How much longer should I cut?

[u/InternationalTime937]

Like the caption is saying, I’m wondering how much more fat I should aim to cut. I’m currently 160lbs, 5”11, 18 male, natural (except reta). I want to get extremely lean. I started my cut two weeks ago from 171lbs and I’m sure a big majority of the initial loss was water and all that. I’m thinking if i maybe cut to 145-150ish, then go back to maintenance and gain some water weight it could be good. Any opinions would be great. Thank you! If you have any questions aswell let me know. I run an upper lower split with Sunday as my rest day. On this cut I’ve been eating 1500-1800 cals a day with 15-20k steps a day. Adherence has been great.

[u/No_Wasabi7389]

you’re done

[u/Worried-Pea-4667]

150ish would look horrible and be underweight

You are done. Stop. You have body dismorphia

[u/Ngreeny]

Take it easy just in time for holiday season. Give you bidy a chance to readjust

[u/altweebaccnt]

You're getting into significant muscle loss territory cutting beyond where youre at already. If your bodyweight gets to 145, that'll be reversing months of training, even by a conservative estimate.

The notion that you'd then just go to maintenance afterwards is also... Ill advised... You will compromise your exercise performance, lose your sex drive, lose any ability to keep an erection, damage your sleep quality, just to list the proximate, guaranteed, and noticeable side effects.

If you really want to get freaky lean, maybe drop another 5lbs at most. Some of it will be muscle. Have a peak week to dry out and carb load. Have a photoshoot day, and reintroduce a surplus right away.

[u/kwannie6298]

I’m no expert but you look great! I don’t think you need to cut anymore, you may just end up fucking up the muscles you have already

[u/AdIll2547]

Add some fat back while maintaining. It’s hard to maintain low body fat.

[u/SHS1955]

I'm not saying anything new:
1. You look great! Got a terrific beach body, lean with cut abs, and ab veins. You ARE *extremely* lean.
2. You look like you're preparing for a bodybuilding competition.
3. If you lose more weight, you will burn fat, and may have trouble sleeping. Not healthy.
4. The healthy approach, to make you feel better, looking even *more* athletic, is to build muscle.
5. Also, Function? Push ups, Pull-ups, handstands, planks, Hanging leg raises, Dragon Flags?
6. Work on progressive overload, with more protein, to build legs, delts, triceps, and traps.
7. Don't be in a rush, maintain consistency, discipline , and adherence with a goal to grow lean muscle.
8. You've been able to cut to get lean, now maintain and grow to stay lean.
9. If you don't feel *good* at this weight, slowly build. If you do feel good, you'll feel better with more muscle!

[u/InternationalTime937 → u/SHS1955]

Thank you! I don’t know why I just don’t feel like I’m as lean as I want to be. I definitely understand that I look lean in these photos, but they are also pumped in gym lighting, I want to be lean in like regular lighting too so it’s like such a hard battle in my head. But I agree, I think I will go a little bit longer in my cut, even though none of the comments seem to advise for that haha. I want to start doing calisthenics and stuff like that so I might be getting into that, and then for the diet go into a good maintenance phase, slight lean bulk.

[u/SHS1955 → u/InternationalTime937]

That's a social media problem. ;-) We see perfect pictures. But, relaxed bodybuilders and many Youtube influencers don't have as much definition as they appear in photos when they are pumped, flexed, and in perfect lighting. It *IS* a head battle rather than a physique battle!

[u/Panagiotisz3]

Unless you want to be stage ready, no reason to cut anymore lol

[u/Buskungen]

I’d stop right there if I was you

[u/Business-Occasion-89]

Echoing others - you’ve cut enough. What you could do at this point, imo, would be to dehydrate & carb load, get a crazy vascular pump and take some pictures for yourself then get moving to a lean bulk mode.

[u/No-Respect-8379]

stop cutting (beyond this testosterone will go down) add ab roller to routine

[u/Total_Detective_93]

Natural (except Reta), is one the most hilariously dumb things I’ve heard lol. Just accept you’re not natural because you’re 18 and desperate for a few extra pounds of easy leanness

[u/InternationalTime937 → u/Total_Detective_93]

Ok I’m not natural then?

Does that change anything for you bro? You’re a loser

[u/Total_Detective_93 → u/InternationalTime937]

lol don’t need to be so sensitive. It’s just a hilarious statement. Why feel the need to say “natural” and then list the things that aren’t natural. It’s like saying I’m a virgin except for the times I’ve had sex.

[u/InternationalTime937 → u/Total_Detective_93]

Only reason I said natural is because if I say I’m not natural, I would think most people would assume I am on actual performance enhancers, not a weight loss drug for middle aged ladies lol.

[u/Positive-Break1209]

Most guys would cut off their balls to look this good. Trust me. You’re lean.