The Mini Cut diet is a diet during which you drastically reduce your caloric intake. It is a very short term program, ideally 4 weeks maximum. The objective is to slim down your body, lose fat mass, while maintaining your muscle mass. If you want to start the mini cut diet and see you abs, check out this my post and the 10 things you must know before starting it!

mini cut diet

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1. The mini cut diet: lose body fat quickly

The goal of the mini cut diet is to reduce the daily calorie intake. It is therefore based on a very simple principle: reduce sugary foods and carbohydrate intake. Indeed, these are the 2 nutritional elements that turn into fat mass when their consumption is higher than the caloric expenditure.

Fast sugar is provided by sweets, confectionery, or industrial sweet products. As for carbohydrates, these nutrients come mainly from starchy foods such as pasta and potatoes. But also from flour-based products such as bread, pancakes, waffles, etc., which are very rich in carbohydrates.

2. Visible effects after 2 weeks

Insofar as you no longer provide your body with the necessary fuel to feed the fat cells, well, it will draw on the available stocks. It is through this very simple mechanism that the visible effects of the mini cut diet are obvious from the 2nd week.

However, during your mini cut program, I advise you to increase your intake of vegetables and meat. Be careful, however, with fruits which contain fructose. You can still eat them in moderation, especially around 5 pm, when the glycemic peak is at its highest and the body needs sugar to finish the day.

3. The mini cut diet preserves the metabolism

People with little body fat are more likely to be exposed to muscle wasting. Indeed, during the mini cut diet, the body will draw on fat reserves, in the absence of caloric intake. Once the reserves are exhausted, the body will look for available energy in the muscles. This is how muscle wasting represents the major risk of the low-calorie diet.

On the other hand, in the mini cut diet, I advise you to keep a calorie deficit between 300 and 500 calories maximum. By respecting this range, you have every chance of maintaining a balanced metabolism.

4. The mini cut diet and protein intake

In the mini cut diet, proteins are essential. Indeed, as I explained earlier in this article, once the energy stock contained in the fat cells is exhausted, the body will seek the energy available in the muscles.

By increasing protein intake throughout the mini cut diet, you ensure the nutrition of the myocytes. These are the muscle cells that have a vital need for protein to regenerate. In addition, if you have a moderate to intense sports activity in parallel with your mini cut program, you can consume high-protein nutritional supplements.

5. The mini cut diet requires good hydration

As in all dietary rebalancing solutions, the metabolism is put to the test. Therefore, it is essential to keep well hydrated during your mini cut diet. To do this, I advise you to drink between 1.5 and 2 liters of water per day. On the other hand, if you are very active in sports during your diet, you can drink up to 3 liters of water per day. It is not essential to drink more than this, as this could lead to an imbalance in your electrolytes, i.e. the minerals in your blood.

6. In the mini cut diet, you are allowed to eat fat!

Yes, in your mini cut diet, you have every right to eat fat! These are essential to the constitution of epidermal cells as well as nerve cells. So, I advise you to add 0.6 g of fat per kilo of body weight per day.

In order to preserve your cholesterol level, the ideal is to consume polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega 3. You can also enjoy a delicious salad with olive oil, which is the least caloric of the vegetable oils.

7. 40 g (1.4 oz) of carbohydrates per day in the mini cut program

Although the mini cut diet consists of reducing carbohydrate intake, your diet is not completely carbohydrate-free! In fact, the body needs strength to function. In the context of this diet, it is recommended not to exceed 40 g (1.4 oz) of carbohydrates per day.

For this, I advise you to opt for seed breads, made with low GI flour (low glycemic index). Thus, the low carb diet allows you to use other sources of carbohydrates in your recipes such as legumes, chestnut flour, almond flour, or spelt flour.

8. Distribute nutrients well in the mini cut diet

In the field of nutrition, there are 3 macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. To ensure that your program runs smoothly and, above all, that your body receives a balanced diet, it is strongly recommended that you respect the following distribution: 35% carbohydrates, 35% protein, and 30% fat.

9. The mini cut diet: what meat to eat?

The mini cut diet involves respecting the distribution of macronutrients. It is a matter of providing your body with sufficiently digestible proteins so that it does not expend any more energy. Indeed, the digestion of red meat, for example, is much more laborious for the stomach than that of other categories of meat.

Therefore, your mini cut program can be composed of chicken, fish, but also seafood. You can also vary the pleasures by opting for vegetables that are very rich in protein: peas, lentils, corn, artichokes, kale, etc.

10. Treat yourself during the mini cut diet!

When you say low-calorie diet, you mean exotic cuisine! In fact, many recipes with distant flavors and very simple to make are absolutely low-calorie! For example, you can prepare falafels with chickpea flour, or tacos with marinated chicken and grilled vegetables. Travel to Hawaii and prepare your own poké bowl or simply adopt Japanese cuisine!

The mini cut diet is a strict hypocaloric diet that has nothing to do with intermittent fasting, which must be carried out for a maximum of 4 weeks. The objective is to lose the persistent fat mass very quickly. But also, to preserve the muscle mass. And for that, the respect of the distribution of macronutrients is essential. Not to mention that the mini cut diet probably allows you to discover light exotic recipes that are perfectly adapted to this program!

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