Can I lose body fat eating at maintenance?

GBPackerFan14
GBPackerFan14 Posts: 55 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hello, I have been bulking since November and went from 142 to 155 and my lifts have gone up as well. I gained a fair amount of muscle but I am starting to become a little uncomfortable with how much fat I have gained. My question is if I drop back down to maintenance calories but continue the same lifting program can I lose body fat while retaining, kind of like a recomp? Or would I need to have a small deficit (like 200 calories) to actually lose body fat? Thanks!

Replies

  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    My *guess* is that as long as you are strength training you will probably lose body fat while maintaing strength at maintenence? Probaably slowly but just a guess. Maybe go down for a month, if it doesnt change then down again?
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    If your maintenance calories include what you burn exercising then I doubt you will lose fat you will need to be in a calorie deficit to do that
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You can, but it's incredibly slow...like it'll take years. You're better off just doing a really slow cut...you're not going to lose all of your gains if you're doing a really slow cut of 200 - 250 calories...it'll literally take you forever to drop even 1% point in BF just doing a re-comp.

    What is your BF% right now? How long have you been in a bulk cycle? What BF% did you start with?
  • beatrizestevens
    beatrizestevens Posts: 1
    I´d go with a 200 cal deficit... do the math of how many protein you need and put your fat down to 20% daily, It´s not that hard to be in a 200cal deficit actually! But it´s very iportant to do the math! try this vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZjxWqwoWTg
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yes you can recomp at maintenance but as others have said it's not a quick process.
    Really depends what your priorities are.

    I've been adding about 0.5lb of lean mass a month at maintenance but I'm 53 not 21 and I've got more years of training than you have been alive!! Assuming you are a relative newbie to weight training you should be able to do a lot better than that.

    Is there some reason you don't want to follow your bulk with a cut?
    BTW - there is more than one way to do the cut, you can either do a short, sharp cut or a long, slow deficit before getting back to bulking.

    Knowing what your goals are would help people give specific advice.
  • GBPackerFan14
    GBPackerFan14 Posts: 55 Member
    You can, but it's incredibly slow...like it'll take years. You're better off just doing a really slow cut...you're not going to lose all of your gains if you're doing a really slow cut of 200 - 250 calories...it'll literally take you forever to drop even 1% point in BF just doing a re-comp.

    What is your BF% right now? How long have you been in a bulk cycle? What BF% did you start with?

    Thanks for the info this is what I needed to hear, that it would take too long and not be worth it. My BF was around 11% and If I had to guess I would say around 17% now.

    @ Sijomial My goal is to be around my same weight 155-160 (5'10 male) but much more lean. Based on some of the responses I got it sounds better to just finish my bulk up to 160 or so and then cut for the summer. Thanks for the insight.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012


    Lol no.

    Great example.... </sarcasm>
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012


    Lol no.

    Great example.... </sarcasm>
    Laughing hard too. Double no.

    Look 'em up online. The tell all is the lady who promotes the The Venus Factor "stumbled upon a groundbreaking secret, so shocking...."

    Right.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012


    Lol no.

    Great example.... </sarcasm>
    Laughing hard too. Double no.

    Look 'em up online. The tell all is the lady who promotes the The Venus Factor "stumbled upon a groundbreaking secret, so shocking...."

    Right.
    another no
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012


    Lol no.

    Great example.... </sarcasm>
    Laughing hard too. Double no.

    Look 'em up online. The tell all is the lady who promotes the The Venus Factor "stumbled upon a groundbreaking secret, so shocking...."

    Right.
    another no
    Gosh, I just read more material on this Venus Factor, and it's a dude who discovered this GROUNDBREAKING secret to help women lose weight, and he uses his sister as an example! :laugh: :laugh:
  • Cadori
    Cadori Posts: 4,810 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012

    Gaining strength - probably. Gaining muscle - no. Losing fat and seeing what muscle you have while on slight deficit -yes. Gaining muscle on deficit - no.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012


    Lol no.

    Great example.... </sarcasm>
    Laughing hard too. Double no.

    Look 'em up online. The tell all is the lady who promotes the The Venus Factor "stumbled upon a groundbreaking secret, so shocking...."

    Right.
    another no

    One moar no.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012


    Lol no.

    Great example.... </sarcasm>

    This is a genuine question - why is that user so disliked round here? I obviously don't know the background story but at first glance she looks like she's done very well for herself, but I've seen a few comments on here over the years that suggest otherwise!
  • CarlHelgesson
    CarlHelgesson Posts: 34
    It depends on how much in calorie excess you are in your bulk phase?


    Generally I would say no, don't cut the calories, if your goal is to put on muscles.

    Add som cardio in stead (which is great for your general health, and also will help your muscles to get more blood, oxygen and nutrition in your muscle cells).

    You could also change your distribution of macronutrients, cut some of your carbs, add protein and healthy fats - but make sure you stay within the same total of KCALs.


    Another effective thing to do is that you eat most of your carbs around weight training. That's a strategy to make your body use your carbs for your muscles and muscle glycogen. This is a way to add muscles and minimize fat storage from carbs.


