Is it possible to lose fat yet maintain your weight

Aw0627

I'm pretty much at my goal weight and I'm pretty happy with where I am but I know and want my gut to be smaller/flatter, but then I would probably have to lose about 10 more pounds, and I know you can't spot reduce so my butt and thighs are probably going to disappear as well and that's even if my gut goes, which I'm skeptical about, because I kinda think I wrecked it beyond repair.

Anyway right now I'm 5'6 at 133-131 which is 2-3 Lbs from my goal of 130, if I decide to go down to 120 and then gain 10 pounds of muscle is that's possible. My friend who has never been fat but is an athletically built muscular woman tells me if I just start lifting and continue to eat a caloric deficit that the weight of the muscle will replace the fat and I will generally look the same but toned, I know I need to tone and I have been lifting but just not as much as I've been doing cardio. She also tells me I need to get my body fat percentage to %15 when it's currently at %26 percent that means I would have to lose at least 15 lbs which I know is crazy.

So is my friend right do I just lift more while continuing my caloric deficit and the muscle will replace the weight of the fat?

jemhh

First off, no you do not need to get to a bf of 15%.

Second, you can eat at maintenance while following a progressive resistance program such as lifting weights. You will burn fat and build muscle over the long term. It's a long term project but losing 10 lbs at your size likely will take 5-6 months and bulking to gain 10 pounds of muscle will likely take over a year, at which point you'll have to diet off the added fat. So that lose/bulk/lose process is likely going to take two years. If it were me I'd just be happy to eat at about maintenance and lift while feeling well fed.

sardelsa

What it sounds like you want to do is recomposition. You can check out this link for more info.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

If you are eating at a deficit while lifting you retain the muscle you have while you lose fat (and your weight will go down). However, if you are lacking muscle somewhere then as you lose you will start to see that (for example, I had poor glute development and as I lost weight the first time even while lifting I ended up with little to no booty)

Yea 15% on a woman is pretty lean and not something that you need to get down to see progress so don't worry about that.

middlehaitch

Just seconding @jemhh & @sardelsa.

A recomp is slow but effective.

Cheers, h.

Lizzy622

Instead of eating at a deficit try eating at maintenance while lifting.

Aw0627

jemhh wrote: »

First off, no you do not need to get to a bf of 15%.

Second, you can eat at maintenance while following a progressive resistance program such as lifting weights. You will burn fat and build muscle over the long term. It's a long term project but losing 10 lbs at your size likely will take 5-6 months and bulking to gain 10 pounds of muscle will likely take over a year, at which point you'll have to diet off the added fat. So that lose/bulk/lose process is likely going to take two years. If it were me I'd just be happy to eat at about maintenance and lift while feeling well fed.

Lizzy622 wrote: »

Instead of eating at a deficit try eating at maintenance while lifting.

But if I maintain would I be able to lose some of my belly fat? That's the reason my friend thinks I need to lose 10 Lbs, will lifting help in that area?

middlehaitch

Here you go- recomp effects on belly fat.
The weight is within 2 lbs in all pics.



NB: this is on an over 60 body. So progress was a lot slower and not as dramatic as what could be achieved on a body even 20 years younger.

Getting your body fat in the under 25 range (for a woman) is good for a recomp at goal weight.

Cheers, h.

middlehaitch

Oops this post wasn't supposed to be here, sorry, h.