Feeling Lost On What To Do Now

alexreyn13

So in 2016 I was nearing in on 110kg, I've since lost a lot of weight and I'm currently sitting at 61kg with an estimate 20-22% body fat, it might be more I'm not really sure (male, 172cm, 27 years old) I have a body that can be described as skinny fat as you can probably see here. I hate my lower body fat, the belly, love handles, I desperately want to lose it, but I know if I keep cutting I'd probably feed into the other problem I have, which is a clear lack of muscle.

No matter where I look, I get conflicting information and i feel like it's ping ponging me in so many different directions. People say it's possible as a beginner to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, so I thought perhaps I should lift regularly and eat at a slight deficit so i can lose the remaining fat and hopefully put on some muscle (I have little to no lifting experience at all, so I have plenty of newbie gains i can still make). Others say bulking would be better, but I hate the thought of putting on even more fat in the process but maybe a lean bulk would be ok? I've even heard a thing called "maingaining" or "gaintaining" where you eat close to or around maintenance calories and let your body recomp over a longer period of time. (maintenance calories are where I'm sitting at right now until I fully commit to something)

Which one of these steps do you think would be appropriate for me? keep in mind, I'm not trying to become shredded or ripped, tbh I never liked that bodybuilding body type, but I'd love to look at myself in the mirror one day and be proud of a body I could comfortable describe as being "fit", lean with decent muscle definition y'know? I recently bought a bench, adjustable dumbbells, kettlebells and a few other home gym equipment that I've been using over the past month, mostly trying out programs and learning proper form. My diet has been great also, hitting big daily protein goals in the process. I haven't fully committed to a routine yet until I have a specific goal in mind, hence why I'm here looking for guidance on what I should be focusing on.

PAV8888

Not sure what others will say. My initial reaction from your weight and height and BMI and before looking at pictures was that there was a chance you had gone too far.

You're not making a great effort to keep a good posture and you're rather accentuating problems. But you're not about to melt into nothingness, not quite yet!

Out of curiosity, I would read up on how to measure height correctly and re-run a double check on your height, maybe with some assistance. I "lost" just about 2.75 cm when I was carefully measured in the process of getting a DEXA scan. Initially I thought that it might have even been old age catching up... but it was most probably incorrect vanity sizing when I was a young adult getting my ID.

That said. I see ZERO need for a bulk.

To begin with a bulk would be a terrible idea for most morbidly obese people who lost to within the normal range and have not had multiple (and I mean multiple multiple... like many multiple) years of being weight stable before deliberately trying to over-eat. In terms of life priorities, not regaining and potentially going back to obese would come up pretty high on my priority list in the specific circumstances.

So we are confronted with choosing between slight deficit or maintenance.

Any muscle building will primarily come from your work: your programming and how you apply yourself to it. You look like you have sufficient reserves to get started and progress through your newbie phase (six months to a year)

You will see slightly more optimal results, faster healing, more energetic workouts etc if you're eating at maintenance than if you're specifically trying to lose weight. And i see limited scope for beneficial results coming solely from further weight reduction.

So, while you will gain SOME weight from water retention when you start lifting, if you calories are on par the gains should not continue week in and week out.

And that's what I would do. Basically eat as close to maintenance as I could while concentrating on my programming. And re-evaluate in six to twelve months.

sollyn23l2

I would eat at or slightly above maintenence, since you don't seem to really need to lose more, and focus on a progressive weight lifting routine.

*Please note, I will not be checking responses, so any responses will go unseen and unresponded to*

cmriverside

Honestly I feel like you're over-thinking this.

By those images, you still have some body fat to lose, so eat at a deficit that's comfortable and sustainable, continue to progress in your weights routine and it will happen for you. There's no magic and exact way to do it, but you do have some weight left to lose so it's the perfect time for you to ramp up your weight routine and take full advantage of the fat loss/recomp.

neanderthin

Here's a link that pertains to your situation and Sean describes the situation pretty well and one that I totally agree with. cheers.

https://youtu.be/1oNoLTrLltU

PAV8888

neanderthin wrote: »

Here's a link that pertains to your situation and Sean describes the situation pretty well and one that I totally agree with. cheers.

https://youtu.be/1oNoLTrLltU

I sometimes feel it would be lovely for people to include an "abstract" of their reference to a video or audio link as following through to view it is not always possible

cmriverside

PAV8888 wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

Here's a link that pertains to your situation and Sean describes the situation pretty well and one that I totally agree with. cheers.

https://youtu.be/1oNoLTrLltU

I sometimes feel it would be lovely for people to include an "abstract" of their reference to a video or audio link as following through to view it is not always possible

I watched it...he basically says to cut then bulk. Easier/faster to lose fat than gain muscle. If someone has weight to lose, eat in a calorie deficit and train with progressive weights.

:drinker:

PAV8888

I don't disagree. My maintenance calories for fastest and best recomp performance is based on AND BIASED by young male (at very close to optimum anabolic age) at a sub 21 BMI.

It is also why I raised the potential issue of height. If the OP was a high BMI 23 case, for example, or someone in their 40s, I could have been arguing for very small deficit while hitting the gym, unless I was convinced about their programming. Essentially what you said.

Really: it boils down on how consistently and with what kind of programming the OP ends up hitting the gym as to whether they will benefit more by the extra recovery that comes from maintenance calories or from a continuing slow loss.

Getting some professional advice in terms of form and reading some of the most useful/sticky posts here might be a very good thing: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300310/most-helpful-posts-fitness-and-exercise-must-reads

neanderthin

PAV8888 wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

Here's a link that pertains to your situation and Sean describes the situation pretty well and one that I totally agree with. cheers.

https://youtu.be/1oNoLTrLltU

I sometimes feel it would be lovely for people to include an "abstract" of their reference to a video or audio link as following through to view it is not always possible

Good call, I'll keep that in mind next time. Cheers.