirder 😂

[@ActionPhilip]

I'm in week four of four of a 1.5%/week loss and I credit this channel for the knowledge that's allowed me to maintain my lifts through this hell. The knowledge in this channel is a huge benefit to the whole fitness community.

[@donaldrisbridger581]

Reduced volume and/or pre and post-workout nutrition focus?

[@paulwhite9242]

I started pretty fat and tried that and it tanked my lifts. Went from 315 for a grindy double to 275 for a grindy triple on bench. Pissed me off so I just slowed it down and strength is...at least not dropping more

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

That's great to hear. Best wishes in your continued dieting! - Dr. Mike

[@palomaserrano7642]

Ewok love! Hairy and short. I think Dr Christie was running away from. Aliens when she found her own ewok! 😂😂😂

[@soonahero]

Maybe you shouldn’t have gone above the recommended 1%

[@itsdil]

I actually watch your channel primarily for entertainment purposes. The diet and training knowledge is a great added bonus.

[@aCokALipsMeow]

Used to be able to manage not sleeping but now I’m a senior engineer and can’t afford to have my brain turn to mush for 8 weeks. I thought that was always a condition of dieting. Turns out I was just losing at too fast of a rate. Gonna implement this next time I cut. Thanks Dr. Mike!

[@leonardmilcin7798]

On two separate occasions, I lost over 70 pounds. The first time I was just on a calorie deficit diet and it took me a year. The second time I use intermittent fasting and keto diet plus a lot of light cardio (jogging, walking) and it took me 8 months. The first time I was extremely hungry, cold, sluggish and irritated all the time. My BMR fell of a cliff and I started gaining weight the moment I stopped dieting (and got injured). The second time I felt fantastic and I am able to keep my weight and be productive at work. My suggestion would be you do not have to be miserable when on a caloric deficit, but you may want to experiment with some aspects like when you eat or your macro composition to see if it affects your productivity. Also, losing a lot of weight quickly will absolutely cause you to lose muscle mass and no diet approach will prevent it. The best way to preserve your hard gains is to do it relatively slowly. Actually, both caloric surplus when bulking and deficit when cutting should be relatively low or you are just wasting a lot of your results.

[@kierasher1]

@@leonardmilcin7798 Dr. Mike actually covers the science pretty well on avoiding muscle loss while eating at a deficit. The short story is that you need enough protein for the muscle mass you have, enough stimulation on those muscles while on diet, and sufficient carbohydrates as they provide a downward pressure on muscle catabolization.

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Oooof. I've been there. Best of luck on your next fat loss phase! - Dr. Mike

[@ruslan8820]

@@leonardmilcin7798 900 gramm per week loss is not a very high ? i afraid to lose muscle

[@carastone3473]

OMG! I love that I can get SO much valuable information from your videos and still be incredibly entertained! 😂

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Woooo! - Dr. Mike

[@TheBrick534]

That ending point about going until it’s no longer sustainable is a HUGE eye opener for me. Thank you.

[@davemercer9005]

Seriously so glad I found this channel! Love the info, love the presentation, I'm all in!

[@paulchilvers5032]

Love your work Dr Mike. Practical as ever. And..... You are THE KING of obscure, extreme analogies. Keep up the great work

[@The_MKUltra]

Great tips. Doing another very short cut before the holidays of 4-5 weeks after a nice 12 week maintenance. Ive learned thanks to the info you have provided on socials and in person that the key to multiple successful cuts is bookending them with successful maintenances. I really struggled my last couple of cuts because I kept stumbling through maintenances, loosing the clean eating too quickly/too often etc. Really excited to drop some solid weight in fat through next year.

[@thynaruto]

Love this video. Everybody is different and the three criteria set are really flexible and allowed for experimentation, instead of giving a fixed number/range.

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Yeah, fixed numbers and ranges are super simple, but often miss the best effects for many people. - Dr. Mike

[@JasonTheOneAndOnly]

"You start watching the food network" that felt personal.

