Recomposition: Maintaining weight while losing fat
Replies
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Thank you for this thread, I'll be eagerly following. I've got to come out of a deficit but I'm not up for cut/bulk cycles so a recomp is what I'm bumping my cals up to currently.1
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ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »I don't have any research, but I'll post my results here. I've been recomping for about 2 years. I have chronic illness and eating at a deficit can be too much stress on my system.
On the left I was 125 lbs, 24% body fat according to the Eat, Train, Progress body fat estimation thread. On the right I'm still 125 lbs but 2 sizes smaller.
Nice!
How were your lifts during recomp? I find I'm stalling out while cutting, and I'm hoping when I transition to maintenance I can see some further progress.
Well, it's a little different for me because of my chronic pain issues. I often have to scale back and deload so I'm not as far along with my lifts as a lot of ladies who have been lifting the same amount of time. For me the limiting factor is fatigue for the most part, and pain to lesser extent. So I haven't actually gotten to the point where my lifts stop progressing yet.4 -
I'm in!
Still trying to figure when to cross this line, but soon. It is hard to tell where my body fat level is. As of now, I don't think I have it in me for a bulk and cut series of cycles.2 -
Good post, OP.
I've done all the reading, so I get it from the conceptual side... following along for first hand experiences.0 -
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I've tried the recomp a couple times & it was just more of a mind fudge to me then bulk/cut cycles.
I'm a guy who at times does extreme physical exercises just from a compulsive thought. I deal with a joint problems from a disease and when my body is feeling well enough I tend try to get it in when I can. With recomp my mind tends to over think how much exercise I can do or even more how much I should eat because I'm either more active or less active. Therefore my calories are all over the board. With a bulk/cut cycles I find it easier to correct my calorie over/under consumption.
It causes stress which in turn causes more pain throughout my body. I wish it didn't. I applaud everybody who is able to recomp as its a very useful tool for many people, its just not for me.5 -
I've tried the recomp a couple times & it was just more of a mind fudge to me then bulk/cut cycles.
I'm a guy who at times does extreme physical exercises just from a compulsive thought. I deal with a joint problems from a disease and when my body is feeling well enough I tend try to get it in when I can. With recomp my mind tends to over think how much exercise I can do or even more how much I should eat because I'm either more active or less active. Therefore my calories are all over the board. With a bulk/cut cycles I find it easier to correct my calorie over/under consumption.
It causes stress which in turn causes more pain throughout my body. I wish it didn't. I applaud everybody who is able to recomp as its a very useful tool for many people, its just not for me.
Well, this raises a question for me, because that describes my situation as well. I also think it would be a problem were I to do bulking/cutting, though.
I'm not really sure how I plan to address calorie intake when I get to the point of recomp. Thoughts?
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Oooh, finally a thread for me!
I'm recomping. Mainly because I'm 51, menopausal and not genetically designed to build muscle... didn't know how effective a true "bulk" would be, particularly as I'm not very ambitious about my progressive overload. Also because I'm not diligent enough to follow a strict intake plan, my eating is all over the place, and I'm guesstimating calories/macros more than half the time since I'm not the cook.
But I wanted to build/maintain bone density and muscle tissue as I know how fast those can decrease for us middle-aged females, and I've got a strong predisposition toward osteoporosis anyway. A secondary goal was to firm up some spots that had moved south and turned mushy within the past couple of years (despite no change in weight).
I've probably been at this seriously for about 10 months now, although I didn't start making more effort with protein intake until about 6 or so months ago. And I must be eating precisely at maintenance because my weight has stayed exactly the same. My pants are noticeably looser... I've lost about 1" off waist and 1.5" or so off hips. (Paradoxically, thigh measurement has increased 1") There is more visible definition -- well, ANY is better than NONE, which is what I had before. BF per scale (I know, I know) says down 1.5%.
Not really sure what has been going on, whether I'm succeeding in gaining muscle or just losing BF, or a combination of both, especially when my weight has been so ridiculously stable. I wish I had access to a DEXA scan so I knew what was going on in there.7 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »I've tried the recomp a couple times & it was just more of a mind fudge to me then bulk/cut cycles.
I'm a guy who at times does extreme physical exercises just from a compulsive thought. I deal with a joint problems from a disease and when my body is feeling well enough I tend try to get it in when I can. With recomp my mind tends to over think how much exercise I can do or even more how much I should eat because I'm either more active or less active. Therefore my calories are all over the board. With a bulk/cut cycles I find it easier to correct my calorie over/under consumption.
