Body recomposition

It's a grind. Think in terms of years instead of months.

BigGuy47 wrote: »

It's a grind. Think in terms of years instead of months.

Exactly this. OP - I do not know how much weight you are trying to lose, but in January 2012, I was staring down the barrel of a 100 pound weight loss requirement. Here we are almost 3 full years later and I am almost at 95 pounds. During these 3 years I have gone through phases of cuts, maintenance, and re-composition all very much depending on what was happening in my life at the time. I have not attempted a bulk and will not do so until I get to the 100 pound goal.

I think a very common mistake with weight loss is the short term mentality which does not recognize how life can get in the way. If you can wrap you mind around thinking of weight loss and fitness as long term goal setting, you might find the answers present themselves a little more easily for you...

Good point. I can't not find it right now but was reading going no more than 5-10% was the thought from one source. I think the goal is to keep your body from thinking it is going to starve to dead at the new rate it is been feed.

By way of illustration only ff you cut by say 500 cals a day but one's metabolism slows by 600 cals a day in response to your sudden cut in calories you still are over eating. Our bodies know more a surviving than we know about dieting for sure.

bschoo01 wrote: »

I am not trying to be rude so please don't take this the wrong way... I know how to eat at a deficit, what I need to eat to lose weight, and how to lift heavy (well at least heavy for me)! I know this is a life long process and something I will have to change forever and not just a quick fix (even though most of us wish it were).

I'm not asking for advice on deficits. I'm asking people if they have tried body recomp. Whether it be by eating at maintenance and lifting or calorie cycling and lifting. And what their experiences are. Is it worth trying?

My concern is... even though I am lifting I am still eating at a deficit so no matter what I will lose muscle. I know I will lose less muscle lifting than if I were a cardio bunny. But I am still going to lose muscle. The less muscle I have the less fat I burn. So body recomp is saying you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. The more muscle gained the quicker the fat loss.

Has anybody tried it and had good results?

You are not rude at all, you are just re-stating your question so that people understand. Nothing at all wrong with that.

I've been weight lifting for years, but it has only been this last year or so that I've been heavy lifting. I eat at maintenance, sometimes slightly above, and I've seen amazing changes in my body. Sometimes when I see myself in the mirror I can't believe it's me.

I don't have a clue as to whether I've really built muscle, but I do know my body is tighter, I appear more toned, my clothes have become looser though my weight stays about the same, and I feel so fantastic!

I weight lift and run as well.

Good luck!

bschoo01 wrote: »

Thanks SLL! That gives me hope

Cool beans!

This content has been removed.

MFP did an article on recomp recently. I'll see if I can find it.


Here it is.

tl;dr:

Eat 10% below maintenance on rest days.
Eat 15% above maintenance on lifting days.
Eat higher carbs on lifting days.

Yes, still spplying much of the insights gained.

Anytime you change the percentage of you lean muscle mass to fat is recomposition but the term has been usurped. Yes as you lose weight you are also losing lean muscle mass (everything that is not fat). Your body just don't need as much as your weights less. This is counterproductive as your muscle is also your biggest furnace and a major constituent of the lean muscle mass. To slow the muscle losses, your food choice has to be that which would limit that loss, i.e. focus on fat loss as opposed to weight loss. Higher protein content coupled with resistance training retards the muscle losses.

This is roughly what I did with an add twist that I focused on endurance before building strength. My first 3-4 weeks was just getting in shape so I can increase intensity and strengthen my muscles. This is because my perfered sport is cycling. Starting May I have loss 28 pounds with 17 to go. I eat just below maintenance because I can't stay with a 600 daily deficit; however I also burn around 800-900 calories per day average (30 minute walk at 4+ mph pace and an hour plus cycling, indoor ride are now up to 17.5 mph average from 14.5 mph and 18+ outdoors for an hour ride; much slower on longer rides) with a caloric restriction of 200 or so which equates to a daily deficit average of 400-500 (goal is one pound per week; I eat back around 50-75%). Per week I have one rest (hardest to stay on calorie deficit goal) and one light day. I have severely cut back on carbs but cycle my intakes with a structural refeed in 4-5 week with heavy carb to refuel my muscles and to moderate my metabolism. My strategy may not work for everyone but the key is an overall calorie restriction and building up my muscles to be more efficient at burning fat.

**I know this post is from November, but I want to comment anyway since it was brought back.**

I didn't see anyone talk about this, but the OP still has lots of weight to lose. That means that a slight calorie deficit (about 10-20% under TDEE) and lifting will get her the results she is looking for. Because she is a beginner with a lot to lose she will gain lean mass.

Recomposition is more for someone already close to or at their goal weight that wants to lose fat and get a leaner body without dropping much more weight. The OP does not need recomposition. It is not appropriate for her at the moment.