Video 4: Comparing The Numbers

Things To Note:

The reason why a 20-25% deficit is recommended is because you don’t want to be in a deficit for too long (see the studies below).

The goal is to lose fat as quickly as you can without starving yourself or losing a bunch of muscle.

The less time you spend in a deficit, the better.

Typically, you get in a deficit (some people call this dieting or “cutting”) for 3 months and spend the rest of the year in a caloric surplus (some people call this gaining or “bulking”) or maintaining your body weight.

That’s the ideal, yearly schedule.

Studies Mentioned:

The longer you’re in a caloric deficit, the more muscle you lose [1]
Low calorie dieting increases the stress hormone cortisol. Not fun. [2]
Leptin levels, one of the most important hormones responsible for fat loss, drop when in a caloric deficit. This effect is greater when in a deficit for a long-time or a very big deficit! [3]