Not much progress with body recomposition?

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  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    For body recomp i suggest consuming most of your carbs around you weight session also carb cycling works very well with recomp.

    protein 1gram for a woman per lbs of bodyweight

    Eg.
    Meal 1 protein.. 20% carb intake..
    Meal 2 protein.. fats.. greens
    Meal 4 pre workout protein..40%carb intake.. greens
    meal 5 post workout protien.. 40% carb.. intake.. greens
    meal 5 protein.. fats.. greens

    Non training day i would decrease you over all carb intake by 30% and add the calories in good fats nuts oils fish etc

    Insulin is the only hormone in the body that stores fat and insulin can only be spiked by carbs so imo all carbs should be used around training so they get used for energy and aid repair. Fats and protein are essential where carbs are not.

    Carb cycling is simple and great for losing weight and gaining muscle its also speeds up metabolism

    For eg
    Mon low day 100g
    tues medium day 150g
    wednesday high 200g
    thursday low 100g
    friday med 150g
    saturday high 200g
    Sunday extra high 300g

    I usually find when i do the extra high day and weigh myself the next day i usually lose weight on scale.

    wow...not sure where this info came from.

    People...not just women, based on what i read need 1g of protien per pound of LBM or 0.8 grams per lb...

    as for the insulin thing...hmmm...I have read protien will spike it too and it doesn't store carbs as fat...the only thing that stores fat is excess calories.

    Oh and carbs (or any other food) do not speed up metabolism...activity does that...food fuels that activity.

    As for carb cycling it's a choice...I haven't heard a lot of good about it from people I know who have tried it.

    As for you TDEE OP depending on your activity I was going to say that seems low to me...if you are active (exercise 5x a week) I would expect it to be more to be frank, just based on personal experience and watching other women your size eat and maintain on 2200-2500 depending on activity.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    Why thank you everybody, it feels amazing to hear that! :blushing: *curtesy*

    Now then, what do I want exactly... good question. I want to lose fat and stop feeling so jiggly. I want to be lean, not "thin"! I'd love more muscle.

    The reason I want to do this is because I'm trying to shake off my t2 diabetes: I want to control it with diet and exercise alone, I'm on one tablet a day - I don't want to need medication! :P

    Height: 5ft 2" / 161cm
    Weight: 121lbs. (SO tempted to bring this down to 117 but I won't!)
    Measurements: Chest 33", Waist 25.5", Hips 33.5"

    I'd like to wittle down to 32", 24" and 32" eventually.

    Anything else I can give? :)

    Here's my opinion!

    I think you should go more hourglass, (waist 24, hips 34)which means trying not to lose too much body fat, and bulking up your butt.

    Keep your chest and butt the same measurements but bulk and shape with something like Strong Curves where there is a lot of butt work along with the all over body progressive stuff.

    You def don't need to weigh any less.
    I
    Route 1)

    Bulk for 12 weeks, gaining .5lb of muscle and fat per week totalling 6lbs gain. Your shape will completely change, and you'll then be ready to melt the fat off. You then go on a slow cut slooooow and melt off fat holding on to the muscle.

    You will end up with a wonderful smooth curvy ness without the bobbly fat deposits.

    Route 2). Cut down to a low body fat percentage slowly over a couple of months being careful not to lose any muscle.

    Bulk, as before then sloooow cut.

    Either way, more organised than recomping, which is so vague and difficult. You'll be well happy by next spring.

    I did the second way, but I'm not sure at 121 that you're already needing some lean body mass help.

    Btw I was tremendously happy at the TOP of my bulk. Which was massively surprising to me, and goes to show it's shape not weight that counts. I cut a few pounds for sports reasons.

    PS bulking over Christmas is the holy grail!!
  • epadmeister
    epadmeister Posts: 102 Member
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    As for carb cycling it's a choice...I haven't heard a lot of good about it from people I know who have tried it.
    Although that info did seem really useful, I think my brain exploded a little bit after reading it! I wouldn't feel confident at all with that just yet, I need to figure out what my TDEE is before that.
    As for you TDEE OP depending on your activity I was going to say that seems low to me...if you are active (exercise 5x a week) I would expect it to be more to be frank, just based on personal experience and watching other women your size eat and maintain on 2200-2500 depending on activity.

    Wow, I'd love to get to that many calories! It sounds like I need to have a good few weeks to actually see what my TDEE is - using the advice above, if I stay on 1600-1800 netting a week, and re-evaluate my weight / measurements etc, I can then move on from there.