It causes stress which in turn causes more pain throughout my body. I wish it didn't. I applaud everybody who is able to recomp as its a very useful tool for many people, its just not for me.
Well, this raises a question for me, because that describes my situation as well. I also think it would be a problem were I to do bulking/cutting, though.
I'm not really sure how I plan to address calorie intake when I get to the point of recomp. Thoughts?
well in my experience, by the time you get to whether you want to bulk/cut or recomp you pretty much have your maintenance number pegged. I know that I maintain at right around 2600 to 2700 calories a week. so when I went into bulk mode I bumped up to 2900 and waited a week, checked the scale, and then increased or decreased as needed.
Honestly, it comes down to playing with the numbers and trial and error. I think you have a little more leeway when doing a bulk, because if you over shoot your numbers then you should still be OK. My basic understanding of recomp is that you would have to be more strict and accurate with your intake and logging.1 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »I've tried the recomp a couple times & it was just more of a mind fudge to me then bulk/cut cycles.
I'm a guy who at times does extreme physical exercises just from a compulsive thought. I deal with a joint problems from a disease and when my body is feeling well enough I tend try to get it in when I can. With recomp my mind tends to over think how much exercise I can do or even more how much I should eat because I'm either more active or less active. Therefore my calories are all over the board. With a bulk/cut cycles I find it easier to correct my calorie over/under consumption.
It causes stress which in turn causes more pain throughout my body. I wish it didn't. I applaud everybody who is able to recomp as its a very useful tool for many people, its just not for me.
Well, this raises a question for me, because that describes my situation as well. I also think it would be a problem were I to do bulking/cutting, though.
I'm not really sure how I plan to address calorie intake when I get to the point of recomp. Thoughts?
well in my experience, by the time you get to whether you want to bulk/cut or recomp you pretty much have your maintenance number pegged. I know that I maintain at right around 2600 to 2700 calories a week. so when I went into bulk mode I bumped up to 2900 and waited a week, checked the scale, and then increased or decreased as needed.
Honestly, it comes down to playing with the numbers and trial and error. I think you have a little more leeway when doing a bulk, because if you over shoot your numbers then you should still be OK. My basic understanding of recomp is that you would have to be more strict and accurate with your intake and logging.
This has been my experience as well. The main reason I can't personally stick with a recomp is a constant flux up and down of my weight 2-5lbs from week to week. It's been my experience with bulk/cut cycle that overtime my weight steadily increases/decreases. Even taking the time to find your true "maintenance" intake can take a few weeks.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »I've tried the recomp a couple times & it was just more of a mind fudge to me then bulk/cut cycles.
I'm a guy who at times does extreme physical exercises just from a compulsive thought. I deal with a joint problems from a disease and when my body is feeling well enough I tend try to get it in when I can. With recomp my mind tends to over think how much exercise I can do or even more how much I should eat because I'm either more active or less active. Therefore my calories are all over the board. With a bulk/cut cycles I find it easier to correct my calorie over/under consumption.
It causes stress which in turn causes more pain throughout my body. I wish it didn't. I applaud everybody who is able to recomp as its a very useful tool for many people, its just not for me.
Well, this raises a question for me, because that describes my situation as well. I also think it would be a problem were I to do bulking/cutting, though.
I'm not really sure how I plan to address calorie intake when I get to the point of recomp. Thoughts?
well in my experience, by the time you get to whether you want to bulk/cut or recomp you pretty much have your maintenance number pegged. I know that I maintain at right around 2600 to 2700 calories a week. so when I went into bulk mode I bumped up to 2900 and waited a week, checked the scale, and then increased or decreased as needed.
Honestly, it comes down to playing with the numbers and trial and error. I think you have a little more leeway when doing a bulk, because if you over shoot your numbers then you should still be OK. My basic understanding of recomp is that you would have to be more strict and accurate with your intake and logging.
Well that makes so much sense it should be glaringly obvious. And somehow, what you said made a light bulb go off in my head.
By the time I'm at the end game, because I'm old and short, a nice chunk of my deficit is going to come from exercise (online TDEE calculators have my sedentary calories about 150 cals above my current intake). I should be able to average out what's been going on... good days and bad over a month or so... with the scale and collect my own data to get a good figure for my TDEE at that point.
