Ideal time to recomp

edlanglais5

Is it best to wait until at ideal weight and body fat? I ask because I'm 8-11 lbs away. Once I recomp, I plan on going to maintenance and out more time and energy into weight training, yet still do some cardio.

rybo

By definition, you'd need to be at maintenance. And if you were already at ideal weight and body fat, that would be the end result, not when to start. You should already be putting your efforts into weight training, you'll be ahead of the game in the long run

sijomial

There's no reason not to put the time and effort into your training now.
Why would you want to get to maintenance weight without aiming to be the best version of you possible when you do?

Can't understand why you would wait?

Ideal weight AND bodyfat isn't going to happen accidentally - that's the far end of recomp, not the beginning.

edlanglais5

Perhaps, I should have phrased my question differently, or have been more informative. I already do cardio and weight training. I thought initially that my current weight would be my ideal weight. I was in spectacular shape about 3 years ago and at my current weight, yet he a lot more muscle and much less fat.

Eating my habits got out of control when I met my now wife. I continued going to the gym but there was no way it could compete with the calories I was consuming.

I've dropped 25 lbs the last 2.5 months I've been on MFP. I have a very balanced cardio and weight routine. Once I recomp, I was considering going to maintenance and focus more on weights, yet still do my cardio.

I'm very happy with my progress thus far...quite a bit smaller but still have the pesky midsection pudge. Should I continue to burn or recomp now?

sijomial

That's a very rapid rate of loss - time to start increasing calories whether you are done losing weight or not.

Recomp is (typically) weight maintenance while simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle.
e.g. - you get to goal weight and then recomp.

You seem to be using the term in a very peculiar (back to front) way.

middlehaitch

I think you need to read this thread.
As previously said recomp is done once one reaches maintenance, not before.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

Cheers, h.

edlanglais5

sijomial wrote: »

That's a very rapid rate of loss - time to start increasing calories whether you are done losing weight or not.

Recomp is (typically) weight maintenance while simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle.
e.g. - you get to goal weight and then recomp.

You seem to be using the term in a very peculiar (back to front) way.

I guess this sparks another questions I really should have brought up originally. As I referenced earlier, I really thought my current weight I achieve thus far would be my ideal weight but I still have this flabby midsection. I guess that's why I feel a little lost. I'm a tad confused as to what my ideal weight should really be.

5'10 and 170 lbs. small to medium frame. Slightly athletic build if this helps.

edlanglais5

middlehaitch wrote: »

I think you need to read this thread.
As previously said recomp is done once one reaches maintenance, not before.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

Cheers, h.

Thanks! I'll check this out.

middlehaitch

You are just within the normal BMI range and it sounds as though your LBM is average to slightly low ( going by what you have said) you may want to go a little lower 155-160 then start a recomp. That would take you closer to a mid BMI range.

Just so you know a recomp is a slow process so don't be discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Your strength will increase, but it will take work and time to actually increase your muscle mass.

What lifting programme are you following?

Cheers, h.

ETA:If you are not following an established programme, or a progressive, compound lifting programme designed specifically for you by a PT, you may find this thread useful.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

mmapags

edlanglais5 wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

That's a very rapid rate of loss - time to start increasing calories whether you are done losing weight or not.

Recomp is (typically) weight maintenance while simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle.
e.g. - you get to goal weight and then recomp.

You seem to be using the term in a very peculiar (back to front) way.

I guess this sparks another questions I really should have brought up originally. As I referenced earlier, I really thought my current weight I achieve thus far would be my ideal weight but I still have this flabby midsection. I guess that's why I feel a little lost. I'm a tad confused as to what my ideal weight should really be.

5'10 and 170 lbs. small to medium frame. Slightly athletic build if this helps.

You are at a good overall weight for your height. A recomp now will build more muscle and slowly reduce the midsection where your last stubborn fat is located. I would be concerned about deficit eating further at 170 and 5' 10".

middlehaitch

@mmspags, just to further my understanding, why would you say a small to medium framed guy at the top of the normal BMI range should be concerned about losing any more weight.

Again not arguing just curious.

Cheers, h.

sijomial

edlanglais5 wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

That's a very rapid rate of loss - time to start increasing calories whether you are done losing weight or not.

Recomp is (typically) weight maintenance while simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle.
e.g. - you get to goal weight and then recomp.

You seem to be using the term in a very peculiar (back to front) way.

I guess this sparks another questions I really should have brought up originally. As I referenced earlier, I really thought my current weight I achieve thus far would be my ideal weight but I still have this flabby midsection. I guess that's why I feel a little lost. I'm a tad confused as to what my ideal weight should really be.

5'10 and 170 lbs. small to medium frame. Slightly athletic build if this helps.

