Making the Cut: The Truth About Extreme Calorie Cutting and Fat Loss

Several years ago, before I pushed forty, I'd heard plenty about "cutting" as a fitness enthusiast — entering a significant calorie deficit to reduce body fat and reveal muscle definition. Despite years of regular training, I'd never tried it myself. I exercised for the love of movement and strength, not for fat loss, and meticulously tracking every calorie seemed tedious. But curiosity got the better of me. What would happen if I pushed myself through an 8-week fat-loss plan? How would my body respond? And most importantly, would the results be worth the sacrifice?

My Starting Point 

Let me provide context about where I began. I come from a relatively slim family and have never been overweight. I'm genetically privileged in that regard — we all have healthy appetites and high metabolisms. I exercise because I love fitness, but I don't do it for fat loss. However, without it I'd probably become 'skinny fat' and I like to be lean and toned. When I decided to try a cut, I was probably at my strongest, though I've always been self-competitive and motivated. Basically, I was intrigued. What would a dramatic calorie deficit actually do?

It's All About the Kitchen

Here's the truth about cutting: it's made in the kitchen, not the gym. I knew that to achieve dramatic results, I would need to focus on my diet or put another way, remove all the joy of eating for 8 weeks. And I mean all of it.

Fat loss is primarily achieved via diet. You can work out as much as you like but losing fat depends on an 80/20 ratio of diet to exercise. It's one of the simplest equations out there: calories in need to be less than calories out, hence the calorie deficit. When cutting, your physical expenditure still needs to be high, so the FITT principles (frequency, intensity, time and type) need to carry on as usual (if not at a slightly greater rate).

The Fat Loss Programme 

I was aiming for a 4-5% loss in body fat over 2 months. To lose 0.5-1% of my body fat per week, I had to:

1. Cut my daily maintenance kcal intake by 450-500 calories per day

2. Track macros in line with overall daily calorie amount: In my case I was over-indexing in protein, keeping carbs moderate to low and fats very low

3. Train 6 times per week, ensuring each session was resistance-based

4. Get 2-3 cardio sessions in per week — limited to avoid muscle depletion during the calorie cull

   
   

The reality hit fast. I had never calculated macros before. I'd never even dieted! A couple of days in, I'd had enough of all the analysis, planning and constant number-crunching. The endless tracking and ingredient logging became overwhelming.

I also couldn't make the food interesting. I'm a decent cook, but I couldn't follow recipes as it required far too much guesswork in calculating macros. And on this kind of cut, you can't risk getting the numbers wrong.

Faced with boiled chicken and broccoli for 2 months, I got a meal plan with recipes to make life easier. Best decision I made as it gave me a basic framework and let me swap things up more flexibly. The meal plan reduced the guesswork and aggravation, kept me in line, let me eat relatively well, and minimized fridge raids.

The Results: What Happened After 8 Weeks of Cutting

Thanks to the meal plan, my loved ones, and my gym buddies, I got through it. There were laughs (well, a few), tears, and zero slip ups, of which I am proud. There was also very little fun, and no cocktails. I even survived a wedding, taking along my Tupperware and eating furtively behind a bush. Was it worth it? Yes and no.

The Upsides:

1. You get results: I dropped 4.5% body fat in 8 weeks which I guess is impressive for a small person like me.

2. The pictures speak for themselves: Looking at before and after photos, I had leaned out and become more cut and defined. My muscles were there to begin with, but only this calorific deficit made them show through.

3. I fell in love with food again: In slight starvation mode, I appreciated every morsel. I'd previously left food on my plate, but now I literally gobbled up everything.

4. I learned a lot about food and its nutritional components

5. I stopped sweating: Strange, but true. I sweat profusely when exercising but as my fat levels decreased so did my sweating. Walking out of an intense gym workout fresh and dewy was a nice change.

The Downsides:

1. Constant meal prep: The kitchen took a beating. I used the stove, dishwasher, oven and all utensils on meal planning days.

2. It takes so much time! Even with the food plan, I had to plan each day with military precision. No spontaneity whatsoever, I carried packed lunches and snacks everywhere.

3. Missing fat/carbs: I was on a low-fat diet and felt deprived. Two eggs a day was almost half my daily healthy fat allowance. I was also on the lowest level of carbs, a crucial energy source that feeds the brain.

4. Highly antisocial: I couldn't eat out or meet friends during the 2 months. I managed a few social engagements but survived on green tea or coffee with sweetener. Not fun.

5. My sleep suffered: Most nights I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. My sleep dropped to 4-5 hours per night.

6. Mood swings: Compared to some people, mine weren't too bad. I was grumpier than usual, generally because I was hangry.

7. Lower energy levels and general lethargy

8. Night-time nausea

9. Hormonal imbalances: My menstrual cycle was impacted in the 2nd month of the cull– I skipped a period that month. Obviously concerning and something to monitor carefully.

10. Fat loss isn't always a good thing: While I lost fat all over, I lost more than I wanted from my face and chest, which were already small. Losing facial fat made me look more drawn and older

11. Lack of sweat: I cited this as a pro above, but it also meant I couldn't gauge my effort.

Overall, it was a mixed experience. My appreciation for food increased and I became more knowledgeable about nutrition. But while I achieved the desired results, there were many negatives that outweigh the positives.

Don't Forget: The Reality of Extreme Calorie Deficits

Doing a cut like this for a short period is okay, but any longer risks health implications. This eating pattern messes with your homeostasis by inducing a semi-starvation state. It is not sustainable long term. People who look incredibly lean in photoshoots don't look like that all the time – they often starve themselves for those pictures. Don't be fooled.

Would I do it again? Definitely not. But I'm glad I did it once. It taught me about discipline, nutrition, and my own resilience. More importantly, it reminded me that growth often lives on the other side of discomfort. Even if that discomfort comes with a side of boiled chicken and broccoli.

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*This post originally appeared on PushingForty.co.uk in 2017 and has been updated with new insights for 2026. This photo was taken a while ago, and I don’t want anyone thinking I’m still walking around with a six‑pack like this. My abs are still there, just not quite as razor‑sharp as they look in this shot.