Diet or should I be in recomposition?

imxnianne
imxnianne Posts: 216 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been on a calorie deficit for a couple months now. I still have a flabby stomach, due to probably 2 pregnancies and a bikini c section. I starts at 169 and am currently 123. I gained some weight back due to an injury I had. I was 119, so close to GWT. Anyways, should i recomp or should I keep doing a calorie defecit for my body. I'm 20.5% body fat, and 35.5% muscle mass. My waist is 26, but still my tummy is flabbyish. I've been doing core excersizes plenty and cardio. I'm just stuck in limbo on what to do. Everywhere on my body looks fine except my stomach. Thanks for any advice I can take!

Replies

  • imxnianne
    imxnianne Posts: 216 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    If you want to lose more weight then eat at a slight deficit, if you are happy with your current weight then don't.
    It's not really any more complicated than that.

    What is your training like apart from core exercises?

    I do all around. I have leg days, with squats and deadlifts etc. I also do cardio and biceps and triceps. I'm not really familiar with the terms, but it's just the stomach area that's getting to me. It is easy to say, if you're happy with the weight, just maintain but I want to just be a little bit more lean.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    imxnianne wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    If you want to lose more weight then eat at a slight deficit, if you are happy with your current weight then don't.
    It's not really any more complicated than that.

    What is your training like apart from core exercises?

    I do all around. I have leg days, with squats and deadlifts etc. I also do cardio and biceps and triceps. I'm not really familiar with the terms, but it's just the stomach area that's getting to me. It is easy to say, if you're happy with the weight, just maintain but I want to just be a little bit more lean.

    As you no doubt know then by far the fastest way to get leaner is to lose more weight.
    Whether those next few pounds come off the areas you would like them to come off is down to luck and genetics - you can choose which muscles to train but you can't choose where you lose the fat from.
    You may lose if from areas you currently like the look of. You won't know until you do it unfortunately.

    A question only you can answer is whether your stomach issues are also loose skin (which takes time to snap back), your pregnancies and C-section.

  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    I have something similar. My plan for now is to get up to maintenance calories and really lift some heavy weights three times a week.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    How tall are you? I think recomp sounds like a reasonable plan for you. Just keep your expectations realistic. The stomach area especially after having kids may not go back or look a certain way, that thread posted by Ann above is a great one to check out.
  • bllaura10
    bllaura10 Posts: 42 Member
    I’m in the same boat, I’m where I’d like to be weight wise but have a flabby “mommy tummy” from two pregnancies. Maybe I’m wrong to say but just how it is. I choose to accept it :).
  • Alia_R
    Alia_R Posts: 410 Member
    I too, am in the same boat, BUT I am trying the recomposition method. It’s slow in terms of weight loss but at the same time, seeing certain areas becoming more defined - Just not my mid to lower section of the abs (the top part I’m starting to see progress). I had 2 c-sections, and after the last one, my tummy could use some hardcore work lol. Anyways, I find that combining cardio and heavy weights does certainly help. I do HIIT 3x a week, weight lifting 2x a week (I like to increase the amount of weight I lift every 2 weeks) and Bootcamp on the weekends if time allows.

    In terms of the calorie deficit, I’m also trying to figure that out myself. But from I read, you would have to either eat for maintenance or be in a slight caloric deficit to go through with recomposition...I could be wrong...
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    edited April 2019
    imxnianne wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    If you want to lose more weight then eat at a slight deficit, if you are happy with your current weight then don't.
    It's not really any more complicated than that.

    What is your training like apart from core exercises?

    I do all around. I have leg days, with squats and deadlifts etc. I also do cardio and biceps and triceps. I'm not really familiar with the terms, but it's just the stomach area that's getting to me. It is easy to say, if you're happy with the weight, just maintain but I want to just be a little bit more lean.

    For your workout, did you put something together or are you following a predesigned program? For recomp, the best way to do it is by following something well structured, that is focused on progressive overload (be it a barbell, dumbbell or body weight).

    Also, how tall are you?

    ETA: The first thing I would do is figure out what is your primary goal. If it's to tone up, than a slight deficit is the best option. If you don't have a time frame, but potentially want to add more shape to your body, than a recomp with a well structured routine is the best bet.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Unless you are very short, you are likely already in the optimal BMI range for your height, and depending on your height you may be approaching the bottom of that range. Losing more weight may or may not give you the appearance you want, since there's no guarantee that your body will burn fat from the areas you want the fat removed from. Many people who are already in their optimal BMI range find that recomp with a structured training program is more likely to give them the appearance they want.

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