[@Pistols4]

Man you really have teaching abilities, thank you for posting !

[@adamgannon6003]

As someone who hasn’t trained for sports competitively in years I really enjoy your content. There is so much misinformation for the average person but you break down the science in digestible language. Thank you.

[@Moon-gc2cv]

Thanks for everything you do doc. Much appreciated.

[@kellygreenbrewing6006]

Your videos are legit the best. Learned tons

[@JamesonNichols]

My first cut, I pushed too hard. Lost a-lot of muscle, and was always flat. It wasn’t til I brought calories back up at the end that I saw how good I could actually look. My second cut, I didn’t push hard enough. Took way too long to hit target weight, was holding too much water at all times, never got the body fully dialed. I think third time will be the charm.

[@kierasher1]

If you add a sodium column to your food tracking, you can build in a sodium cut for the last week of your cut to drop the water and get a peak at what you've accomplished.

[@jgoldian47]

elaborate more on this i got to 9% bodyfat before and was diced in certain areas like my legs and upper back and glutes even had striations, chest and arms but lower abs still had a tiny layer of fat? or was it from sodium? who knows either way i did keto before and dropped a shit ton of water and looked like a dryed sponge lol. I didn't like how it made me feel though but i was dryed out. Never played with sodium though hows that work @@kierasher1

[@kaganas_edits7551]

How did u hold too much water?

[@naulfps4556]

​@@kaganas_edits7551yeah i just thinking the same. Droping the carbs should make you leaner just by that

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Best of luck on that third cut. I'm on like my one millionth cut and still having a hard time figuring out what I need! - Dr. Mike

[@Oprizzle1]

This videos keeps me motivated in the middle of my diets, thank you for what you do!🎉

[@lapenunu]

Amazing explanation style. Very detailed, a lot of examples, body language, everything to keep you engaged while giving valuable information.

[@iw1459]

I love your videos, as the advice is always very sensible. Really appreciate it.

[@Sameo_AC]

Your the absolute best at this fitness thing, I appreciate all the good info you put out in the world. Much much appreciated, love you Dr. Mike. Fitness GOAT

[@50kenel]

I just found your nutrition lectures and now this. Thanks a lot!

[@sunshinewarmth6066]

This is the video I needed. Thanks, great advice 👍👍

[@adamgolder5613]

I love the content is so clear and precise but man I love the analogies, pure class 😂

[@edgarcuen8229]

Love the videos man! Always watch them before bed 💪🏽😴🌛

[@oddballchic]

Your weirdness is lovely! And this was a great explanation for approaching a deficit, makes sense to me! I will definitely incorporate this for my next fat burning season.

[@huzzzzzzahh]

I love these concrete indicators, especially as someone looking for very good results, but willing to leave that last 5-10% of my potential on the table in exchange for a much more relaxed program. And of course obligatory plug for the RP diet app. Shits pretty good

[@Liftergeist]

Ayo Dr. Mike! Appreciate the unbelievable rate at which you guys keep dishing out quality content. Any thoughts on neck isolation work? In particular to contribute to that horselike physique but also other health aspects of having developed neck musculature.

[@Safferz]

I started a weight loss program with a specialist starting July of 2023 to address my shitty eating habits and as of a few days ago reached the 35lbs lost mark. I started reintegrating weight lifting back into my routine late January 2024 and when we did a body recomp the other day he said I hadn’t only maintained my muscle mass but gained a little which was so amazing to hear. Each monthly weigh in I’ve had a steady loss but I know it’s slowed a bit in the last few months and attribute it to lifting because I know I’m losing fat (and can feel it in my clothes, too!). Part of me feels like I’m off course if I don’t see the scale move much but know I have to continue to trust the process and forget the scale number for now.

[@stevenprice6802]

Thank you so much for making this video. This is exactly the information i was looking for.

