Recomp...how did you decide if you were ready?

Spitspot81

So I am working my behind off in the gym at the moment...sometimes doing double visits per day (yes probably too much exercise). Also eating at a large defecit and not seeing results as much as I want to.

According to my Fitbit scales
Weight is 9 stone 3 (130 lbs)
Height 5ft 4
Body fat 22-23%
I generally consume about 1500 cals per day

I am wondering if I am over exercising on too much of a restricted diet
I concentrate mostly on a progressive bikini guide, with a bit of cardio thrown in.

My question I guess is, how did you decide that you were ready for recomp ?

richardgavel

For me, it was when I reached my target weight (165 @ 6'). But I knew I wouldn't like my BF at that point. I did end up losing another 7 lbs as I figured out calories needed to maintain.

DancingMoosie

What do you mean by over exercising? "A bit of cardio" doesn't sound like it...
You might be ready, if you are close to goal weight. How do you feel about your body now? What would you like to change?

Spitspot81

DancingMoosie wrote: »

What do you mean by over exercising? "A bit of cardio" doesn't sound like it...
You might be ready, if you are close to goal weight. How do you feel about your body now? What would you like to change?

As in some days I will be in the gym for 2 hours. I visit the gym 6 days per week. Maybe I am not exercising excessively??

My arms, shoulders and back are very lean. The weight is all on my tummy..and it just doesn't wanna budge.

TavistockToad

What are you doing for 2 hours at the gym? Do you eat 1500 net or gross? How long have you been doing that for?

Spitspot81

TavistockToad wrote: »

What are you doing for 2 hours at the gym? Do you eat 1500 net or gross? How long have you been doing that for?

Sometimes I will do a hypertrophy session followed by an abs and core class. Sometimes I will some cardio or Tabata training and then go back later for a weights session.

I never eat back any exercise calories, so the maximum I will ever eat will be about 1600. I have been working with weights for a long time, but only tracking food/weight/body fat for about 6 months.

lauamy96

Are you not seeing results or not seeing results as quickly as you want? Try taking measurements instead of weighing yourself. Weight tends to fluctuate. Also, make sure you're logging accurately, even small snacks, every extra bite adds up. If you are doing as much exercise as you claim and eating only 1500 calories, you should be losing weight.
Even back at my lowest weight, around 75 pounds, I was eating like 1800 calories daily.

KatzeDerNacht22

1,500 calories ,wow I eat 1,900 and work out 3x week at the gym, maybe you should try checking how many calories you do burn ,cos Tabata is intense, and while I don't think you should eat all work out calories back, maybe about a 50% would be good, gotta fuel that car to run it!!
PS weight, or better said, fat also likes to reside in my tummy mostly

TavistockToad

Spitspot81 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

What are you doing for 2 hours at the gym? Do you eat 1500 net or gross? How long have you been doing that for?

Sometimes I will do a hypertrophy session followed by an abs and core class. Sometimes I will some cardio or Tabata training and then go back later for a weights session.

I never eat back any exercise calories, so the maximum I will ever eat will be about 1600. I have been working with weights for a long time, but only tracking food/weight/body fat for about 6 months.

And how much have you lost in those 6 months?

Spitspot81

According to my Fitbit I seem to burn approximately 300 cals whilst in the gym. My Fitbit also tells me that my average daily calorie burn is 2200.

My bf has dropped by 2% since I got the scales at Christmas. I suppose when I write it all down and think about it 2% is a decent drop in 4 weeks.

I guess it could possibly be that results are happening but just at a slow rate

TavistockToad

Spitspot81 wrote: »

According to my Fitbit I seem to burn approximately 300 cals whilst in the gym. My Fitbit also tells me that my average daily calorie burn is 2200.

My bf has dropped by 2% since I got the scales at Christmas. I suppose when I write it all down and think about it 2% is a decent drop in 4 weeks.

I guess it could possibly be that results are happening but just at a slow rate

Scales aren't a good measure of bodyfat to be honest.

Do you weigh and measure everything you eat? A deficit of more than around 250 cals is counterproductive given your stats, so if you measure everything accurately you can probably still see results but also eat more.

jamieparadis20

I am about the exact same size and weight and body fat percentage as you!:) I started my recomp at this body fat percentage and so far it's going great. My calories don't feel restricted but I'm not gaining fat. I think you're ready!

bbell1985

I decided I was ready around your stats. 5'4" and 133. I just knew I was no longer fat.