That's if I'm thinking correctly.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »I've tried the recomp a couple times & it was just more of a mind fudge to me then bulk/cut cycles.
I'm a guy who at times does extreme physical exercises just from a compulsive thought. I deal with a joint problems from a disease and when my body is feeling well enough I tend try to get it in when I can. With recomp my mind tends to over think how much exercise I can do or even more how much I should eat because I'm either more active or less active. Therefore my calories are all over the board. With a bulk/cut cycles I find it easier to correct my calorie over/under consumption.
It causes stress which in turn causes more pain throughout my body. I wish it didn't. I applaud everybody who is able to recomp as its a very useful tool for many people, its just not for me.
Well, this raises a question for me, because that describes my situation as well. I also think it would be a problem were I to do bulking/cutting, though.
I'm not really sure how I plan to address calorie intake when I get to the point of recomp. Thoughts?
well in my experience, by the time you get to whether you want to bulk/cut or recomp you pretty much have your maintenance number pegged. I know that I maintain at right around 2600 to 2700 calories a week. so when I went into bulk mode I bumped up to 2900 and waited a week, checked the scale, and then increased or decreased as needed.
Honestly, it comes down to playing with the numbers and trial and error. I think you have a little more leeway when doing a bulk, because if you over shoot your numbers then you should still be OK. My basic understanding of recomp is that you would have to be more strict and accurate with your intake and logging.
Well that makes so much sense it should be glaringly obvious. And somehow, what you said made a light bulb go off in my head.
By the time I'm at the end game, because I'm old and short, a nice chunk of my deficit is going to come from exercise (online TDEE calculators have my sedentary calories about 150 cals above my current intake). I should be able to average out what's been going on... good days and bad over a month or so... with the scale and collect my own data to get a good figure for my TDEE at that point.
That's if I'm thinking correctly.
Sounds correct to me. Just be willing to play with your TDEE for a while until you get it constant. Even then, you'll likely see a small fluctuation +/- 2 or 3 lbs.1 -
sjohnson__1 wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »I've tried the recomp a couple times & it was just more of a mind fudge to me then bulk/cut cycles.
I'm a guy who at times does extreme physical exercises just from a compulsive thought. I deal with a joint problems from a disease and when my body is feeling well enough I tend try to get it in when I can. With recomp my mind tends to over think how much exercise I can do or even more how much I should eat because I'm either more active or less active. Therefore my calories are all over the board. With a bulk/cut cycles I find it easier to correct my calorie over/under consumption.
It causes stress which in turn causes more pain throughout my body. I wish it didn't. I applaud everybody who is able to recomp as its a very useful tool for many people, its just not for me.
Well, this raises a question for me, because that describes my situation as well. I also think it would be a problem were I to do bulking/cutting, though.
I'm not really sure how I plan to address calorie intake when I get to the point of recomp. Thoughts?
well in my experience, by the time you get to whether you want to bulk/cut or recomp you pretty much have your maintenance number pegged. I know that I maintain at right around 2600 to 2700 calories a week. so when I went into bulk mode I bumped up to 2900 and waited a week, checked the scale, and then increased or decreased as needed.
Honestly, it comes down to playing with the numbers and trial and error. I think you have a little more leeway when doing a bulk, because if you over shoot your numbers then you should still be OK. My basic understanding of recomp is that you would have to be more strict and accurate with your intake and logging.
Well that makes so much sense it should be glaringly obvious. And somehow, what you said made a light bulb go off in my head.
By the time I'm at the end game, because I'm old and short, a nice chunk of my deficit is going to come from exercise (online TDEE calculators have my sedentary calories about 150 cals above my current intake). I should be able to average out what's been going on... good days and bad over a month or so... with the scale and collect my own data to get a good figure for my TDEE at that point.
That's if I'm thinking correctly.
Sounds correct to me. Just be willing to play with your TDEE for a while until you get it constant. Even then, you'll likely see a small fluctuation +/- 2 or 3 lbs.
mine fluctuates based on intake..so at the higher end of my bulk my maintenance is probably closer to 2800 but then when I transition to cutting the lower end is like 2600...
but running a bulk/cut cycle really does help you peg the range down with respect to the numbers ....1 -
sjohnson__1 wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »I've tried the recomp a couple times & it was just more of a mind fudge to me then bulk/cut cycles.
