We don’t recommend doing a mini-cut for two main reasons:
Most people will not be successful in their mini cut. To lose weight on a cut, you’ll need to give your metabolism time to fully adapt, which often means spending more time in a calorie surplus than a deficit. Most people who reverse diet have a substantial history of dieting and will need to reverse and maintain for at least 6-12 months before cutting to see success. By doing a mini cut and trying to lose weight too soon, they’ll be doing the exact same thing they’re trying to get away from—yo-yo dieting. As a result, they’ll lose less weight than anticipated and will need to essentially start over on their reverse diet.
It unnecessarily prolongs the amount of time you must spend reversing and maintaining before you’re able to do a successful fat loss phase. While it might be hard to see yourself at a higher body fat percentage, you need to realize that this time period is an investment in your future.
If you’re patient and take the time to reverse diet correctly, you’ll set yourself up to successfully lose weight on higher calories when you do decide to cut.