Recomposition: Maintaining weight while losing fat
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ILiftHeavyAcrylics 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.
Hence my problem, my activity level is all over the place. When you factor in my random physical activities that I partake in or might not at all, its nearly impossible to account strictly what my calorie intake should be even on average per week basis. My activity is too much like a yo-yo for a limited structure of accounting for cals.
If I eat over cals on a bulk or even on a deficit for that matter, I can easily correct that when i go on a cut.
Same thing goes if I under eat under on a bulk or deficit.
I like to have more flexibility in my activity as well as diet. Which allows me to adhere to my diet and goals. The whole point is for everybody to find a diet/activity level that allows them to endure it for a long period of time. Recomp is for some.
I face the same challenges you do with fluctuating health problems causing issues with being able to have consistent exercise, and I don't see the problem.
Collect your data over a long time. Average it out. You can calculate your own TDEE. Tweak as needed.
That's what I did. In the beginning I had already been logging and losing weight for 2 years on and off so I had a decent idea of what my maintenance should be. There have been times I've been consistently at the top of my maintenance range and times when I've been consistently at the bottom (or even a little under). I just adjust as needed, although it seems to balance out more or less on its own.
I was thinking of you earlier, because I wanted to ask you... does your condition sometimes interfere with your training? If so, what how do you feel that affects your progression with strength gains?
Your results are inspiring.
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Just for what it's worth I don't think you necessarily need to be any more or less accurate when maintaining then you do during a cut or a bulk. The only difference would be that if you're less accurate you might not actually maintain weight, but if you are still making adjustments to intake based on results then you're doing the same thing you would/should be doing during a cut or a bulk.
interesting.
I assumed you had to be more accurate during recomp because you would not want to gain too much, or lose too much ...but I guess you can adjust on the fly as the scale dictates? Where as, on a bulk you have more calories to play with so it is ok to overshoot a tad and not be as accurate? Or maybe this is all just hogwash that I have come up with..? LOL
What I'm getting at is this in a more general sense:
Your body doesn't know that you're in a deficit or maintenance or a surplus. It just digests the food that you eat and it puts those nutrients somewhere. Now if you happen to continually eat fewer calories then you expend then you gradually lose body fat and possibly muscle proteins depending on a number of factors and the opposite holds true if over time, you gradually consume more calories then you expend.
But it's not some sort of thing that happens acutely.
In response to your quote -- if you overeat a bit on a bulk you get fatter faster. If you overeat during intended maintenance you don't maintain, you slowly gain. If you undereat on a bulk you don't gain as fast or don't gain at all and if you undereat during maintenance you slowly lose.
In all of these conditions you slightly miss the mark and the result you get is slightly off from what you aimed to hit. And you adjust to that by making changes to intake to try to get you to the intention you had, whether that's a given rate of loss, a given rate of gain, or no change in weight.
You're talking simple weight. We then add in resistance training, which is an important factor in recomp. That changes conditions.
I don't see how it changes conditions in reference to the above because you are also resistance training when you cut and bulk.
In the context of this post, the only thing we are talking about is state of energy balance and whether or not that changes the degree of accuracy you need with respect to matching calories in to calories out.0 -
This just arrived in my email. I skimmed it and didn't see any links to studies on calorie cycling (his suggestion).
http://evidencemag.com/minimalist-recomposition?__s=wyzycccxsoaihk2xqsw71 -
Just for what it's worth I don't think you necessarily need to be any more or less accurate when maintaining then you do during a cut or a bulk. The only difference would be that if you're less accurate you might not actually maintain weight, but if you are still making adjustments to intake based on results then you're doing the same thing you would/should be doing during a cut or a bulk.
interesting.
I assumed you had to be more accurate during recomp because you would not want to gain too much, or lose too much ...but I guess you can adjust on the fly as the scale dictates? Where as, on a bulk you have more calories to play with so it is ok to overshoot a tad and not be as accurate? Or maybe this is all just hogwash that I have come up with..? LOL
What I'm getting at is this in a more general sense:
Your body doesn't know that you're in a deficit or maintenance or a surplus. It just digests the food that you eat and it puts those nutrients somewhere. Now if you happen to continually eat fewer calories then you expend then you gradually lose body fat and possibly muscle proteins depending on a number of factors and the opposite holds true if over time, you gradually consume more calories then you expend.
But it's not some sort of thing that happens acutely.
