Body recomp

Ajocal18

I have lost 57lbs over the last year with moderate cardio and calorie counting. I have sporadically done weight training on the weight machines at the gym but nothing for more than 2-4 weeks at a time. I am 5'1 and 141 llbs so about 10 lbs from a healthy BMI. I know I have an excessive amount of body fat for my weight and am interested in changing that but I have no idea even where to begin. Lifting weights is very intimidating to me and I am not interested in dieting to 115lb just to be skinny fat. Any tips on diet or exercise would be greatly appreciated.

thank you!

cgvet37

My opinion, you need to weight train. It's going to improve your overall physique, as well as help you loose the weight.

CathReese33

Look up Strong Lifts 5 x 5. Its an easy beginner programme that will get you started. You may need to decrease your calorie deficit if you are now looking at recoup. Just 100 calories under maintenance should do the trick. Will be slow, but so worth it.

hill8570

+1 on the weight training -- the less body fat you have, the more you need to use your muscles so they don't get burned along with the fat (the "skinny fat" you don't want). Best to find a structured program so you have an idea where you're going. Stronglifts, Starting Strength, Strong Curves are all good in that area. If you don't have access to barbells, there are machine-based and dumbbell-based programs out there, but I'm not familiar with those areas.

Ajocal18

Thanks I will look up the programs ! Any diet suggestions ? Why do people bulk to gain muscle if you cant turn fat to muscle ? Should I continue my deficit ?

LazSommer

Ajocal18 wrote: »

Thanks I will look up the programs ! Any diet suggestions ? Why do people bulk to gain muscle if you cant turn fat to muscle ? Should I continue my deficit ?

Because you need a surplus to gain muscle, and it's easier to just eat more than to try a "clean bulk" which doesn't really work. Bulking is normally when you lift hard and eat hard, gain a lot of fat and some muscle, then cut down and lose the fat and keep some of the muscle and strength gains. Rinse repeat over time.

Bulking is brought up way too often here lately. It doesn't have to be as extreme as I described, but most toss it out there like it's a magic solution when someone is spinning their wheels on weight-loss. You do not bulk if you are not at your goal weight. You can lift in a deficit and make gains if you are new and overweight. You will know when you need to up your eating while lifting.

Kimo159

Congrats on the weight loss! For adding lifting in, keep a deficit until you get to a body weight that you like. Start on a structured lifting program as another poster said (new rules of weight lifting for women, stronglifts 5x5, strong curves, etc). When you get to a weight that is good, up calories to eat at maintenance and continue to lift, this is where you'll build some muscle and change your body composition (recomp). People bulk because muscle is built best in a calorie surplus, but fat is also gained in this process, hence the cutting part of a bulk/cut cycle. As for diet suggestions, I would go TDEE (total daily energy expenditure a.k.a. maintenance calories) - 500 calories (TDEE - 250 when you get closer to goal weight) protein: 0.6-0.8g/lb of body weight, fat: 0.25-0.35g/lb of body weight, fill the rest with carbs. Or just keep going what your doing...though I think your protein should be a little higher than what your consuming currently if you plan on lifting.

sijomial

Ajocal18 wrote: »

Thanks I will look up the programs ! Any diet suggestions ? Why do people bulk to gain muscle if you cant turn fat to muscle ? Should I continue my deficit ?

You said you are 10lbs over a healthy BMI - yes you need to continue to be in a deficit.

Fat and muscle are two completely distinct things, like lead and gold if you like.
But you can lose fat (burning fuel for energy) while gaining muscle. More commonly at maintenance calories but a small deficit if you are new to training and/or under- trained can also work. But a big deficit kills that possibility.
Worst case is you will minimise muscle loss while dieting - which is a good worst case!

People bulk to create optimal (note word optimal) conditions for muscle building - a calorie surplus is not actually a requirement unless you are very highly trained and lean but it may well make the process quicker. The downside is you are likely to add some fat along with muscle gained.

Ajocal18

Thanks for all the advice! I'm currently at about a 400 calorie deficit if I can stick to it