Body Recomp - Working or Not?

flrancho

I've been trying to do a body recomp because I'm around 27-30% body fat after loosing all my weight (I'm using an online calculator that claims to be within 3% accurate).

Anyway, I've been going at it about a month now. I've been eating about 25% protein, 50% carbs, and 25% fat or less (with more carbs taken in if the fat is lower). I eat a little over 1500 calories on non-workout days, and a little over 1900 on days I work out.

I know results from body recomp can be slow to show up, but I measured myself last night and there's been pretty much no change - I actually got a higher measurement indicating I may have gone up in body fat percentage. I'm hoping one of my measurements was just off.

Anyway, am I doing anything wrong? Am I eating too high a percentage of something? (I'm 29, female, 135 pounds). Is it necessary to eat more on workout days. The article I read before starting said to do it, but when it comes to body recomp all I hear about here is eating at a slight deficit, no one mentions eating more on days you work out. For what it is worth, I am also using weight machines, not freeweights. I don't feel overly comfortable with the freeweights and I don't have a workout partner to spot for me when I get to the point where I would need one for heavier weights. I also figured that since I'm already struggling with loose/saggy skin, anything that slowed the ratio of fat loss/muscle gain, might be a little easier on my skin and help it to bounce back a little better if changes to it weren't so rapid.

sijomial

Anyway, am I doing anything wrong? or
Only expecting to see and measure changes in month - that's far too short a timescale. Muscle gain is slow whether recomping or not!
At 27-30% BF any changes could be hidden. When you are leaner small changes are far easier to spot.
With loose skin from your (impressive!) weight loss composition changes will be even harder to see.
With an online calculator I doubt it's accurate enough to track small changes, trends over a long time period perhaps.

Am I eating too high a percentage of something? (I'm 29, female, 135 pounds).
I dislike percentages - prefer to work with protein and fat as minimum goals to give more dietary flexibility which is important (for me at least) to make maintenance enjoyable.

Is it necessary to eat more on workout days. The article I read before starting said to do it, but when it comes to body recomp all I hear about here is eating at a slight deficit, no one mentions eating more on days you work out.
There's many ways to structure it - no compulsion to vary your intake.
My recomp isn't even a direct target it's just a by-product of getting fitter/stronger.
Recomp happens in a band at or around maintenance calories, so if you are at goal weight eat at maintenance not a deficit.

The Maintaining Weight forum is where you will find most "recompers" for obvious reasons, there's some good threads to read.

Yi5hedr3

Way too many carbs!! Set macros 10c/20p/70f - now we're talking!!!