Cutting Diet Plan - Med Diet Food List, Meal Plan, Supplements

Understanding the Cutting Diet

When trying to lose weight and get lean, many people turn to the cutting diet. This diet plan focuses on reducing calorie intake to spur fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. To better understand the cutting diet, it helps to cover the basics of what it is, who it's best suited for, and how to follow it properly.

What is the Cutting Diet?

The cutting diet is a nutrition plan designed to reduce body fat without losing muscle. It involves decreasing your daily calorie intake below your maintenance level while keeping protein high. This calorie deficit forces your body to break down stored fat for energy while the sufficient protein intake prevents muscle loss.

Cutting cycles generally last weeks to months leading up to a competition or to meet a fat loss goal. During this time, you would follow a structured reducing calories meal plan while training hard to maintain fitness levels.

Who is the Cutting Diet Best For?

The cutting diet is most often used by bodybuilders and fitness competitors to drop body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass before a contest. However, it can also benefit anyone looking to lower body fat percentage. Athletes in sports that depend on strength-to-weight ratio can also follow cutting diets before their season starts.

Cutting is only recommended once you have built a solid foundation of muscle mass. Those new to training should focus on building muscle first before attempting to cut body fat. Cutting when you have low muscle mass already can cause excess muscle loss.

How to Follow a Cutting Diet

To follow an effective cutting diet, you must pay close attention to your daily calorie intake and macronutrient breakdown. The general guideline when cutting is to reduce your maintenance calories by 15-20%. This moderate approach allows fat loss to occur while minimizing muscle loss. Severe calorie deficits can cause more lean mass loss.

Protein intake should remain high during cutting, about 0.8 to 1 gram per pound of body weight daily. The amino acids in protein help sustain existing muscle tissue. Dietary fat and carbohydrates will account for the rest of your daily calories, the ratios of which can be manipulated based on individual preference.

Cutting Diet Sample Meal Plan

Here is a sample one day cutting diet meal plan:

Breakfast

• 3 eggs cooked in 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup oatmeal with 1 scoop protein powder
• 1 cup mixed berries

Lunch

• 4 oz grilled chicken breast
• Brown rice - 1⁄2 cup cooked
• 1 cup mixed vegetables

Dinner

• 4 oz salmon, grilled
• Asparagus - 1 cup cooked
• Sweet potato - 1⁄2 cup cooked

This provides approximately 1600 calories with 35% coming from protein, 30% fat, and 35% carbohydrates. Calorie and macronutrient needs can be further customized to the individual.

Incorporating the Mediterranean Diet

Pairing the structured cutting diet with Mediterranean style eating provides health protective benefits. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods, fish, extra virgin olive oil, and moderation of red meat and dairy. Studies show this eating pattern lowers risk for several chronic diseases.

Mediterranean Diet Overview

The traditional Mediterranean diet meal plan consists mainly of:

• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains
• Olive oil as main cooking oil
• Legumes, nuts, seeds
• Herbs and spices instead of salt
• Seafood and poultry twice weekly
• Eggs, yogurt and small amounts of cheese
• Red meat only a few times monthly
• Moderate red wine intake optional

Benefits of Mediterranean Style Eating

Following Mediterranean style eating on a cutting diet provides these key benefits:

• Improves heart health - Replacing unhealthy fats with olive oil and nuts reduces LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, lowering cardiovascular disease risk.
• Helps manage blood sugar - Increased intake fruits, vegetables, and whole grains containing fiber slows carbohydrate absorption and may improve insulin sensitivity.
• Promotes gut health - Fermented foods common in the Mediterranean diet provide probiotics to support digestive function and immune health.
• Powerful anti-inflammatory effects - Nutrient dense plant foods, oily fish, and antioxidants from red wine or dark chocolate suppress systemic inflammation involved in many diseases.

Example Mediterranean Style Cutting Diet

Here is a one day sample Mediterranean style cutting diet:

Breakfast

• 2 eggs cooked in olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup oats cooked with almond milk
• 1 orange

Lunch

• Tuna salad over mixed greens with balsamic dressing
• Whole grain pita bread - 1 piece
• 1 cup Greek yogurt

Dinner

• 4 oz grilled salmon
• Quinoa pilaf mix with chickpeas - 1 cup cooked
• Steamed broccoli

This provides a balanced cutting diet meal plan focused on anti-inflammatory whole foods. Personalize your calories, protein and meal selections to meet your cutting phase needs.

Supplements to Enhance Cutting Diet Success

Certain supplements can further augment cutting diet results when paired with proper nutrition and training. Topicals like creams containing aminophylline can also provide fat burning effects when applied to problem areas.

Best Supplements for Cutting

Here are the top science-backed supplements to include during cutting phases:

Whey Protein

Whey protein powder supports muscle retention and satiety during periods of reduced calorie intake. As a fast digesting protein supplement, whey makes an excellent post workout choice.

Caffeine

In addition to coffee’s thermogenic effects, caffeine supplements boosts mental focus and exercise performance to counteract cutting fatigue. Standard doses of 200-400mg taken 30 minutes pre-workout are common.

Green Tea Extract

Containing antioxidants and the compound EGCG, green tea extract enhances fat burning processes. It can be consumed as a beverage or via capsulated green tea extract.

Fish Oil

Fish oil capsules provides anti-inflammatory omega-3s EPA and DHA that help mitigate muscle soreness during intense dieting and training. They also support cardiovascular health.

When adding supplements, begin with low doses to assess individual tolerance. Increase cautiously and cycle usage to maximize benefits.

Spot Reduction Creams

Spot reduction refers to targeting fat loss in specific body areas. While weight training builds muscle underneath fat, topically applied creams may also provide localized slimming effects.

One key active ingredient to look for is aminophylline. This compound helps break down fat cells and is often added to cellulite creams. Applying aminophylline based creams to stubborn body fat areas may support site specific fat loss when combined with diet and training.

As always, consult your doctor before beginning new diet plans or using new supplements. Tracking progress monthly helps determine what nutrition and training adjustments may be needed.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.