In response to your quote -- if you overeat a bit on a bulk you get fatter faster. If you overeat during intended maintenance you don't maintain, you slowly gain. If you undereat on a bulk you don't gain as fast or don't gain at all and if you undereat during maintenance you slowly lose.
In all of these conditions you slightly miss the mark and the result you get is slightly off from what you aimed to hit. And you adjust to that by making changes to intake to try to get you to the intention you had, whether that's a given rate of loss, a given rate of gain, or no change in weight.
You're talking simple weight. We then add in resistance training, which is an important factor in recomp. That changes conditions.
I don't see how it changes conditions in reference to the above because you are also resistance training when you cut and bulk.
In the context of this post, the only thing we are talking about is state of energy balance and whether or not that changes the degree of accuracy you need with respect to matching calories in to calories out.
Maybe I misread, it just seemed like for the maintenance section you weren't including the influence of lifting. Probably my bad.0 -
Just for what it's worth I don't think you necessarily need to be any more or less accurate when maintaining then you do during a cut or a bulk. The only difference would be that if you're less accurate you might not actually maintain weight, but if you are still making adjustments to intake based on results then you're doing the same thing you would/should be doing during a cut or a bulk.
interesting.
I assumed you had to be more accurate during recomp because you would not want to gain too much, or lose too much ...but I guess you can adjust on the fly as the scale dictates? Where as, on a bulk you have more calories to play with so it is ok to overshoot a tad and not be as accurate? Or maybe this is all just hogwash that I have come up with..? LOL
What I'm getting at is this in a more general sense:
Your body doesn't know that you're in a deficit or maintenance or a surplus. It just digests the food that you eat and it puts those nutrients somewhere. Now if you happen to continually eat fewer calories then you expend then you gradually lose body fat and possibly muscle proteins depending on a number of factors and the opposite holds true if over time, you gradually consume more calories then you expend.
But it's not some sort of thing that happens acutely.
In response to your quote -- if you overeat a bit on a bulk you get fatter faster. If you overeat during intended maintenance you don't maintain, you slowly gain. If you undereat on a bulk you don't gain as fast or don't gain at all and if you undereat during maintenance you slowly lose.
In all of these conditions you slightly miss the mark and the result you get is slightly off from what you aimed to hit. And you adjust to that by making changes to intake to try to get you to the intention you had, whether that's a given rate of loss, a given rate of gain, or no change in weight.
You're talking simple weight. We then add in resistance training, which is an important factor in recomp. That changes conditions.
I don't see how it changes conditions in reference to the above because you are also resistance training when you cut and bulk.
In the context of this post, the only thing we are talking about is state of energy balance and whether or not that changes the degree of accuracy you need with respect to matching calories in to calories out.
Maybe I misread, it just seemed like for the maintenance section you weren't including the influence of lifting. Probably my bad.
No worries.
My point with everything previously is that it's not like maintenance is some magical number where now you suddenly have to be 100% precise with all your tracking and absolutely nail down your intake.
So for example if you're cutting at 200 calories below TDEE and you have some theoretical x% wiggle room, it's not like that wiggle room suddenly vanishes when you decide to eat another 200 calories.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »ILiftHeavyAcrylics 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.
Hence my problem, my activity level is all over the place. When you factor in my random physical activities that I partake in or might not at all, its nearly impossible to account strictly what my calorie intake should be even on average per week basis. My activity is too much like a yo-yo for a limited structure of accounting for cals.
If I eat over cals on a bulk or even on a deficit for that matter, I can easily correct that when i go on a cut.
Same thing goes if I under eat under on a bulk or deficit.
I like to have more flexibility in my activity as well as diet. Which allows me to adhere to my diet and goals. The whole point is for everybody to find a diet/activity level that allows them to endure it for a long period of time. Recomp is for some.
I face the same challenges you do with fluctuating health problems causing issues with being able to have consistent exercise, and I don't see the problem.
Collect your data over a long time. Average it out. You can calculate your own TDEE. Tweak as needed.
That's what I did. In the beginning I had already been logging and losing weight for 2 years on and off so I had a decent idea of what my maintenance should be. There have been times I've been consistently at the top of my maintenance range and times when I've been consistently at the bottom (or even a little under). I just adjust as needed, although it seems to balance out more or less on its own.
I was thinking of you earlier, because I wanted to ask you... does your condition sometimes interfere with your training? If so, what how do you feel that affects your progression with strength gains?
Your results are inspiring.
Aww thanks.