[@Fitandover40]

I am in my mid 40's and this channel has helped me loose fat like never before. Now I am on my second cut, 4 weeks in, with a 500k deficit and going smooth, I cycle my carbs and listen to my body. Feeling low and hungry for carbs, i eat more, feeling good, stay at the same, feeling too full cut carbs a little. Some days I eat at maintenance and some other with a deficit. First cut I went overboard with the trainning and hit bottom. Thus this time around I'm starting very low in volume and increasing slowly untill i feel good and not fatigued and all is going great, doing cardio as well 3 times a week at least in zone 2. After 9 months of my first cut and a subsecuent bulking I am now about 6 kilos heavier with less fat than at the beginning of the first cut. I do count all my calories though, I tried not counting and didn't work so now I count all. So much easier to burn fat than to gain muscle. Also realized that just as the deficit can be override with a bad day of eating, one day of higher activity, puts me back on track if i am closing in on the deficit target. Almost no processed foods, all cooked daily and fresh and feels sooo goood. Thanks Dr. Mike!

[@JackCarver_Reporting_in]

LOVE these nerdy Min/Maxing videos. We only have one life, time is always of the essence. Increased efficiency is the name of the game.

[@williambreeze2659]

Thanks for this!

[@alexanderhjruplanghorn2165]

Useful information as always. Could you do a video of how to train during deficit /fat loss phase?

[@trayhaywood1415]

Your videos are a lot of help.

[@leonardmilcin7798]

I have tried various different schemes, here is what I found works best for me. 1) On the intake, I eat same things every day. Same exact meals, prepared same way. Simple meals like scrambled eggs with butter (both weighted), latte (with measured amount of same milk), lean meat steak with no additions, etc. Takes away of hassle of making multiple meals a day and design/calculate calories and macro content. Also should keep the mass in your GI tract relatively steady. 2) On the output, I am walking and running a lot. Apparently, it is much easier to calculate calorie usage when large portion of your usage comes from relatively easily measurable activity like walking or running. I am trying to hit same number of calories (4000 kcal) every day. 3) It is much easier to be in a calorie deficit and still eat multiple meals when you burn 4000kcal than when you burn 2000kcal... at the very least the portions look like normal meals and not something designed to starve a bulimic princess. 4) I am drinking excess of water and I am trying to consume relatively large amount of electrolyte tablets every day. The idea is that the body tries to get rid of excess of both and will keep more steady level of water and electrolytes than if you try to balance it on your own. 5) Once you got those other parameters relatively steady, weighing myself every day gives me over time information about a) how well I am balancing it all and b) how much of a deficit I am. I can use both to regulate my deficit.

[@Fitz0fury]

THANKS! glad i found a video of yours along these lines. Had to have my legs reconstructed and couldn't walk for years without assistance(braces, cane, crutches etc). just got off braces, but gained over 100 lbs while i couldn't really do much. been struggling to figure out how much potene to consume while still trying to lose weight. its going OK so far, I'm down 40+ LBS since june 7, but i can see some loss in muscle mass too and my sleep has been rough. i have ADHD and i thought it has just been acting up, but i might be fucking my sleep up and throwing stuff off by not balancing food and training. im sure a lot of that happened while i was super obese and imobile, but was just kind of hidden by fat. before injury i was 6'1" 205 post bulking(i was 170ish before the army bulked me). usually floated closer to 211 when not trying to stay cut. i got all the way up to 325, its brutal trying to lose weight and keep any muscle mass on restricted workouts. my assigned nutritionist is an absolute phone in and basically just says " eat low fat foods and exercise" ... no shit but if you leave that ratio to me ill kill myself via starvation before i stay like this.

[@johnbrown9395]

Great insight thanks!

