Lower body fat percentage without losing/gaining weight?

ssurvivor
ssurvivor Posts: 142 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I hope this is the right place for this query.

Most of my life, I've been a high BMI/low BFP person. At 5'10" I felt most comfortable in the 175-180 range and when I've dipped below 170, I looked emaciated (and often accused of having an active ED).

Well, a few years ago, I got really sick (cancer, etc.) and gained a lot of "medication" weight (that is, the weight gain was precipitated by the medicine, but ultimately caused by a newly sedentary lifestyle and diet).

As soon as I was able, I got active again (though nothing close to what I used to do). And when I got off the meds, the extra weight fell off.

Now, I'm back down to a bit below my comfort zone, but I look a lot heavier. I think I may have lost a lot of muscle and gained a lot of fat when I got sick. I really want to lower my BFP, but I don't want to lose any more weight, and I don't want to "bulk up" either. What's the best way to do this?

Thanks!

Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    I can't link it on my phone, but go to the Most Helpful Posts thread pinned to the top of the Maintaining Weight forum and check out the thread on Recomp. Sounds like recomposition is what you want. Good luck!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I second recomp
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It's no more complicated than lift weights in a well designed program and eat at or around maintenance calories.

    Muscle gain is a slow process though(*), suggest you start taking measurements and taking progress pictures.
    "Bulking up" accidentally is simply not a realistic fear for a woman, that would take years of dedicated training.

    (* = Regaining lost muscle can be an exception but the effect is short-lived.)
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    I can't link it on my phone, but go to the Most Helpful Posts thread pinned to the top of the Maintaining Weight forum and check out the thread on Recomp. Sounds like recomposition is what you want. Good luck!
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
  • ssurvivor
    ssurvivor Posts: 142 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    I can't link it on my phone, but go to the Most Helpful Posts thread pinned to the top of the Maintaining Weight forum and check out the thread on Recomp. Sounds like recomposition is what you want. Good luck!
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

    Thanks a lot! I'd never heard of re-composition so this was beyond helpful.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    If you’re a research geek like me, google Lyle McDonald, he’s the leading authority on the topic.
    https://www.bodyrecomposition.com
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    I set my weight range for maintenance to the 150s. I lost to 153 and gained back to 158. My body composition is quite a bit different that it was at 158 on the way down the first time. Now I have started the process of losing back to 153 slowly while working out and trying to hang on to the gains I made in my upper body. I think I was ~20% when I was 158 the first time, probably ~17% now and should be ~15% at 153. That's about about as low as I want to go for my age and desired physique.

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