    Good luck!
  • Pamceegee
    Pamceegee Posts: 2
    I fully agree with Carl Helgesson. If you're not doing much cardio, then add this to your workout to use the 'extra' calories (I know people bulking up often don't include cardio as it's exercising the 'wrong' muscle fibres). Eat enough protein to feed your muscles. Last, but not least, make sure you've had enough carbs before your workout to provide a readily available store of glucose. If your glycogen stores are low your body will produce glucose from protein, maybe even sacrificing muscle tissue to produce energy. Well done on your progress so far. Hope it continues to go well.
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
    I fully agree with Carl Helgesson. If you're not doing much cardio, then add this to your workout to use the 'extra' calories (I know people bulking up often don't include cardio as it's exercising the 'wrong' muscle fibres). Eat enough protein to feed your muscles. Last, but not least, make sure you've had enough carbs before your workout to provide a readily available store of glucose. If your glycogen stores are low your body will produce glucose from protein, maybe even sacrificing muscle tissue to produce energy. Well done on your progress so far. Hope it continues to go well.

    What kind of bro science is that? How do you explain people who go work out first thing in the morning without eating breakfast first?
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    You can, but it's incredibly slow...like it'll take years. You're better off just doing a really slow cut...you're not going to lose all of your gains if you're doing a really slow cut of 200 - 250 calories...it'll literally take you forever to drop even 1% point in BF just doing a re-comp.

    What is your BF% right now? How long have you been in a bulk cycle? What BF% did you start with?

    Thanks for the info this is what I needed to hear, that it would take too long and not be worth it. My BF was around 11% and If I had to guess I would say around 17% now.

    @ Sijomial My goal is to be around my same weight 155-160 (5'10 male) but much more lean. Based on some of the responses I got it sounds better to just finish my bulk up to 160 or so and then cut for the summer. Thanks for the insight.

    Most people bulk to around 15% BF. If your at 17% now you are going to have a longer cut ahead of you if you keep bulking, but that depends on how lean you ultimately want to be. Don't pay so much attention to scale weight as a determining factor of needing to bulk or cut, use the scale as a tool but use your BF% as your guide to know when to bulk and cut. Most people bulk to around 15% and cut to around 10% unless you want to get leaner. Just make sure you are doing everything you can to hold on to the muscle you have during a cut, meaning continuing to lift at least the same weight (or more) during a cut.

    Also to answer your original question as some others have said it is possible to lose BF at maintenance, that would be a recomp, but it is painfully slow.
  • CarlHelgesson
    CarlHelgesson Posts: 34

    What kind of bro science is that? How do you explain people who go work out first thing in the morning without eating breakfast first?

    If the workout is weight lifting:

    In that case I would suggest them to eat carbs in the post workout meal, to fill up the glycogen.

    And to use whey protein and/or bcaa's before/during/after workout, so that the body have some building blocks for the morning workout.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012


    Lol no.

    Great example.... </sarcasm>

    This is a genuine question - why is that user so disliked round here? I obviously don't know the background story but at first glance she looks like she's done very well for herself, but I've seen a few comments on here over the years that suggest otherwise!
    Yes, your question is genuine. These reactions are not about a poster being liked or not liked, it's about someone saying they are using a method created by someone who has discovered that "shattering earthmoving" method to losing weight and/or building muscle. It's all bogus.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    I am eating just below maintenance and I am gaining muscle. You don't have to get fat to gain muscle, you need to be efficient in your food and exercise choices.

    This woman is the example I am following:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/californiagirl2012


    Lol no.

    Great example.... </sarcasm>

    This is a genuine question - why is that user so disliked round here? I obviously don't know the background story but at first glance she looks like she's done very well for herself, but I've seen a few comments on here over the years that suggest otherwise!

    It's not personal beyond the user routinely throwing out a system that is founded on bunk science.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I am not a weight lifter and not bulking. However, at maintenance I have lost inches and not weight, so I assume the loss is fat and the gain is muscle.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    I am not a weight lifter and not bulking. However, at maintenance I have lost inches and not weight, so I assume the loss is fat and the gain is muscle.

    :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh:

    Need a little more details....but short of that, I would say no.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Hello, I have been bulking since November and went from 142 to 155 and my lifts have gone up as well. I gained a fair amount of muscle but I am starting to become a little uncomfortable with how much fat I have gained. My question is if I drop back down to maintenance calories but continue the same lifting program can I lose body fat while retaining, kind of like a recomp? Or would I need to have a small deficit (like 200 calories) to actually lose body fat? Thanks!

    What is your height?

    You may lose some BF if eating at maintenance.....but it will be a slow process....

    Give it a shot....
    Are you tryin to hit a goal, or just be "beach ready" by summer?
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    You can, but it's incredibly slow...like it'll take years. You're better off just doing a really slow cut...you're not going to lose all of your gains if you're doing a really slow cut of 200 - 250 calories...it'll literally take you forever to drop even 1% point in BF just doing a re-comp.

    What is your BF% right now? How long have you been in a bulk cycle? What BF% did you start with?

    Thanks for the info this is what I needed to hear, that it would take too long and not be worth it. My BF was around 11% and If I had to guess I would say around 17% now.

    @ Sijomial My goal is to be around my same weight 155-160 (5'10 male) but much more lean. Based on some of the responses I got it sounds better to just finish my bulk up to 160 or so and then cut for the summer. Thanks for the insight.

    Yes. Don't fear the fat gain. Losing fat is EASY compared to gaining muscle.

    Read this if you haven't.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html
  • GBPackerFan14
    GBPackerFan14 Posts: 55 Member
    Thanks for the tips everyone, I read the article and it was very interesting. My goal is to be around the weight I am but have a lower BF%. The article opened my eyes on how it will take multiple cut/bulk cycles to achieve that not just one long one thanks.

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