[@marcarcmracmcram4275]

Dr Mike one of the most important questions you have been faced with,why Renaissance Periodization the name for your channel weird ending answers are the best

[@Kojas]

Cool. Beginner here on maybe my 4h week of fat loss. And my sleep started to get worse. Didnt know a deficit could cause that. Thank you! Cheers from Brazil

[@anthonyplaysbass]

Well, perfect timing. Im in the beginning of an aggressive cut at the mkment. Since the start of the month I've dropped from 92.7 to 89.0 kg. Keen to see what i can learn from the vid and excited to keep progressing.😊

[@Skolar13]

I'm on the same cut rn, how did it go for you

[@anthonyplaysbass]

@@Skolar13 now in ~83 in the morning. Have been able to set a new pr with reps in weighted dips as well - probably because my bw has decreased. Still training for hypertrophy on all main lifts at 8 reps and acceso going up to 12 reps. Going great! Heaps of energy..for cardio im doing anywhere from 10 -20 minutes on the treadmill at 15% incline, 5.0km/h, wearing a 20kg weighted vest, a few times a week. Loving being lighter and a lot of my clothes fit better now

[@Vibealive77]

Dude... I am LITERALLY shifting gears to fat loss... Perfect...

[@shawn_530]

I swear they’re spying on us and time these releases 😂

[@osbellgarcia7065]

I started a cut after 4 month of truly bulking, I've been always in maintenance and I researched about all the benefits of bulking and I did the bulk.(bulk is amazing btw) I started doing my cut, it has been very easy, I just changed a bit the amount of carbs in my diet and change some carbs, increasing my protein input. Put I started losing body fat so fast without having problems in my sleep

[@johannas.l.brushane2518]

Very valuable, I have sometimes difficult eating enough but often have too little sleep for I occasionally down about 2 litres of coffee in a day.

[@anibarmak]

How incredible is this channel and Doc, you are hilarious 😂

[@MrVoodoo2971]

Such great information! You mentioned doing the diet as hard and for as long as possible. How long of doing that until you lower your metabolism?

[@jgoldian47]

mike you the man

[@Moose92411]

I love that this is conditional, so it's fully individualized. So many people online proscribe exactly XYZ deficit, and don't heed the other contributing factors.

[@Asphesteros]

That’s a good way to understand weight regain, too. Lot of ppl find at their new maintenance they’re still failing to check those boxes. If it’s logistically impractical or even physically impossible to increase activity enough to stay energy balanced but still eat enough to check the boxes… catch-22. So they eat enough to check the boxes anyway, and regain until the energy cost of the weight defines a maintenance that will balance, which is that ‘setpoint’ ppl talk about.

[@Gh0s7R1pp3R]

Yet another exceptional video. Just when im starting a cut too

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Right on! Get after it 💪🏻

[@ankitbrother]

Can you guys make video on effects of calorie deficit on cognitive performance as you progress into the diet?

[@cheekibreekiivdamked8439]

I'd love to see you critique Eric Bugenhagen :D

[@LIFTTOEAT]

I definitely hit that 1% for about 8 weeks then as I get leaner the 4 weeks I tone it down to .5%-.75%. Great video!

[@Lehajri]

Gonna start diet next week, JUST ON TIME 👐🏼

[@GreenEyeCatto]

Helpful video, thanks Dr Mike :) would these factors still be affected if you have some sleep problems like maintenance insomnia (waking up a couple of hours after falling sleep, a few times per night)? I'm also thinking I should reduce my training a bit until I finish losing the last of the fat I want to shed. I started a new programme on Tuesday and it wasn't particularly tough looking on paper, most exercises were only two sets of 8-10, and there were six exercises total (it's full body 2x per week) but I was wiped out halfway through. My issue is that I'm 5'2 female age 38, and through years of experience I know I need to eat 1350 calories or fewer to lose half to 1lb per week. So if I add calories it's going to take a year and a half to lose 18lbs 😂

[@shumuss]

Great alien analogy. Super relatable.

[@danemillerhass831]

On a bulk but watching anyway for a future cut... and just because it is entertaining as always.

[@naulfps4556]

Ive started my diet at a 800 kal defict. Im 180cm 23y 20% bf. Eating 2k calories per day and spending 2800. Basal 1800 + training and cardio. I went down from 87.4 to 84.6 in 25 days. Not feeling tired or fatigue. And feeling strong in the gym too.

