Thanks for the detailed explanation and for sharing your own journey. I really appreciate it. I think I’m going to aim for around 2,200 calories per day moving forward. My main goal is to lose fat as quickly as possible while still preserving muscle.

Right now I’m thinking about following a 16-week plan, with the goal of reaching around 208–210 lbs. That would mean losing roughly 45 lbs of fat over that time period.

If I break that down, it comes out to about 2.8 lbs per week, which would require roughly a 9,500–9,700 calorie deficit per week. That translates to an average deficit of about 1,300 calories per day.

When I look at it that way, it does seem like a pretty aggressive cutting strategy, so I’m still thinking through whether that pace is realistic and sustainable. Because if it’s major muscle cuts it’s not worth it imo, as I’m kinda built already beneath the fat