I'm a guy who at times does extreme physical exercises just from a compulsive thought. I deal with a joint problems from a disease and when my body is feeling well enough I tend try to get it in when I can. With recomp my mind tends to over think how much exercise I can do or even more how much I should eat because I'm either more active or less active. Therefore my calories are all over the board. With a bulk/cut cycles I find it easier to correct my calorie over/under consumption.
It causes stress which in turn causes more pain throughout my body. I wish it didn't. I applaud everybody who is able to recomp as its a very useful tool for many people, its just not for me.
Well, this raises a question for me, because that describes my situation as well. I also think it would be a problem were I to do bulking/cutting, though.
I'm not really sure how I plan to address calorie intake when I get to the point of recomp. Thoughts?
well in my experience, by the time you get to whether you want to bulk/cut or recomp you pretty much have your maintenance number pegged. I know that I maintain at right around 2600 to 2700 calories a week. so when I went into bulk mode I bumped up to 2900 and waited a week, checked the scale, and then increased or decreased as needed.
Honestly, it comes down to playing with the numbers and trial and error. I think you have a little more leeway when doing a bulk, because if you over shoot your numbers then you should still be OK. My basic understanding of recomp is that you would have to be more strict and accurate with your intake and logging.
Well that makes so much sense it should be glaringly obvious. And somehow, what you said made a light bulb go off in my head.
By the time I'm at the end game, because I'm old and short, a nice chunk of my deficit is going to come from exercise (online TDEE calculators have my sedentary calories about 150 cals above my current intake). I should be able to average out what's been going on... good days and bad over a month or so... with the scale and collect my own data to get a good figure for my TDEE at that point.
That's if I'm thinking correctly.
Sounds correct to me. Just be willing to play with your TDEE for a while until you get it constant. Even then, you'll likely see a small fluctuation +/- 2 or 3 lbs.
Cool. I'm good with a fluctuation. I'm used to that happening anyway.
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Oooh, finally a thread for me!
I'm recomping. Mainly because I'm 51, menopausal and not genetically designed to build muscle... didn't know how effective a true "bulk" would be, particularly as I'm not very ambitious about my progressive overload. Also because I'm not diligent enough to follow a strict intake plan, my eating is all over the place, and I'm guesstimating calories/macros more than half the time since I'm not the cook.
But I wanted to build/maintain bone density and muscle tissue as I know how fast those can decrease for us middle-aged females, and I've got a strong predisposition toward osteoporosis anyway. A secondary goal was to firm up some spots that had moved south and turned mushy within the past couple of years (despite no change in weight).
I've probably been at this seriously for about 10 months now, although I didn't start making more effort with protein intake until about 6 or so months ago. And I must be eating precisely at maintenance because my weight has stayed exactly the same. My pants are noticeably looser... I've lost about 1" off waist and 1.5" or so off hips. (Paradoxically, thigh measurement has increased 1") There is more visible definition -- well, ANY is better than NONE, which is what I had before. BF per scale (I know, I know) says down 1.5%.
Not really sure what has been going on, whether I'm succeeding in gaining muscle or just losing BF, or a combination of both, especially when my weight has been so ridiculously stable. I wish I had access to a DEXA scan so I knew what was going on in there.
From what it sounds like you have done a bit of recomposition in that time frame. If your clothes fit looser and you have lost inches without losing weight that's an indication that you are losing fat while building muscle. You don't have to try to rush to get to the end and it sounds like you are going at a pace that suits your needs.4 -
There's a lot of talk about recomposition through the boards, so I wanted to have a place where we can compile research on it and experiences with it.
When is recomp appropriate? When you are at a decent weight for your height, but your body fat is still at a level that is undesirable to you recomposition is probably a good option. It's a way to maintain your weight, eat well and still lose fat. This is a slow process and can feel like spinning your wheels, but it can be less mentally stressful than bulk and cut cycles.
The keys to recomposition are:
1. At the end of the week you have eaten at about your TDEE. You may choose to cycle calories or eat at a flat rate every day, there are studies that support both, but start with personal preference. If you have a consistent workout schedule using a TDEE calculator should place your goal fairly close to your actual maintenance. The only way to know for sure is to monitor your weight and calories over time while adjusting calories when you have an up or down trend.
2. Getting adequate protein. Protein is a building block of muscle. The goal of recomposition is to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Protein, carbohydrates and fats play different roles in the muscle building process, so make sure that you keep to a macronutrient set up that works for you. This may need to be adjusted over time.
