Should I end my "cut"?

j_ilardi587

So my name is John. Some basic info, I'm 5'6 and currently 175 pounds around 17/18% body fat. I started my weight loss journey a little over a year ago at 268 pounds. Recently I found it hard to stay on track. The past couple months ive been crazy inconsistent just because ive become happier with how i look. I dont really want to lose more weight mainly because I feel for my body type this is a healthy weight. I mainly want to put on muscle and get down to around 12% body fat. Is this possible with clean eats at maintenance calories? Any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated

GauchoMark

What you are describing is called a recomp. Yes it is possible to eat at around maintenance and build muscle and reduce fat. However, if you have been at a deficit for over a year, I wouldn't just change your intake to maintenance. I would suggest starting at maybe 200 calories below maintenance for a few weeks and adjusting from there.

Just an unsolicited opinion, though - if you are happy with the way you look and feel that you are at a healthy weight, it seems that you will have a hard time sticking to a recomp as well. What is your motivation - a BF% number? Number goals tend to be hard to get excited about...

dhimaan

Tried it and lifts and stamina went up but I didn't lose the amount of body fat I wanted to. I noticed I have to be in a strict deficit to get rid of those last lbs of fat. It's just how my body is. Maybe you are different. I am also trying to get to 12 percent and can't do it without a strict deficit. IMO if want to get down to 12 percent it will take you a long time to get to that number using a recomp. Not say it's impossible but it didn't work for me. I would suggest you get down to 12 percent with a deficit first and then do a clean bulk.

CarvedTones

I am not a body builder, but from the articles I read the way many of them do it is eat at above maintenance and pump iron to build muscle then after some is gained (along with weight), eat at below maintenance and keep lifting and you lose mostly fat and end up back where you started with more muscle and less fat.

jemhh

Congrats on the big loss. Fantastic work!

I would say it sounds like it would be good for you to focus on eating at maintenance and lifting for awhile. Whether that "awhile" is a month or a year is up to you. Remember that what you choose to do now is not a permanent decision. That is, you can say today that you're going to eat at maintenance through the holidays and get back to cutting in January. But then in January you might think hey, I'm enjoying eating at maintenance and my lifts are really going up so I want to keep doing this. And that is perfectly fine.

Best of luck to you.

j_ilardi587

Thank you for all the advice