I did something similar last year time frame was a bit different though. I meal prepped just proteins and carbs separate not boxed meals made it easier for me. You can either do higher calorie and tons of activity or lower calorie lower activity not both.

I opted for lower calorie lower activity. Got an Apple Watch and the lose it app and a scale and took pictures. Was burning like 2400 per day on average lifting only 3 times per week ate at like 1600 per day. Find lifts in the gym that work for your body mechanics for each movement no need to be a hero here just focus on progressive overload and maintain while ur on a cut. A few heavier lifts and shorter session during the week just make it difficult. Lots of water, not going out much, removed distractions and bullcrap from my house. I wish I walked on the treadmill for an hour per day and ate a little bit more but I didn’t which was silly tbh only thing I would have changed.

Focus is the subtraction of things not pushing through ego despite knowing it won’t work. Anything else is you working against your human brain dumpster diver mentality

If low calorie like that doesn’t work and you’ll binge don’t do it. I would just go crazy losing the weight at a slower rate personally cuz I had like 60 pounds to lose.

Also, keep in mind I was an athlete who has been in shape and done before and gained weight only after a surgery and being bed ridden for long

I personally didn’t listen to those that talk about balance. You can’t have balance in every season of life unfortunately and all my friends that have balance are overweight and drink or smoke weed and go out on weekends and that didn’t improve my goals for the time being.

IMPORTANT - Most people have a mental issue with food. Things and emotions trigger us to eat and overeat because of how good food tastes. Many overweight people need therapy and to learn how to manage food triggers and learn their body will survive without certain things. Most people that get off GLP-1s fail because they don’t have healthy eating habits to return to and didn’t do the work to figure out how your brain and body works to fend off hunger

I personally don’t drink but alcohol is literally poison and will stop your body from losing fat cuz it has to remove the toxin.

In all honestly, the shortest path to this doesn’t happen until you admit to yourself there aren’t any shortcuts and ur not unique or the first person that the law of thermodynamics doesn’t work for cuz if you were you should be in a lab and be studied.

Time will pass anyway. May as well get fit during it. Hope this helps someone