Hey Kara,
I had the same question. I have decided that I will do my cutting phrase when stage 7 starts, and focus on completing stage 4-6 and having fun now. Right now I think of myself as "bulking"--gain muscle and strength. From what I understand, stage 7 is a fat-burning phrase, and I'm going to fine-tune my diet (right now I'm sort of eating crappily) to induce a calorie deficit (like 1,900 cals, or 1,800), and eat the protein I need to keep muscle. I think I will look pretty cut if I do that, and I will just be in time for bikini season too