And yes. I have two main limiting factors-- pain and fatigue. My illness tends to be a bit cyclical. I'll feel great for awhile and want to run and lift and do all the things, and then I'll feel myself starting to get worn down and tired, and then I'll have a flare up where I'm constantly exhausted and everything hurts. I'll rest more during those times and often lift less weight, and eventually it'll pass and I'll be back to feeling good again.
As a result of that process I'm behind a lot of women who have been lifting has long as I have. The biggest thing for me is to try my best not to compare myself to them too much. If I push harder I'll make more progress at first, but then I'll bring on a flare up faster and end up out of commission for longer.
This past year I've been dealing with a new illness (myasthenia gravis most likely) that causes muscle weakness. My muscles in my arms/legs felt weak but I also had a lot of trouble breathing and I had double vision a lot. So there were a few months there where I was lucky to get in my major lifts with light weight. I just keep on trucking and do the best I can as consistently as I can.6 -
This is all really helpful information (even though I haven't completely read through the whole thread yet), that I intend to look back on for future use.
I just wanted to share my journey so far as well.
I'm currently only 3 and half months in to my recomp, so I'm still learning what is going to work best for me, but I have seen some small results. I measure every two weeks and weigh myself daily to monitor fluctuations, but I only record it (on MFP) once a month. My only means to measure BF% is based on my measurements, which I know isn't accurate but it's the best I have for now, plus I believe the average I have is pretty close (and I can't afford to pay for a more accurate measure).
Close to the end of February (when I first decided to do a recomp) my stats were: waist-26.5, hips-35, neck-13.5, thighs-20, arms(biceps)-9, and weight-111. Estimated BF: 22.3 - 23%
By the end of March my stats were: waist-25, hips-34, neck-13, thighs-19, arms-9, and weight-110. Estimated BF: 21.5 - 22%
Currently my stats (measured 5/31/15) are: waist-25, hips-32, neck-12, thighs-19, arms-10.5, and weight 109.5. Estimated BF: 19.5 - 21%
I have been noticing slight up and down trends in my biweekly measurements and based on my daily weigh ins I'm fluctuating between 108-110.5lbs (5'0" BTW). I'd like to be closer to 105 but I actually don't mind being at the weight I'm at now though.
I literally started at the very bottom when I started lifting (only 5 to 10 lb weights, I know I was weak) but I've slowly progressed and I'm happy to say that I'm lifting 20-25 lbs more now and continuing to progress every few weeks.
Ok, well I'm going to go back to the beginning now and start taking some notes. Again great thread, thanks @usmcmp for creating this. 6 -
Yea, I don't think you have to be all that accurate. I fluctuate all the time. Sometimes normal fluctuations, sometimes cause I felt like I wanted 1100 calories of red velvet cake, and sometimes cause I eat/drink to many calories for a few days. I just adjust and move on.
I follow the KISS method and it works just fine.3 -
There is no average in my life style unless I'm walking with a cane and things are still. When healthy I could be burning zero cals one week from exercise and over 10,000 the following. Same goes with my work, I have a one of the most physicals jobs, but some weeks I only expend 10% of the previous weeks energy. When I was on a recomp, that is just too much of a difference for me to adhere to an "average" and expect results. On a bulk I can get away with "dirty bulk" during a "clean bulk cylcle" and not even have to think twice about it or even log it. I will get results, recomp you don't want to add fat, while bulking you get away with it.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.
Hence my problem, my activity level is all over the place. When you factor in my random physical activities that I partake in or might not at all, its nearly impossible to account strictly what my calorie intake should be even on average per week basis. My activity is too much like a yo-yo for a limited structure of accounting for cals.
If I eat over cals on a bulk or even on a deficit for that matter, I can easily correct that when i go on a cut.
Same thing goes if I under eat under on a bulk or deficit.
I like to have more flexibility in my activity as well as diet. Which allows me to adhere to my diet and goals. The whole point is for everybody to find a diet/activity level that allows them to endure it for a long period of time. Recomp is for some.
I face the same challenges you do with fluctuating health problems causing issues with being able to have consistent exercise, and I don't see the problem.
Collect your data over a long time. Average it out. You can calculate your own TDEE. Tweak as needed.
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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.
Hence my problem, my activity level is all over the place. When you factor in my random physical activities that I partake in or might not at all, its nearly impossible to account strictly what my calorie intake should be even on average per week basis. My activity is too much like a yo-yo for a limited structure of accounting for cals.
If I eat over cals on a bulk or even on a deficit for that matter, I can easily correct that when i go on a cut.