It may well be your ideal weight in the future when you have recomped - that's the point really.
Guess your ideal weight, maintain there, train hard to gain muscle while losing fat.
Reassess after a period of months. (Track measurements, take progress photos....)

What you decide now isn't set in stone forever. Goals and aspirations change.
I've hopped around all over the place in a series of steps from my original (too high) goal, down to a weight I struggled to maintain and back up again to a mid point between my highest and lowest maintenance weights as I added some muscle.

mmapags

middlehaitch wrote: »

@mmspags, just to further my understanding, why would you say a small to medium framed guy at the top of the normal BMI range should be concerned about losing any more weight.

Again not arguing just curious.

Cheers, h.

When I plug his numbers in, I get 24 BMI. That's coming up dead in the middle of the normal range. What are you looking at that has him at the top of normal? Are we looking at different calculators? I used the Smart BMI Calculator.

Also, and this is more anecdotal, I am 5' 9" and 197 and BMI of 29. At the top end of the normal range. I do have a medium frame, so that is a factor. At 170, I'd be downright skinny! Lol

singingflutelady

mmapags wrote: »

middlehaitch wrote: »

@mmspags, just to further my understanding, why would you say a small to medium framed guy at the top of the normal BMI range should be concerned about losing any more weight.

Again not arguing just curious.

Cheers, h.

When I plug his numbers in, I get 24 BMI. That's coming up dead in the middle of the normal range. What are you looking at that has him at the top of normal? Are we looking at different calculators? I used the Smart BMI Calculator.

Also, and this is more anecdotal, I am 5' 9" and 197 and BMI of 29. At the top end of the normal range. I do have a medium frame, so that is a factor. At 170, I'd be downright skinny! Lol

24 isn't dead in the middle. The range is 18.5-24.9

sijomial

I'm 5'9 and currently 169lbs which is right at top of BMI healthy range - BMI of 25 (using the standard BMI calculator on here).
Don't think people would describe me as skinny.

5'10 and 170 lbs. small to medium frame. Slightly athletic build if this helps.

Sounds very reasonable to me.

edlanglais5

Thank you for all of the feedback everyone. I've decided so far to continue at my deficit until I reach 160, as my body fat is still on the high side. I really don't think I need to lose any more than 10 lbs. Any stubborn remaining belly fat will be addressed with a recomp. A I said earlier, I already weight train but will focus more time on the weights and get more progressive. I currently work on two muscle groups a day, four days a week. Each weight training has a protein drink with one and a half scoops of IN whey and some glutamine.

Any further recommendations are certainly greatly appreciated!

edlanglais5

Fuzzy pic but I guess it still shows what it needs.

middlehaitch

Thanks for the feedback @mmapags.
My thoughts were a small/medium build would probably get a better recomp result starting at the mid BMI range rather than the top, which 24+ is.

(I am a small/medium framed woman so I admit to a slight bias as to BMI range for that build)

Both good.

Cheers, h.

mmapags

singingflutelady wrote: »

mmapags wrote: »

middlehaitch wrote: »

@mmspags, just to further my understanding, why would you say a small to medium framed guy at the top of the normal BMI range should be concerned about losing any more weight.

Again not arguing just curious.

Cheers, h.

When I plug his numbers in, I get 24 BMI. That's coming up dead in the middle of the normal range. What are you looking at that has him at the top of normal? Are we looking at different calculators? I used the Smart BMI Calculator.

Also, and this is more anecdotal, I am 5' 9" and 197 and BMI of 29. At the top end of the normal range. I do have a medium frame, so that is a factor. At 170, I'd be downright skinny! Lol

24 isn't dead in the middle. The range is 18.5-24.9

I'm guessing we are using different calculators. As I said above, I am using the smart bmi calculator. Here are the results from the OPs stats. http://www.smartbmicalculator.com/result.html?unit=1&hf=5&hi=10&wl=170&us=0&ua=35&ue=0&gl=&di=0

middlehaitch

Both the regular and SMBI have edlanglais5 above midway normal. With his body composition at this point in time, I still think that dropping another 10 lbs, like he is planning to, is a better plan, especially now we have a visual.

Neither approach is wrong.

I was hoping @sijomial would come back with regards to the protein and lifting.

My thoughts are-
if you are relatively new to lifting, switch to a 3day full body. It gives all your muscle groups a 3 day workout.
Doing a 4 day split only gives you 2 days for each muscle group. This could give you a slower rate of progress*

*In the end you are a recreational lifter and following a routine that suits you, without harming you, will probably be the best.

Re protein: aim high while you are losing ~1g per lbs of ideal body weight. Once you hit maintenance ~.8 is good.

Re protein shakes, if you need to use them and/or bars to keep your protein levels up, do so, but food is good too

(Although I don't think I am too far off in what I have said, I am hoping someone will come and do the science.)

Cheers, h.