Spitspot81

Thanks guys. Think I will gradually increase calorie intake and see how things go

LivingtheLeanDream

Spitspot81 wrote: »

According to my Fitbit I seem to burn approximately 300 cals whilst in the gym. My Fitbit also tells me that my average daily calorie burn is 2200.

My bf has dropped by 2% since I got the scales at Christmas. I suppose when I write it all down and think about it 2% is a decent drop in 4 weeks.

I guess it could possibly be that results are happening but just at a slow rate

Scales aren't accurate at measuring bf%.

If your Fitbit is averaging your burn at 2200 you can eat more than 1500. You numbers are similar to mine, I'm at maintenance and average 2000 cals, any less and I feel weak, my body needs the fuel to power my workouts. I don't work out for more an hour a day.

AigreDoux

I decided based on size not weight. I went from size 12-14 to 6-8. Once I was fitting in Jcrew size 6 bottoms consistently (4 tops), I started recomp. Fwiw, that was around 133-135 lbs and I'm 5'5".

I eat around 2000-2200 at maintenance but I'm pretty active.

I'm no expert but based on your original post sounds like at the very least you need a diet break.

Pocket__Cthulhu

If I went by the weight most people start recomp, I would have driven myself crazy. I'm 5'5, 165lbs. I know by glancing at the numbers, most people would assume I need to lose another 30lbs before jumping to
maintaining and recomp.

But I have been lifting very heavy for 6 months, I'm a size 6-8 jean at 99% of stores, and a size small tee on average (button ups are still large because I'm a very "top heavy" woman). I decided to take a diet break and I'm not sorry because of the number on the scale...I'm squatting more than I weigh and running 5ks for the hell of it.

If you feel like you want to do it, just do it. The worst that can happen is you gain a pound or two and need to adjust your calories and macros to make up for it. In a strange twist, after switching my macros and upping the calories I started a downward trend again...so I guess I'm not really eating at maintenance...

But you probably get my point. Go for it!

Spitspot81

That is an awesome post...well done for having the courage!!

lorrpb

I started strength training at 300 lbs and continued when I reached maintenance. I am trying to progress faster now than I was before. For me there was no decision to recomp, I just continued what I was doing. In general it is recommended to strength train during weight loss to help retain muscle and improve strength and fitness. So I've always been a bit baffled what the "recomp decision" consists of. I don't mean this badly towards OP or anyone else, just saying it's confusing to me. When I got to maintenance and looked into recomp to see what it was all about, I found it I was already doing it.

DancingMoosie

It's because a lot of people don't realize they need to lift while losing and find they have lost too much muscle along the way.

sijomial

Exercising hard on a restricted calorie allowance will only get you so far and then your "results" will tail off - there comes a time you have to fuel yourself properly if you want to progress better/faster/further.
When was the last time you took a diet break, or deload or refeed?

If you suspect the problem or lack of results are due to under-fuelling, over-training and under-recovering then the solution is unlikely to be push harder.

As for the decision point question...
I didn't decide I was ready for recomp - nothing changed apart from my calorie intake when I hit my goal weight apart perhaps that my exercise performance and results improved.

aelunyu

I don't think you should should curtail results in one goal no matter how insignificant in pursuit of an opposing goal. I say that not because I don't think you're ready to "recomp", but more because I'm not sure how long and steady you've maintained the lifestyle and trajectory you are currently on.

At 130lb, eating 1500, with 2 hours in the gym and being in your 30's, I'd expect that though progress is slowing, it's nowhere near stalling. My best advice is to get down to 20% (for you, about 120lbs), and see where exercise performance is.

My que to "recomp" has always been when I've noticed a drastic loss in performance in the gym, or a heavy decrease in energy levels as a whole throughout the day, which it seems you havent arrived at yet.

samhennings

DancingMoosie wrote: »

It's because a lot of people don't realize they need to lift while losing and find they have lost too much muscle along the way.

This was me.

I was purely calorie counting, lost the weight I wanted to, and unsurprisingly was not happy with where I ended up.

I think its taken about a year of lifting to get me back to an average muscular base, and its only now Im beginning to 'body build' (if thats the term Im looking for).