[@sarweins97]

damn 2100 is my maintenance at 154cm, 50kg

[@AnotherAnon735]

Any tips on what kinds of foods/macro ratio works for you?

[@naulfps4556]

@@AnotherAnon735 1.6 to 1.8g per kg body weight of protein. Chiken, low fat meat and eggs. 2g was too much for me. For carbs, rice, fruits and veggies, beans. You dont need to be restrict. Just avoid simple carbs all alone, try always to get some protein with the carbs. And for fats, just some olive oil, seeds, and the fat from the red meat

[@naulfps4556]

@@sarweins97 if i dont do cardio my maintrnce drops a lot. I try to get 10k steps a day, so it will be ~500kal for cardio and ~500 for training. But on leg day i spend way more than 500kal, so I dont go for the 10k steps.

[@naulfps4556]

@@AnotherAnon735 forgot to say the ratio of the macros, sorry. I start with 1g of fat per kg body weight. 1.8 of protein. And the rest is all carbs

[@kaganas_edits7551]

Do a video about maintenance plz!

[@MrObasiah]

My takeaway was that if I don’t eat enough food aliens will put stuff up my butt.

[@kevinsxntamaria]

Do you have a video on gut health? I’m really looking to improve it as best as I possibly can

[@dannyb2783]

I'm 6'4, 280. Want to get back to 250. These videos have been a huge help, the weights coming off slowly (from a high of 293), but it is coming off.

[@Adeptus_Mechanicus]

If anything has worked share the tips brother!

[@szlenkzilla4383]

You’ve released some videos about best practices regarding special sports supplements. What about best practices for fat loss-specific special sports supplements?

[@alijouahri756]

Can you discuss the difference between creating a deficit through reduced food intake versus increased physical activity ?

[@sashad8519]

Dr Mike you ever consider making a video on fasting? 24 hour fasts, alternate day fasting intermittent fasting.. Its still just a calorie deficit but some people prefer this modality to lose weight. I am curious about the bodybuilding/ strength side of fasting since one day of the week skipping eating could make up the deficit for the rest of the week if you were doing a comparable 300 cal deficit per day. Seems efficient and possibly diet fatigue resistant.

[@toddapplegate3988]

Very good

[@JamesMelton]

Thank God for this video. Perfect timing and info I can't get straight anywhere else, it seems. Now I'm ready for Ewok lovin'

[@corey69000]

I’ve been doing a pretty serious cut over the past couple months (down from 200 to about 182lbs - best I’ve ever felt) - my coach has me carb cycling, and three day splits in the gym 5 days per week, and I’m RPE training. My relationship with food prior to this was shit. I would stress eat like nobody’s business and just put away wings, cookies, pizza, anything I could get my hands on. Real bad stuff. So now that I’m hardcore dieting and feel amazing, instead of full on cheat meals, I’m adding little bits of cheaty stuff in my regular diet foods a couple times per week. For example - about 30 calories worth of teriyaki sauce in my ground chicken, or some cinnamon sugar in my oatmeal. I think this method has helped me stay away from that slippery slope of a big fat cheat meal or loading up on sweets, and at the same time keeps me mentally sharp enough to maintain my clean diet 85-90% of the time. I’m also just a guy that’s a dad and husband and I’m not training for a competition. I’m curious if anyone out there has had a similar experience and if it’s worked for them?

[@rev0luci0n]

This was the key for me over a few bodybuilding cuts, it's also known as flexible dieting, for those of us who aren't complete savages who like a little variety and junk food it was the best way for me to achieve my fat loss goals and get under 10% bodyfat a few times. Over time it's obviously better to replace those foods with more whole and nutritious but most of us are only human and will slip occasionally!

[@corey69000]

@@rev0luci0n Thank you for your thoughtful response to this! It's good to know that others have accomplished their goals in a similar way. This is keeping me motivated. Keep on killin it bro 👊🏼

[@Nodnarb3do]

I started my weight loss after like...3-5yrs of inactivity and bad eating, and was losing more than 1% a week - but that was easy at the time. Eat less junk, log my food, introduce a bunch of activity. Now I'm probably under 1%/wk but not hating life, so I've been pretty happy with it.