Same thing goes if I under eat under on a bulk or deficit.
I like to have more flexibility in my activity as well as diet. Which allows me to adhere to my diet and goals. The whole point is for everybody to find a diet/activity level that allows them to endure it for a long period of time. Recomp is for some.
My intake and exercise has enormous variations too and it hasn't hindered me. My daily calories vary from 650 to 5000+, my exercise varies from none to 7+hrs.
Our bodies are more adaptable than we give them credit for.
But I also don't see my weight as needing to be micro managed either. My nominal maintenance weight is 164lbs with 168lbs as a "watch it, you are letting things slide" threshold but it jumps around a lot day to day.
Before a big event I will drop a few pounds to make the hills a little easier.
One of the keys to happy maintenance for me is allowing some flexibility but everyone reacts differently to what they see on the scales. I tend to laugh when I see a 5lb gain following a day with a calorie deficit but I'm a bit weird!
Totally agree that what works for some would cause stress to others - there's no one size fits all approach for adherence.2 -
ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »ILiftHeavyAcrylics 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.
Hence my problem, my activity level is all over the place. When you factor in my random physical activities that I partake in or might not at all, its nearly impossible to account strictly what my calorie intake should be even on average per week basis. My activity is too much like a yo-yo for a limited structure of accounting for cals.
If I eat over cals on a bulk or even on a deficit for that matter, I can easily correct that when i go on a cut.
Same thing goes if I under eat under on a bulk or deficit.
I like to have more flexibility in my activity as well as diet. Which allows me to adhere to my diet and goals. The whole point is for everybody to find a diet/activity level that allows them to endure it for a long period of time. Recomp is for some.
I face the same challenges you do with fluctuating health problems causing issues with being able to have consistent exercise, and I don't see the problem.
Collect your data over a long time. Average it out. You can calculate your own TDEE. Tweak as needed.
That's what I did. In the beginning I had already been logging and losing weight for 2 years on and off so I had a decent idea of what my maintenance should be. There have been times I've been consistently at the top of my maintenance range and times when I've been consistently at the bottom (or even a little under). I just adjust as needed, although it seems to balance out more or less on its own.
I was thinking of you earlier, because I wanted to ask you... does your condition sometimes interfere with your training? If so, what how do you feel that affects your progression with strength gains?
Your results are inspiring.
Aww thanks.
And yes. I have two main limiting factors-- pain and fatigue. My illness tends to be a bit cyclical. I'll feel great for awhile and want to run and lift and do all the things, and then I'll feel myself starting to get worn down and tired, and then I'll have a flare up where I'm constantly exhausted and everything hurts. I'll rest more during those times and often lift less weight, and eventually it'll pass and I'll be back to feeling good again.
As a result of that process I'm behind a lot of women who have been lifting has long as I have. The biggest thing for me is to try my best not to compare myself to them too much. If I push harder I'll make more progress at first, but then I'll bring on a flare up faster and end up out of commission for longer.
This past year I've been dealing with a new illness (myasthenia gravis most likely) that causes muscle weakness. My muscles in my arms/legs felt weak but I also had a lot of trouble breathing and I had double vision a lot. So there were a few months there where I was lucky to get in my major lifts with light weight. I just keep on trucking and do the best I can as consistently as I can.
Damn girl. Sorry you're dealing with that. But awesome attitude.
Your disease pattern sounds like mine. It's really good to see results like yours even with some back and forth taking place in the process.
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Reading with interest , many here will be thinking they have noticed similar results while exercising at maintenance. I know since the turn of the year I have dropped an inch and a half from my waistline while my weight has stayed very static. I don't lift heavy as many do, but I have at least started with some basic weights and it has made a difference . It has also made it all seem less daunting and perhaps others reading who are nervous about the need to lift heavy .. need not worry
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This may be a stupid question as I am new to the recomp concept.
My goal is 145, I'm about 10 lbs out right now. I'm personally comfortable at my current weight but don't want to forego my original goal.
If I start eating at maintenance and start doing a Pilates/yoga program will that be equivalent to lifting?
Since I'm eating maintenance but will be burning fat, I will be the same weight but look smaller? Will I not also lose a little as the fat burns?
Should I wait till I reach my weight goal to start something like this. My issue is the last time I lost I didn't exercise at all and I was down to 135 but I was basically a smaller version of my bigger self, which I am now too. My stomach looks good from the front and is narrow but from the side it is not flat, similar issues with my thighs, much smaller but not firm.-1 -
FitStrongHealthy wrote: »This is all really helpful information (even though I haven't completely read through the whole thread yet), that I intend to look back on for future use.