3. Lift! Following a good lifting program is the key to the entire process. It's where the magic happens. Pick a program that you will enjoy and that is going to challenge you. Continue to focus on improving.
4. Take pictures and measure. It's a slow process and you may feel you are making no progress. Your measurements will help you see that you are making progress.
Feel free to share stories of recomposition and any research you have seen on it. Ask questions if you have any.
I've actually been very curious about the bolded part for a while now. Do you mind linking whatever studies you've come across on this? I'd be interested in seeing what if any differences were noted. Thanks!
Apologies if you already posted them, I only read the first page of the thread before posting.2 -
There's a lot of talk about recomposition through the boards, so I wanted to have a place where we can compile research on it and experiences with it.
When is recomp appropriate? When you are at a decent weight for your height, but your body fat is still at a level that is undesirable to you recomposition is probably a good option. It's a way to maintain your weight, eat well and still lose fat. This is a slow process and can feel like spinning your wheels, but it can be less mentally stressful than bulk and cut cycles.
The keys to recomposition are:
1. At the end of the week you have eaten at about your TDEE. You may choose to cycle calories or eat at a flat rate every day, there are studies that support both, but start with personal preference. If you have a consistent workout schedule using a TDEE calculator should place your goal fairly close to your actual maintenance. The only way to know for sure is to monitor your weight and calories over time while adjusting calories when you have an up or down trend.
2. Getting adequate protein. Protein is a building block of muscle. The goal of recomposition is to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Protein, carbohydrates and fats play different roles in the muscle building process, so make sure that you keep to a macronutrient set up that works for you. This may need to be adjusted over time.
3. Lift! Following a good lifting program is the key to the entire process. It's where the magic happens. Pick a program that you will enjoy and that is going to challenge you. Continue to focus on improving.
4. Take pictures and measure. It's a slow process and you may feel you are making no progress. Your measurements will help you see that you are making progress.
Feel free to share stories of recomposition and any research you have seen on it. Ask questions if you have any.
I've actually been very curious about the bolded part for a while now. Do you mind linking whatever studies you've come across on this? I'd be interested in seeing what if any differences were noted. Thanks!
Apologies if you already posted them, I only read the first page of the thread before posting.
I posted some in another thread, let me see if I can find it.
I found this study, but it wasn't recomposition. I will keep looking for the ones that I posted.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00873.x/abstract;jsessionid=6DBE313026EAAB4F827222DFF90314DA.f02t041 -
Oooh, finally a thread for me!
I'm recomping. Mainly because I'm 51, menopausal and not genetically designed to build muscle... didn't know how effective a true "bulk" would be, particularly as I'm not very ambitious about my progressive overload. Also because I'm not diligent enough to follow a strict intake plan, my eating is all over the place, and I'm guesstimating calories/macros more than half the time since I'm not the cook.
But I wanted to build/maintain bone density and muscle tissue as I know how fast those can decrease for us middle-aged females, and I've got a strong predisposition toward osteoporosis anyway. A secondary goal was to firm up some spots that had moved south and turned mushy within the past couple of years (despite no change in weight).
I've probably been at this seriously for about 10 months now, although I didn't start making more effort with protein intake until about 6 or so months ago. And I must be eating precisely at maintenance because my weight has stayed exactly the same. My pants are noticeably looser... I've lost about 1" off waist and 1.5" or so off hips. (Paradoxically, thigh measurement has increased 1") There is more visible definition -- well, ANY is better than NONE, which is what I had before. BF per scale (I know, I know) says down 1.5%.
Not really sure what has been going on, whether I'm succeeding in gaining muscle or just losing BF, or a combination of both, especially when my weight has been so ridiculously stable. I wish I had access to a DEXA scan so I knew what was going on in there.
From what it sounds like you have done a bit of recomposition in that time frame. If your clothes fit looser and you have lost inches without losing weight that's an indication that you are losing fat while building muscle. You don't have to try to rush to get to the end and it sounds like you are going at a pace that suits your needs.
That's what I was hoping, except I kinda thought I should have gained a little weight if I'd added muscle. I'd be okay with that as technically I'm a wee bit underweight per BMI charts and the number on the scale doesn't concern me much. Nobody but me sees that... the mushy bits are potentially more evident.
As for pace, I'm just super paranoid about joint injury. I don't heal so quickly these days.
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Oooh, finally a thread for me!