[@peterpupe8352]

Im aiming for 700- 800cal deficit, because im 120kg at 193cm (very high maintenance) and i think ill continue to manage. I naturally dont eat much untill the evening and therefore dont need to go to bed hungry. Maybe i go a little too light with my bw-exercise and low hr-cardio, but visually my muscles seem to be fine. Neat is under control with a step-tracker. I only started tracking my weight and calories this week, after getting a little more confidence in my body. I guess i was at 130kg a while ago with even higher bodyfat-percentage. I went above 1000cal deficit for a while and got wrecked REALLY hard with low energy on 2 consecutive weekends. Its not only about breaking mentally and binging, but also about avoiding that scary low energy.

[@ambraxalexandros]

The alien spaceship analogy is insane!!!!!

[@ava4830]

That is what I wrote for myself this cut. Funny how much I've picked up over the years without a formal background in this sort of thing

[@CedricZirtacic]

Hey there, Dr. Mike! Quick question: would the RP Hypertrophy app be useful for someone who works out at home and only has a couple of heavy dumbbells, bands, bench, pull-up and dip bar?

[@kierasher1]

It lets you pick the exercises, and you can pick based on what you have. There is a lot of dumbbell stuff on there and dips as well. I bought a half rack a couple years ago, and do bunch of barbell stuff with it as well.

[@comptegoogle511]

Two simple tricks: 1) No junk food/ highly processed food get in your shopping cart in the first place. 2) Take a backed protein and fill half of your plate with salad at every meal (with first pressure olive oil dressing). To not feel like a munk, allow yourself one or two cheat meal per week at the restaurent. This will have a direct effect on the calories intake AND the insulin management of how the nutrient are absorb. Slow and continious digestion allow your body to break the proteins and built muscles and spikes of sugar create a traffic jam for your pancreas and everything gets transformed into bodyfat. By doing so, I've went from 191 pnd to 171 pnd in three month and I've put some muscle mass underneath in the process. Never had any feeling of privation in the process.Oh yah, also when the lunch pasta was gone, the afternoon brain fog was gone with it.

[@testbench985]

00:00 🎪 Introduction to the Caloric Deficit Dr. Mike introduces the topic of caloric deficit for fat loss. Explains the concept of creating a calorie deficit. 01:10 📉 Small Caloric Deficit vs. Large Caloric Deficit Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a small caloric deficit. Highlights the benefits and challenges of a large caloric deficit. Emphasizes the need to find the optimal deficit for individual goals. 02:30 ⚖ Conditions for the Optimal Caloric Deficit Outlines three conditions for determining the ideal caloric deficit: Maintaining high training energy. Ensuring good sleep quality. Managing hunger without it becoming overwhelming. Explains the importance of balancing these factors. 04:24 😴 The Impact of Sleep on Fat Loss Highlights the significance of adequate sleep for fat loss. Discusses how sleep affects fat burning and muscle retention. 05:35 🍽 Managing Hunger During a Caloric Deficit Explains the role of hunger in determining the right caloric deficit. Discusses the impact of hunger on daily productivity and well-being. 06:29 📊 Finding the Ideal Caloric Deficit Advises on the process of finding the ideal caloric deficit through trial and error. Recommends starting with a rational deficit and adjusting as needed to maintain the three key conditions. 08:03 ⏳ Determining the Duration of a Diet Explains how the three conditions can help determine how long one can sustain a diet. Suggests using a minimum weight loss goal per week as a guideline. 11:07 🌌 Exceptions and Contest Prep Discusses exceptions to the general rule, such as contest prep diets. Emphasizes the need to persevere in extreme circumstances. 12:06 🚀 Conclusion Dr. Mike concludes

[@lilguillotine]

Have you done analysis around if so called “yo yo dieting” ie, having weight fluctuations up and down, is bad for your body?

