Based on ~1,700 kcal true maintenance. Do NOT go below 1,200.
1,300–1,400 kcal/day
Protein Target
1g per lb lean mass — non-negotiable
Preserves muscle while cutting. Hits ~572 kcal, leaving ~759 kcal for fat + carbs. Note: 143g is at the lower edge of the optimal 1.6–2.2g/kg range for 4-5x training (~1.6g/kg at 196 lbs). If strength drops or recovery worsens, push toward 160–180g by swapping a tuna pouch or adding a half scoop of whey — don't cut carbs or fat further to get there.
143g / day
Fat Target
Realistic for 85/15 beef + egg stack — do not cut below 40g
Recalibrated from 40g floor. 85/15 beef and eggs make a lower target a daily losing battle. 50g is the working target; ±10% window is 45–55g.
50g / day
Expected Rate
With 10k steps + training
0.5–1.0 lb / week
Step 1 — Do This First
2-Week Food Scale Audit
Establish real intake before changing anything
free
Weigh everything on a kitchen scale for 14 days. Log in Cronometer (free app) — more accurate than MyFitnessPal. Don't change what you eat yet, just measure it. If you're eating 1,500 kcal eyeballed, you're probably eating 1,800–2,100 actual.
14 days
NEAT — Biggest Free Lever
Walking — Daily Target
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis
free
Adds 300–500 kcal/day expenditure with zero recovery cost. At 10k steps your effective deficit nearly doubles without touching food intake. Walk after meals where possible — blunts blood sugar spike.
8,000 min 10,000 target
Sodium Reduction
Immediate facial de-puff — visible in 48–72 hrs
free
Cut processed food and added salt. Excess sodium causes facial water retention that directly affects scan measurements. Fastest visible win after weight loss itself.
immediate
Hydration
Dehydration compresses lip appearance and skin quality
free
2–3 L / day
Active Protein Stack
StarKist Tuna Pouches — Jalapeño
Best protein-per-calorie in current stack
~$1/pouch
2.6oz pouches. Jalapeño: 14g protein / 70 cal (0.200 g/cal). More efficient than sweet & spicy (16g / 90 cal = 0.178 g/cal). Log as ~90 cal / 14–16g protein per pouch.
14–16g ~70–90 cal
Levels Grass Fed Whey — Vanilla Bean
Morning protein anchor — back in stock
in stock
130 cal / 24g protein / 2.5g fat / 3g carbs per 32g scoop. 80 servings per 5lb bag. One scoop + 3 eggs = ~42g protein for under 360 cal. Fixes the morning protein gap.
24g / scoop 130 cal
Whole Eggs
~$3/dozen
~6g / egg
Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
Preferred over 5% — lower fat fits cut targets better
cheap
~15g / cup
Kirkland 85/15 Ground Beef (Traeger)
Primary protein + fat source — high-fat household staple
bulk
Weigh cooked. Raw-to-cooked loss ~25–30%. Use raw entry in Cronometer at ~295g to back-calculate 215g cooked. Fat renders off during smoking — entries without Traeger context will slightly overcount fat.
~28g / 100g cooked
Facial Change Milestones (Re & Rule 2016)
Observers detect facial slimming
At 0.75 lb/week pace: ~week 12
−8.8 lbs → 192 lbs
Attractiveness improvement threshold
At 0.75 lb/week pace: ~week 24
−18 lbs → 183 lbs
Full looksmax target (14% BF)
Jaw structure visible, cervico-mental angle sharp
−31.4 lbs → 169.6 lbs
Diet Breaks — Not Optional
2-Week Break at Maintenance
Counteracts adaptive thermogenesis (Clamp et al. 2018)
free
Every 8–12 weeks, eat at ~1,700 kcal for 2 weeks. This is not a cheat — it is metabolic maintenance. Do not do one in the first 8 weeks.
every 8–12 wks
TDEE note — Your BMR is ~1,844 kcal. If maintenance truly is 1,600–1,700 kcal, you are almost certainly eating more than you think. Eyeballing underestimates intake by 20–40% on average. Do the food scale audit before adjusting anything.
Deficit rate flag — Tracking ~0.3 lbs/day. Even if partly water weight, if true tissue loss is above 1 lb/week sustained, cortisol increases and ceramide synthesis slows — directly impairing skin barrier repair and potentially worsening inflammatory acne. At 1,331 kcal vs ~1,700 maintenance the math supports ~0.37 lbs/week true fat loss, so much of the daily reading is water fluctuation. Monitor weekly average, not daily. If weekly average exceeds 1.5 lbs consistently, consider a 2-week diet break.
Supplements — Acne + Deficit Support
Zinc — 30mg Elemental Daily
Strongest supplement evidence for inflammatory acne
~$8–10
Zinc gluconate or zinc sulfate — check label for elemental zinc, not total weight. Take with food to reduce GI upset, away from calcium or iron supplements. Timeline: 8–12 weeks for noticeable reduction in inflammatory lesions. Long-term use: monitor for copper depletion (take a copper supplement if on zinc 3+ months).
30mg / day 8–12 wk timeline
Omega-3 (EPA + DHA) — 600–2000mg Daily
Anti-inflammatory · Supports skin barrier on a deficit
~$15–20
Most acne patients are deficient. Target 300–400mg EPA + 600–800mg DHA. Studies show significant reduction in inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions over 10–16 weeks. Also supports ceramide synthesis when cutting. Take with a fat-containing meal. Lower priority than zinc but meaningful once income allows.
600–2000mg EPA+DHA / day
Vitamin D — 1000–4000 IU D3 Daily
Only if deficient — evidence is weak otherwise
Benefits are mainly seen in deficient individuals. Test levels before supplementing if possible. If cutting without much sun exposure (July fieldwork will change this): worth taking. 8+ weeks to see skin improvement in deficient patients.
1000–4000 IU if deficient
Basic Multivitamin — Cuts Create Depletion Risk
Vitamins A, C, E · B-complex · Magnesium · All affect skin barrier
~$8–12
Aggressive cuts reduce food volume enough that micronutrient gaps become real. Vitamins A/C/E support barrier function, collagen synthesis, and antioxidant protection. B2/B3/B6/B12 depletion is linked to dermatitis and inflammatory skin issues. Magnesium affects inflammation and healing. A generic daily multivitamin covers these gaps cheaply. Take with a fat-containing meal for fat-soluble vitamin absorption (A, D, E, K).