What to do with my diet?

[brodg]

Hello Dr. Feigenbaum,

I wanted to come here for some advice on what I should do with my diet from here.

Male
20 yo
5’11”
200 lbs.
Waist circumference: ~36 in.
Goal: Get stronger for powerlifting and stay healthy

My body weight has stayed just about the same for the past year or so and I’ve been able to add weight to all three lifts. I typically don’t track my food intake because it’s tricky in my situation eating my meals at college dining hall. I just use the scale as an indicator and weigh myself 3x/week. I’ve considered going into a deficit to get that waist circumference down some, or would you recommend me stay around maintenance calories?

Thanks!

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I don't have a strong preference for you one way or another. What would you like to do and how would you plan on doing that?

[brodg]

I’m considering making a slow cut to 190 by February using an app. Then, I’ll maintain for about a month before adding a slight surplus of 100-200 calories back in and going from there. I think I’d be a healthier at 190 lbs because I’m already approaching the waist circumference threshold. What do you think?

Thanks!

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I think you'd probably be about the same health as you are now given your age and measurements. If you want to be leaner over the winter, an energy deficit is the way to do it. If you're on the fence about it, maintenance and training your a** off would be a fine option too. That'd be my personal preference.