[@Chadhogan111]

Topical for me 🎉

[@BadAtGaming100]

Ending = par for the course

[@Vikesfan80]

I’ve lost almost 60 lbs since Thanksgivingish That is nearly 19 lbs per month 280 to 220 Am 6-1 so my goal is 175ish by end of April Very low carbs Caffeine Walking daily One big healthy dinner per week with intermittent eating of almonds, eggs, Swiss cheese and probiotics It’s been tough but am somewhat used to it Have gone from a 42 inch pant size to a 33 currently No messing around Weigh myself once a week Will start strength training in May On my new life style/diet change where I eat a balanced diet to maintain a 175-180 range moving forward

[@melaniemackenzie2817]

I’m a 54 year old perimenopausal shift worker, so lots of broken sleep, any advice or should I just accept myself as I am. I’ve been training for 25 years but I’d like to keep or improve my muscle mass so that I remain strong in my old age. Many thanks Mel

[@mcamus01]

Newby here! Great help. Ty. My diet for the last 2 years is extreme on the lean side, now I cant get much leaner. Any sugguestions??? 53yr, 6ft 1, 201, about 12% bf.

[@gvon1989]

other exception i can think of is making weight for whatever weight class you compete in whether its wrestling or some other weight class sport

[@jadenj.4753]

I don't mind taking it slow on fat lost (I'm not a body builder though) so I put my calorie deficit to lose only about a pound or two per week. Was 250 in march, 217 now. I had to increase my calories repeatedly because I started exercising more as I lost weight lol. So barely am hungry unless I screw up what I pack for lunch. Plus, I don't feel guilty if I screw up my deficit for a week or something. I am looking forward to bulking when i hit around 200 or 190 early next year. Gonna try taking my bulk slow like my fat loss potentially

[@47bricklayer]

Dr. Mike is king of the tangents.

[@chasitylindquist1911]

I wish he would do a video critique of the Insanity workouts. I feel like even though they aren’t using weights, it pushes you to fatigue levels.

[@KJB123etc]

Hey Dr. Mike, in a recent interview you talked about cutting too aggressively leading up to a recent show. Would you recommend slightly less aggressive caloric deficits now then before, due to that experience? (Asking as a non-competitor)

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Nope, same as I always do. I would, however, recommend to myself to follow my own advice and not rush the process, which is what I did last time! - Dr. Mike

[@JohnOakes]

Love that gas tank metaphor. That’s it

[@michaeldehart3253]

The sooner I realized that the ideal deficit was a moving target the more successful I became.

[@---bl3sr]

Thanks doc, always have been blaming myself cause my diets inevitably fail and giving up after that cause i thought you gotta keep that one diet goal on forever 😂 We're gonna get out of the probes with this one

[@simonlamey164]

That ending was epic

[@rosstaylor3463]

Hey Dr mike and everybody! Im going back to the gym and even in the past i always struggled with leg workouts, i know they suck but i always struggles as my hamstrings would always start cramping up before i could properly get into it so it always stopped me. Is there anyway to recify this or a technique i could do to prevent this from happening?

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

I would just stop way short of failure and do fewer sets than you normally do. That should make the cramping much better. Then, slowly, get closer to failure and add more sets if needed. - Dr. Mike

[@WcOx5]

Dr. Mike! What about a 6 day water fast so I can get into ketosis in the third day ??

