Body recomposition?

speacockr

Hi guys! I don't post here often because I suck at exercising 😂 but I could do with some advice!

I'm wondering if body recomposition is possible with diet and exercise?

I have always carried all my weight on my lower half (hips, bum, stomach) and my torso is quite skinny.

So, in an ideal world, once I'm at my goal weight I'd like to switch to maintenance and work on how my body looks.

Unfortunately I'm only able to exercise maximum of 3 times a week (various reasons). I quite enjoy strength training.

Has anyone got any advice on how to go about this, or am I hoping for the impossible?

CurvyEmmy

I wanna know this too!! My arms/legs are slim and my butt is flat, but my tummy area (stomach, love handles on my sides, back fat) is my fattest area. How can I change that?? I want a smaller tummy and a bigger butt!!

AnnPT77

There's a good thread about recomposition here:

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

Your best bet would be to start weight training with a good program now, during weight loss. That will at least help you keep what muscle you have now, and maybe even have a bit of a headstart on gaining muscle even before reaching goal weight.

Your body can be reshaped or rebalanced to some extent, with patience and diligent hard work, within boundaries of your genetics.

BrianSharpe

3 workouts a week won't prepare you for a bodybuilding competition but can be enough to make significant strength gains. There are a variety of programs and approaches you can take, personally I'm doing a push-pull-legs split but it's a matter of finding what works fr you (I stared off using Stronglifts 5 x 5 for its simplicity - it's a pure strength, compound lift program, there are great videos on YouTube).

cwolfman13

Yes...I had a lot of success with re-comp (getting in shape is what we used to call it) doing a 3x per week full body program. As mentioned, you aren't going to develop a bodybuilder physique with that, but you can develop a pretty good physique. Just note that it is a slow process and let go of any notions of 30 days this or 30 days that. Changes are slow and happen on a continuum.

I unfortunately got myself out of shape with COVID and I'm working back into it now, but when I look at pictures of myself in 2013 after I had lost the scale weight and pictures of myself in 2019, my physique is night and day. Mind you that was also 6 years of being in the weight room pretty consistently 3x per week. I was also very into endurance cycling at the time so I also road for about an hour most days of the week with longer rides on the weekend.

I don't think that's particularly necessary for re-comp (I hope not because I don't have that kind of time these days), but it allowed me to eat a lot and never put on weight. I have to watch my diet a little more closely these days as I only really have time to ride on the weekends and most of my cardio is walking either very early in the morning before work or during my lunch break...but I'm back in the weight room 3x per week now.

speacockr

Thanks guys! I've been doing some strength training for the past couple of months and I can definitely tell the difference. I'm not going for a super ripped look, just want to be kinda toned and bit more balanced!