I'm recomping. Mainly because I'm 51, menopausal and not genetically designed to build muscle... didn't know how effective a true "bulk" would be, particularly as I'm not very ambitious about my progressive overload. Also because I'm not diligent enough to follow a strict intake plan, my eating is all over the place, and I'm guesstimating calories/macros more than half the time since I'm not the cook.
But I wanted to build/maintain bone density and muscle tissue as I know how fast those can decrease for us middle-aged females, and I've got a strong predisposition toward osteoporosis anyway. A secondary goal was to firm up some spots that had moved south and turned mushy within the past couple of years (despite no change in weight).
I've probably been at this seriously for about 10 months now, although I didn't start making more effort with protein intake until about 6 or so months ago. And I must be eating precisely at maintenance because my weight has stayed exactly the same. My pants are noticeably looser... I've lost about 1" off waist and 1.5" or so off hips. (Paradoxically, thigh measurement has increased 1") There is more visible definition -- well, ANY is better than NONE, which is what I had before. BF per scale (I know, I know) says down 1.5%.
Not really sure what has been going on, whether I'm succeeding in gaining muscle or just losing BF, or a combination of both, especially when my weight has been so ridiculously stable. I wish I had access to a DEXA scan so I knew what was going on in there.
From what it sounds like you have done a bit of recomposition in that time frame. If your clothes fit looser and you have lost inches without losing weight that's an indication that you are losing fat while building muscle. You don't have to try to rush to get to the end and it sounds like you are going at a pace that suits your needs.
That's what I was hoping, except I kinda thought I should have gained a little weight if I'd added muscle. I'd be okay with that as technically I'm a wee bit underweight per BMI charts and the number on the scale doesn't concern me much. Nobody but me sees that... the mushy bits are potentially more evident.
As for pace, I'm just super paranoid about joint injury. I don't heal so quickly these days.
The way I see it is you lost fat, gained muscle. The proportions worked out so that the scale balanced. I think that's pretty much HOW recomp works as far as weight is concerned (with minor scale variations).
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Oooh, finally a thread for me!
I'm recomping. Mainly because I'm 51, menopausal and not genetically designed to build muscle... didn't know how effective a true "bulk" would be, particularly as I'm not very ambitious about my progressive overload. Also because I'm not diligent enough to follow a strict intake plan, my eating is all over the place, and I'm guesstimating calories/macros more than half the time since I'm not the cook.
But I wanted to build/maintain bone density and muscle tissue as I know how fast those can decrease for us middle-aged females, and I've got a strong predisposition toward osteoporosis anyway. A secondary goal was to firm up some spots that had moved south and turned mushy within the past couple of years (despite no change in weight).
I've probably been at this seriously for about 10 months now, although I didn't start making more effort with protein intake until about 6 or so months ago. And I must be eating precisely at maintenance because my weight has stayed exactly the same. My pants are noticeably looser... I've lost about 1" off waist and 1.5" or so off hips. (Paradoxically, thigh measurement has increased 1") There is more visible definition -- well, ANY is better than NONE, which is what I had before. BF per scale (I know, I know) says down 1.5%.
Not really sure what has been going on, whether I'm succeeding in gaining muscle or just losing BF, or a combination of both, especially when my weight has been so ridiculously stable. I wish I had access to a DEXA scan so I knew what was going on in there.
From what it sounds like you have done a bit of recomposition in that time frame. If your clothes fit looser and you have lost inches without losing weight that's an indication that you are losing fat while building muscle. You don't have to try to rush to get to the end and it sounds like you are going at a pace that suits your needs.
That's what I was hoping, except I kinda thought I should have gained a little weight if I'd added muscle. I'd be okay with that as technically I'm a wee bit underweight per BMI charts and the number on the scale doesn't concern me much. Nobody but me sees that... the mushy bits are potentially more evident.
As for pace, I'm just super paranoid about joint injury. I don't heal so quickly these days.
An even exchange in fat and muscle is not typical (which is why the guys who want to stay at 180 and get huge get frustrated). Your exchange happened over a long enough time line that you didn't gain weight. You said that you haven't been ambitious on the overload, combined with age means slow gains in lean mass. You may gain a few pounds especially in water weight if you did focus more on the lifting. Since you are getting results and are happy with it at this point there is no need to change.2 -
Bookmarking to learn. Thanks!
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Oooh, finally a thread for me!
I'm recomping. Mainly because I'm 51, menopausal and not genetically designed to build muscle... didn't know how effective a true "bulk" would be, particularly as I'm not very ambitious about my progressive overload. Also because I'm not diligent enough to follow a strict intake plan, my eating is all over the place, and I'm guesstimating calories/macros more than half the time since I'm not the cook.