[@josephbeyer362]

-I’m 5-11, 196lbs at 12.5% bmi and 53 years old. No refined sugars, no processed or refined carbs, no seed oils if at all possible. I’m protein heavy 200g a day. Labs are perfect before and after and I’m on about 2,500 calories day…dirty carnivore is just adding blueberries. I eat 6-8 scrambled eggs a day, sardines, tuna, canned chicken, shrimp, calf liver(2x week), plain Greek yogurt with occasional whey protein mixed in, cottage cheese with blueberries. No grazing. Lots of lemon water with Himalayan salt. -It’s what you eat…not just the calories. So much of what is out there is junk. When I started carnivore I had a torn rotator and weight loss wasn’t the primary goal…I didn’t need it. I just wanted to improve what I was eating eliminating the refined sugars, refined carbs and seed oils made the difference along with making sure I hit 190+ G protein daily. Once you have your routine down…food and gym…hitting your caloric sweet spot isn’t super difficult and I like how Dr. Mike gives the different options. I measure my tweaks every weeks but am at a comfortable area and as long as my workouts hit the bliss point I’ll continue in that direction. -Weight training PLP(5x) rest every 4th day and only cardio LIT(walking 30min 12in 2.8-3.5 speed) 2x a week and exercise bike 5-10 to warm up leg day. Toughest part for me were the rest days…1.5/2 hours per lift session. Works for me and need for mental as much as physical. -Good luck to all of you on your journey and hope this possibly helps someone else.

[@huzzzzzzahh]

One follow up question, it’s still recommended to deload at maintenance regularly right?

[@rayleonard2565]

Any rough guidelines for what would constitute malnutrition and any recommendations for multivitamins when eating the same big deficit, meal prep meals that don’t have any flexibility because of the “pushed to the limit deficit”

[@georgemoonman2830]

I do carnivore on a cut. I just find it incredibly easy to stick to with no hunger and my sleep is perfect, it also resolved a lot of my age related health issues that were preventing me being consistent in the gym.

[@elijuh3]

This is where I am. Carnivore solves so many problems.

[@colindenny1236]

Nutrient timing makes a big difference too I am in week 5 of a cut and haven't changed my calories but my energy for workouts has gotten better because I've figured out what meals to eat and at what time before lifting to have the best energy I can

[@kierasher1]

Sort of. Carbs are easy to metabolize and are readily available energy, so all anyone really has to do is make sure they have some before their work out and they'll be gold. You don't really need to mess around with timing stuff throughout your day. Highly bioavailable carbs in our preworkout food/shake does the trick.

[@colindenny1236]

@@kierasher1 yeah I've been lifting and tracking my food for a while and I've found nutrient timing helps with my gym performance personally

[@akbananachucker2441]

@@colindenny1236 can your please explain. I have a horrible time getting energy to get going.

[@boricactus8454]

has your strength decreased during the cut?

[@colindenny1236]

@@boricactus8454 yeah I am down from 210-190 so it's to be expected

[@g.100]

Mike mixing his weird analogy’s with the real science is what makes his content the best

[@mestresci3721]

Hi Dr. Mike! How should I approach my work outs if im on a weight loss diet? Should i continue to progressively overload as a beginner? Could you do a video on this topic, ive seen a ton of videos on your channel but most of the videos I've seeb on this subject are for people who have already been working out for a while.

[@leonardmilcin7798]

Hi. I am not Dr. Mike (obviously). Of course you should progressively overload. As long as you slowly increase your load *with a good form*, your muscle will have to follow to keep up with the load. Progressive overload isn't something you do to yourself. It is when you find out that the weight you were lifting is now easier than before so you add a bit more. Why would you want to not lift more if you feel you can, regardless of whether you are on a diet? If you feel you are not progressing while cutting (unable to lift more weight) you might just want to wait until your bulking phase again (you are just not building more muscle which is kinda normal when cutting). If you feel you are getting weaker, on the other hand, you might be getting sick, overtrained or are in too large of a deficit and are losing muscle mass. Not good. Try to figure out which it is and react accordingly.

[@kierasher1]

There are actually a lot of videos about gaining muscle that break it down for beginners, intermediate, and advanced lifters with explanations of what each one means. From a basic standpoint, you progressively overload until you can't then you do a deload week, restart a little lower than where you left off and progressively overload again until you can't and repeat.

[@harkerb1977]

FYI, V-shred is banner advertising on your videos.

[@shurikviro5521]

Дядь Миш!...спасибо!!!!!!!!!!!!! ))это очень круто))