bf% - deficit or not?

ColwellCat

Forgive me for asking what may seem like a really basic question, but trying to search for an answer has left me confused with contradictory information.

I'm pretty much at my goal weight, give or take, having lost the 14kg/30lb I needed to lose. (I'm 5'5", and now 60kg, so bmi of 22) But my bf% is still a little higher than I want it to be, best as I can tell from periodic DEXA scans, followed up with regular checks with my trainer with calipers. It's around 27-28% - down from 40% 6 months ago.

My question is do I keep eating at a deficit to lose the fat until I'm happy with the bf%? Or do I (gradually) swap to maintainance at this point, and leave the bf% to be taken care of by exercise? I work out a fair bit each week, lifting 4x, yoga and hiit cardio 2x, plus walking.

Thank you!

Charliegottheruns

4-6 week cycles Cut's then Gains, plan workouts accordingly. Good Luck

j6o4

Since body fat percentage is a ratio of fat to lean body mass, you either need to gain muscle with very little or next to none amount of body fat (which is pretty difficult) or be in a deficit to lose fat while trying to retain lean body mass (faster and more effective approach).

determined_14

Following this for more info. I'm not quite at goal weight, but then, I don't really know what my goal should be. At my lightest adult weight, I weighed ten pounds less than I do now and was very thin. I've since gotten married, had a baby, and filled out a bit. I have also put on a bit of muscle, so if I lost another 5-7 pounds, I would consider it good. At the same time, my BMI measures as healthy but my body fat is a bit high (around 25%). I too want to know if I should continue in a deficit while trying to maintain muscle, or go to maintenance mode, or bulk and lift heavy.

irejuvenateme

First of all, that's a huge leap forward from 40% to 27% - great progress! I think if you just keep going with your lifting, perhaps trying to progressively increase the weights and keeping your diet clean, eating at a slight deficit, you should see more improvement.

I went from about 23/24% to under 18% by doing the above - in the beginning was more focused on cardio with the strength training helping to maintain muscle... now I am trying to get more serious about my making sure the weights are increasing progressively and actually am eating more(changed from deficit to maintenance), but trying to keep it relatively clean.

So I guess the other question is with all your activity, what are you eating?

ColwellCat

Thanks for breaking it down, that makes sense.

Inadvertently I have to eat pretty clean! The weight gain was a result of worsening rheumatoid arthritis, and an inability to do much activity at all. Have managed to put that completely in remission with what is effectively a modified paleo. So sugar free, grain free low carb, unprocessed wholefoods. 1 cheat meal is enough to put me off my feet for a few days. Currently I'm eating 1600, plus some of my exercise calories on big days. Macros <20 carbs/30 protein/50 fats.

Because I'm still in early days of lifting, I'm being rewarded with pretty consistent and constant improvements - I know that it is likely to plateau somewhat!

Kim55555

Will reply later after work bump

arditarose

I'm working on my body fat % as well. 136, around 20-22% body fat. I eat at a tiny tiny deficit, and lift heavy. I was going to go the recomp route but don't have the patience, so will continue to lose the fat with TDEE -10% or 15%. Basically I'm working hard and crossing my fingers.