But I wanted to build/maintain bone density and muscle tissue as I know how fast those can decrease for us middle-aged females, and I've got a strong predisposition toward osteoporosis anyway. A secondary goal was to firm up some spots that had moved south and turned mushy within the past couple of years (despite no change in weight).
I've probably been at this seriously for about 10 months now, although I didn't start making more effort with protein intake until about 6 or so months ago. And I must be eating precisely at maintenance because my weight has stayed exactly the same. My pants are noticeably looser... I've lost about 1" off waist and 1.5" or so off hips. (Paradoxically, thigh measurement has increased 1") There is more visible definition -- well, ANY is better than NONE, which is what I had before. BF per scale (I know, I know) says down 1.5%.
Not really sure what has been going on, whether I'm succeeding in gaining muscle or just losing BF, or a combination of both, especially when my weight has been so ridiculously stable. I wish I had access to a DEXA scan so I knew what was going on in there.
From what it sounds like you have done a bit of recomposition in that time frame. If your clothes fit looser and you have lost inches without losing weight that's an indication that you are losing fat while building muscle. You don't have to try to rush to get to the end and it sounds like you are going at a pace that suits your needs.
That's what I was hoping, except I kinda thought I should have gained a little weight if I'd added muscle. I'd be okay with that as technically I'm a wee bit underweight per BMI charts and the number on the scale doesn't concern me much. Nobody but me sees that... the mushy bits are potentially more evident.
As for pace, I'm just super paranoid about joint injury. I don't heal so quickly these days.
An even exchange in fat and muscle is not typical (which is why the guys who want to stay at 180 and get huge get frustrated). Your exchange happened over a long enough time line that you didn't gain weight. You said that you haven't been ambitious on the overload, combined with age means slow gains in lean mass. You may gain a few pounds especially in water weight if you did focus more on the lifting. Since you are getting results and are happy with it at this point there is no need to change.
Ahh, I get it. I was a bit concerned that I was doing something wrong, or not achieving muscle growth.
OMG, I'm doing something right! Lol. That's actually very comforting, thank you. And I'm super happy with the visible results... so much so that aesthetic goals are starting to replace body composition goals.4 -
Thanks for this post. I'm in to see more recomp results. I have 2 lbs to go to get to my goal but it has taken me over a year to lose the last 10 lbs . And I have been trying to lose these last vanity lbs on and off on different diet schemes for probably 8 years since I had kids. I am tired of constantly dieting and never want to do it again.
The problem is when I hit my goal I will be 5'8 and 130 lbs and still around 24% bf based on a body pod test a few weeks ago. If I lose any more scale weight I will be close to underweight but still a higher bf % than I want. I need more muscle to achieve the look I want and almost every post I see says to bulk in my situation. But if it took me a year to lose 10 lbs, won't it take me a year to cut again after a bulk? I can't imagine doing that again.2 -
Thanks for this post. I'm in to see more recomp results. I have 2 lbs to go to get to my goal but it has taken me over a year to lose the last 10 lbs . And I have been trying to lose these last vanity lbs on and off on different diet schemes for probably 8 years since I had kids. I am tired of constantly dieting and never want to do it again.
The problem is when I hit my goal I will be 5'8 and 130 lbs and still around 24% bf based on a body pod test a few weeks ago. If I lose any more scale weight I will be close to underweight but still a higher bf % than I want. I need more muscle to achieve the look I want and almost every post I see says to bulk in my situation. But if it took me a year to lose 10 lbs, won't it take me a year to cut again after a bulk? I can't imagine doing that again.
Recomp would be a good direction for you. You could ease into it now without losing the extra two pounds. You may find that you lose them and lose inches or you might not lose those pounds, but lose inches and see changes you are looking for.1 -
After reading this thread I have a few questions.
Stats
61 inches, 37 female
SW 156
CW 121
GW 119
However, I still have a high body fat. My thighs are gigantic and stomach not that impressive.
Based on what I calculated my protein should be around 143.
I also did my TDEE on Scooby. The reducing fat gain muscle option and 3-5 days of mod workout. Gave me 1982 calories per day. (Wow that's an increase from what I have been eating) Happy Dance! I realize I need to increase slowly.
