My first cut

[coleiandoli]

Hello guys. I come here seeking opinions/advice. I have currently been cutting for around 3.5 weeks and don’t see much difference. I am in a 500-800 caloric deficit daily and have dropped 8 lbs on the scale (211 to 203). I have been consistently doing a PPL program the whole time. I have been strength training for a few years but this is the first time i’ve tried to lose fat. Should I be seeing progress already? or does it take more time?

[StrongCopeITT]

You're cutting in a nice pace which means it'll take a little bit longer to notice big results. When you're cutting too fast you notice your face getting really slim quickly, I don't recommend this type of cutting because you tend to regain your weight quickly.
Since you have dropped 8 lbs already I would say be more patient and cut a couple of months so you'll notice the difference.

[Tommy W.]

Hello guys. I come here seeking opinions/advice. I have currently been cutting for around 3.5 weeks and don’t see much difference. I am in a 500-800 caloric deficit daily and have dropped 8 lbs on the scale (211 to 203). I have been consistently doing a PPL program the whole time. I have been strength training for a few years but this is the first time i’ve tried to lose fat. Should I be seeing progress already? or does it take more time?

As you lean out 8 lbs will have a bigger impact on your appearance. Take the 300 lb guy that loses 8 lbs and the 130 lb guy that loses 8 lbs. Which one will you notice the loss with?

[xsquid99]

Typically you will lose about 1" in waist size for every 5-8 lbs lost. So depending on how big you are now, you may or may not notice a difference in just 3 weeks.

[coleiandoli]

Typically you will lose about 1" in waist size for every 5-8 lbs lost. So depending on how big you are now, you may or may not notice a difference in just 3 weeks.

But what about things such as body fat/vascularity? My goal is to have noticeable abs and see that bicep vein >

[SuffolkPunch]

Depending on how advanced you are (and how tall), you may have to lose a lot more weight yet... 200 and lean is pretty unusual for a natty.

[coleiandoli]

Depending on how advanced you are (and how tall), you may have to lose a lot more weight yet... 200 and lean is pretty unusual for a natty.

Thank you. I am 6 feet tall right now. I guess I am going to just continue my caloric deficit and see what happens

[misterblick]

That -2lbs a week is a nice cut so far. Sounds like you're on course. You might stall out a week here or there but if you keep dropping around 4lbs a month you should hit a nice weight soon. I'm 6ft and was 225lb when I started. I lost 13lb in the first month and then it tapered down to 7lbs the next month and 5lbs after that. I lost about 25lbs and didnt look any different except for my belt size, then i dropped another 5lbs and everyone started noticing, it was like that last 5 seemed to come out of my face and stomach. The body is weird with weight loss. Big changes tend to come out of no where after long periods of nothing.

[xsquid99]

As a natty you won't be lean and vascular at 6' and 200 lbs, more like 175 ish, and thats only with significant strength training history.

[Tommy W.]

But what about things such as body fat/vascularity? My goal is to have noticeable abs and see that bicep vein >

just losing fat is not a guarantee of either.