    What I've come to accept is that this is going to be a life long process! I'm not looking for quick fixes so I'm in no rush to get results, I'd much rather have consistency and permanent results :) it's all about trial and error and what works for me, and you guys have opened my eyes to that. There's no "one formula only" rule at all. It may be that after doing a particular workout for 8 weeks there STILL aren't many dramatic changes, so I'll have to change that! One thing I've noticed since starting the weight training etc is that I can use heavier weights - that's progress in itself right? :bigsmile:
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    One thing I've noticed since starting the weight training etc is that I can use heavier weights - that's progress in itself right?

    absolutely that's progress...great progress.

    I too have accepted it as a lifelong thing..which is great...I don't mind.

    I know for a lot of women (until they get out of a mindset) bulks can screw with your head...I mean imagine eating enough food to gain weight...wtf...:noway:

    I have yet to do a bulk/cut cycle as well hence my recomp decision...however once I get to a certian point I may just have to to get the results I want...

    Good luck.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
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    What I've come to accept is that this is going to be a life long process! I'm not looking for quick fixes so I'm in no rush to get results, I'd much rather have consistency and permanent results :) it's all about trial and error and what works for me, and you guys have opened my eyes to that. There's no "one formula only" rule at all. It may be that after doing a particular workout for 8 weeks there STILL aren't many dramatic changes, so I'll have to change that! One thing I've noticed since starting the weight training etc is that I can use heavier weights - that's progress in itself right? :bigsmile:

    BANG ON!
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    Okay, scoobys workshop have me on roughly 1900 calories a day to maintain weight. MFP have me as 1850 to maintain weight. I feel that this is too much so I've been recently trying to net 1600 calories for the week - I only stupidly set my goal to 1450 yesterday!

    I'm aiming for between 1500 - 1600 net calories a day.

    Isn't this still a deficit? I'm 5' tall, 45 yrs old & maintain 126# @ 2000 gross cal/day. I'm aiming to re-comp.

    I'm also a T2D, however I haven't reached diabetic BG levels in quite a while. (I'm on Met once daily) I continue to test 7-8 times daily mainly because I've changed my diet & I'm able to add fruit back to my diet for the first time in 2 yrs.

    The only activity I do is weight training 3 x weekly & I walk about 3 miles per day (Mon-Fri). I've been weight training for about 15 years but only mindfully so in the past 2 years, so I started with a fair muscle base.

    To find my maintenance, I ate intuitively for a couple of weeks & found that I could be satisfied at 16-1800 but effortlessly doing my thing at 2000-2200.

    At my age, I aim for increasing lean body mass vs. decreasing. Though my goal weight was 110-115, I figure I've got all the time in the world to get there if it's in the cards.

    I'm also transitioning to low carb from Keto to help fuel my lifts, so given that, I had expected to gain, but, noope.

    Anyhow...to re-comp, the general advice I've been given is to eat at maintenance, slight surplus, or slight deficit (+ or - 1-200 cal) and lift as heavy as you can, 5-8 reps, compound lifts...wait several months, & adjust as needed :drinker:

    This is the current plan I'm following :wink:
  • epadmeister
    epadmeister Posts: 102 Member
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    I'm aiming for between 1500 - 1600 net calories a day.

    Isn't this still a deficit? I'm 5' tall, 45 yrs old & maintain 126# @ 2000 gross cal/day. I'm aiming to re-comp.

    I'm also a T2D, however I haven't reached diabetic BG levels in quite a while. (I'm on Met once daily) I continue to test 7-8 times daily mainly because I've changed my diet & I'm able to add fruit back to my diet for the first time in 2 yrs.

    Firstly, I would like to give a huge cheer for you being able to add fruit back into your diet - I have this weird addiction to fruit, it's like my drug! Very happy for you, fellow T2D :drinker: :bigsmile:

    Yeahh, it's still a deficit isn't it? *hangs head* I'm just going to start with that! I've not been strength training / lifting for very long at all - don't worry, I will up the calories bit by bit each week, about 100 extra. Your routine sounds great!

    And Springfield19, thanks for your advice too! ... I'm getting the impression that I need to eat more calories sooner rather than later! I WILL do it, just think of this as "testing the water" rather than plunging straight in with a higher calorie count.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    There's a group called Eat More To Weigh Less http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    Check it out for what you can expect when increasing calories & to help you figure out how to side-step if things get funky. Though it's geared towards people coming from a history of VLCD, lots of the information still applies. Helped me a ton because just as SS indicated, it's counter intuitive & you'll likely end up doubting the process. It helps to hear from other people who are on the same path when possible melt down moments loom :laugh:

    Good luck with managing your T2D too =) I don't know if you get lows, I'm moving from Keto to low carb, and my worst nightmare is bottoming out in the middle of a lift. I keep Smarties candies in my gym bag.

    I haven't had to use them (2 g of glucose per #5 candies) though I admit I find myself almost wishing for an excuse :laugh:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,670 Member
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    I personally like 3x5 for strength and 3x10 for growth and I vary it according the the specific exercise any my goal for that set of muscles.