Due to an autoimmune disease I am limited to walking. (I am closely followed by dr. Moving is important and my best defense! )
I try to do 3-5 days of walking. 3.75 miles at 60mins each day. Some weeks I can't do any but since starting my new journey those are far and few between.
Any lifting ideas? I saw someone mention The new rules to lifting. Is this a thread? I haven't a clue where to start.
Thanks in advanced.
1 -
After reading this thread I have a few questions.
Stats
61 inches, 37 female
SW 156
CW 121
GW 119
However, I still have a high body fat. My thighs are gigantic and stomach not that impressive.
Based on what I calculated my protein should be around 143.
I also did my TDEE on Scooby. The reducing fat gain muscle option and 3-5 days of mod workout. Gave me 1982 calories per day. (Wow that's an increase from what I have been eating) Happy Dance! I realize I need to increase slowly.
Due to an autoimmune disease I am limited to walking. (I am closely followed by dr. Moving is important and my best defense! )
I try to do 3-5 days of walking. 3.75 miles at 60mins each day. Some weeks I can't do any but since starting my new journey those are far and few between.
Any lifting ideas? I saw someone mention The new rules to lifting. Is this a thread? I haven't a clue where to start.
Thanks in advanced.
new rules of lifting for woman, starting strength, or strong lifts.
strong lifts is a website…new rules an starting strength are books.
also if you are not happy with your body fat you may want to keep cutting for a bit, maybe shoot for .5 pound per week loss. So take 1982 and subtract 250 from it and eat to that number for a while and when you get to a body fat % you like, switch to recomp….0 -
I have some questions. I have 25lbs to lose and my body fat is about 28-29% should I keep trying to lose weight?(which is becoming harder and harder),or can I start a recomp now? Ive asked these questions many many times on different forum boards and never received an answer. I have been lifting the last 34 months.and only been eating in a deficit since sept of this year.before that I wasnt watching my intake. any help would be appreciated.2
-
I have been eating at maintenance and started New Rules of Lifting for Life mid January. My original intention was not recomp. I am 40 years, 5 feet tall. I was 112 lbs. in September. I wanted to trim a few pounds because I was 2 pounds over my max weight. I ended up dropping down to 100 lbs. My younger self would have looked ill at this weight. I had lost muscle mass and was worried about bone density so I started a strength training program. Plus I couldn't pick my dog up.
I strength train 3 times a week and I do 30 minutes of cardio the other days. I weigh myself every day to monitor trends. I adjust my calories if need be. At this point I am mostly worried about dropping weight. I did see 98 lbs. on the scale a few times.
Protein is the only stat that I am concerned about with my diet. I aim for 80 grams minimum but often get 100 grams. I usually hit the fat and carb goals MFP has set but I don't fret over it.
If I had to guess, I would say that when I started strength training my body fat was somewhere between 25-27%. Now I would guess that it is around 23-25%. I have lost a few inches overall:
Hips: 36.5 to 35.5
Biggest part of my butt: 38 to 36.5
Thigh: 22 to 21
Waist: 26 (still 26)
Chest: 34 to 33.5
Oh...and a few months ago I picked my dog up easily 7 -
After reading this thread I have a few questions.
Stats
61 inches, 37 female
SW 156
CW 121
GW 119
However, I still have a high body fat. My thighs are gigantic and stomach not that impressive.
Based on what I calculated my protein should be around 143.
I also did my TDEE on Scooby. The reducing fat gain muscle option and 3-5 days of mod workout. Gave me 1982 calories per day. (Wow that's an increase from what I have been eating) Happy Dance! I realize I need to increase slowly.
Due to an autoimmune disease I am limited to walking. (I am closely followed by dr. Moving is important and my best defense! )
I try to do 3-5 days of walking. 3.75 miles at 60mins each day. Some weeks I can't do any but since starting my new journey those are far and few between.
Any lifting ideas? I saw someone mention The new rules to lifting. Is this a thread? I haven't a clue where to start.
Thanks in advanced.
Your current weight isn't far from your goal weight, so it might be a good time to slowly increase your calories until you maintain. There are lots of programs out there as ndj mentioned. I started with some of the free programs on bodybuilding.com because they had videos for all the exercises. From what I have heard about the previous programs that were mentioned I think that New Rules of Lifting starts off slow and teaches a lot. More important is picking something you feel comfortable with as a starting point, even if it is a body weight program like You Are Your Own Gym (I think they have an app).1 -
Want to come back to this later.0
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