I just wanted to share my journey so far as well.
I'm currently only 3 and half months in to my recomp, so I'm still learning what is going to work best for me, but I have seen some small results. I measure every two weeks and weigh myself daily to monitor fluctuations, but I only record it (on MFP) once a month. My only means to measure BF% is based on my measurements, which I know isn't accurate but it's the best I have for now, plus I believe the average I have is pretty close (and I can't afford to pay for a more accurate measure).
Close to the end of February (when I first decided to do a recomp) my stats were: waist-26.5, hips-35, neck-13.5, thighs-20, arms(biceps)-9, and weight-111. Estimated BF: 22.3 - 23%
By the end of March my stats were: waist-25, hips-34, neck-13, thighs-19, arms-9, and weight-110. Estimated BF: 21.5 - 22%
Currently my stats (measured 5/31/15) are: waist-25, hips-32, neck-12, thighs-19, arms-10.5, and weight 109.5. Estimated BF: 19.5 - 21%
I have been noticing slight up and down trends in my biweekly measurements and based on my daily weigh ins I'm fluctuating between 108-110.5lbs (5'0" BTW). I'd like to be closer to 105 but I actually don't mind being at the weight I'm at now though.
I literally started at the very bottom when I started lifting (only 5 to 10 lb weights, I know I was weak) but I've slowly progressed and I'm happy to say that I'm lifting 20-25 lbs more now and continuing to progress every few weeks.
Ok, well I'm going to go back to the beginning now and start taking some notes. Again great thread, thanks @usmcmp for creating this.
Oh!!!! Thank you for sharing! I am super weak too and had to start with machines to even get enough strength to progress to the dumbbells I'm using now. Have just had 5-10 pounds get easy. Am ready to move up.
Thanks for some inspiration.
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Just for what it's worth I don't think you necessarily need to be any more or less accurate when maintaining then you do during a cut or a bulk. The only difference would be that if you're less accurate you might not actually maintain weight, but if you are still making adjustments to intake based on results then you're doing the same thing you would/should be doing during a cut or a bulk.
interesting.
I assumed you had to be more accurate during recomp because you would not want to gain too much, or lose too much ...but I guess you can adjust on the fly as the scale dictates? Where as, on a bulk you have more calories to play with so it is ok to overshoot a tad and not be as accurate? Or maybe this is all just hogwash that I have come up with..? LOL
My general feeling here is that where maintenance is concerned, one maybe doesn't have to be as accurate as it would seem. I haven't logged in over two years and I maintained pretty easily...I keep rather rough tallies in my head, but I would say my accuracy would definitely be in question.
This is why I always kind of say my maintenance is somewhere between 2700 - 3000 calories...as per my rough tallies, that seems to be about what I consume to maintain and I have done a spot check here and there to confirm. That's a pretty decent range though so my assumption is that 1) the human body is really good at adapting to intake and ultimately strives for maintenance...a little surplus here goes to this that or the other and a little deficit here and there just slows thing down a bit or something; 2) in reality I'm probably unwittingly cycling between surpluses and deficits depending on the day and my intake and exercise.
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usmcmp, that was a great article. I checked my macros, my protein and fat are on target. I just need to increase my carbs intake. Carbs are 222 g but I usually get in between 100 - 150 carbs daily. Is it important to get to 222g daily on lift days?0
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usmcmp, that was a great article. I checked my macros, my protein and fat are on target. I just need to increase my carbs intake. Carbs are 222 g but I usually get in between 100 - 150 carbs daily. Is it important to get to 222g daily on lift days?
I didn't read through the article. I prefer a flat rate intake and I saw he suggested calorie cycling. There is debate on which way is better.
As far as your macros and calories it is something you are going to have to work with over time.0 -
I'm digging around for researched information on this topic. Is there anything specific people are wanting information on?0
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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).
May I ask if the poster in this thread weighs 121lbs how can her protein goal be 143g?
I am assuming you are referring to me. I am totally new at figuring this out. So I could be wrong. I just went back to Scooby and it states .5-1 per pound. I thought I read somewhere in here it was 1.2 per pound.
It was 1.2 per kg, not pound. Many times in the fitness industry they use kg. It can be a bit tricky if you don't know to look for that.
Thanks!! I know now:) I am totally learning. Just ordered the new rules for weight lifting this morning thanks for the suggestions. I will get there someday:)
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