    Whoa 10 sets? That's a lot of volume.

    What is the consequence of low sets 1-3 vs high sets 5-10? I understand Strength, Hypertrophy, and Endurance training as it relates to reps, but what effect do the number of sets have?
    Volume. Volume training seems to do best with sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,670 Member
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    To the OP: recomp is a LONG process for many. It can take a year or more to add on any significant muscle.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • maizerage66
    maizerage66 Posts: 367 Member
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    I personally like 3x5 for strength and 3x10 for growth and I vary it according the the specific exercise any my goal for that set of muscles.

    Whoa 10 sets? That's a lot of volume.

    What is the consequence of low sets 1-3 vs high sets 5-10? I understand Strength, Hypertrophy, and Endurance training as it relates to reps, but what effect do the number of sets have?

    I'm pretty sure they meant 3 sets of 10 reps...

    As for the question, I've got nothing to add to the great advice being given. OP, you look fabulous right now so don't be too bummed if things go slower than you'd like. I know that you said you're not in a rush and everything but some people eventually want to see results faster. Lift heavy, eat right, rest and recover and you'll be good to go. You've come a long way and you're looking great :flowerforyou:
  • epadmeister
    epadmeister Posts: 102 Member
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    Great stuff everyone, this is why I love MFP :) I even got a response from a moderator which makes me feel super special :blushing:

    I have some homework to do - ha, kind of embarrassed about thinking "body recomposition" results would be visible in four weeks....well now I know better! Thanks everybody!
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
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    I've been recomping for a year and didn't really start seeing improvements until about 6 months in. At this point, I'm ready to bulk, at least a small one (~5 lbs in 5 months).
  • inimical909
    inimical909 Posts: 11 Member
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    Body recomp seems to take the longest of anything for me! Stick with it and add tiny bits of weight as you go along.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
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    Well, you can't bulk and cut at the same time. While building muscle you eat the surplus, say for a month or two, then while cutting you eat a deficit, for the same period of time. It looks like you may be fluctuating too fast?
  • 212019156
    212019156 Posts: 341 Member
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    To OP, I have not read this entire thread, but curious as to how much fat do you want to cut? If your pics are current you look pretty lean already.
  • epadmeister
    epadmeister Posts: 102 Member
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    I'd like to get to 18 - 20% body fat eventually :) yeah, this is why I got really confuaed with what I was doing... one minute I'm wanting to lose weight, next I want to eat enough to build muscle.... I don't want to be seesawimg anymore!

    Like people have said, it'll take lots and lots of time, effort and patience. Luckily I think I've got all three now, especially after seeing some AMAZING progress pics of members who've posted on here!
  • SeptemberLondon
    SeptemberLondon Posts: 151 Member
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    There's a lot of great advice on here - what a great community!

    OP - you're right, you have some research to do. You've done great so far - continued success!! :flowerforyou:
  • MyRummyHens
    MyRummyHens Posts: 141 Member
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    I personally like 3x5 for strength and 3x10 for growth and I vary it according the the specific exercise any my goal for that set of muscles.

    Whoa 10 sets? That's a lot of volume.

    What is the consequence of low sets 1-3 vs high sets 5-10? I understand Strength, Hypertrophy, and Endurance training as it relates to reps, but what effect do the number of sets have?

    I'm pretty sure they meant 3 sets of 10 reps...

    As for the question, I've got nothing to add to the great advice being given. OP, you look fabulous right now so don't be too bummed if things go slower than you'd like. I know that you said you're not in a rush and everything but some people eventually want to see results faster. Lift heavy, eat right, rest and recover and you'll be good to go. You've come a long way and you're looking great :flowerforyou:

    I did yes! 3 sets of 5 reps for strength and 3 sets of 10 reps for growth. Apologies if that was unclear.
  • epadmeister
    epadmeister Posts: 102 Member
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    Okay guys, that's it :) I'm no longer gonna be the "calorie-phobe". I'm going to move on from the whole "I lost weight YAY" phase and get serious about changing the way my body looks!

    This is gonna take ages... I'm looking forward to it! Starting tomorrow I'll get down all my measurements for arms, thighs, waist, neck, hips, chest... am I missing anything?! :P

    Also, gonna keep a strict eye on the weights I lift and make sure I carry on progressing. I've set my goal calories to 1800, will keep an eye on weight fluctuations over the next few weeks!

    BEFORE I GO (and I promise this won't take long!)..... if my weight goes up a bit more than I want it to, and it turns out that I really AM eating too many calories, do I go back into calorie deficit or just... keep... going? I get the feeling it's gonna be "just keep going" as long as the measurements don't increase a lot as well!

    THANK YOU :bigsmile: :flowerforyou: :drinker:

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