How long can you recomp?
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Need2Exerc1se
Posts: 13,576 Member
I seem to be accidentally recomping. I haven't had my BF% checked in over a year, but while trying to slowly lose weight (I suck at restriction) the scale has become stuck. My measurements, however, continue to drop. It's been well over a month, close to 2, since I dropped any weight. In that time I've lost almost 12inches.
I am still about 8 lbs from the healthy/normal BMI category and about 10-15 from where I think I'd like to be. (5'6" 162 lbs)
I'm undecided whether I should try to lower calories, or just say "Yay, I'm dropping inches" and see where it all leads.
What would you do?
Edited for typos - apparently I suck at typing too.
I am still about 8 lbs from the healthy/normal BMI category and about 10-15 from where I think I'd like to be. (5'6" 162 lbs)
I'm undecided whether I should try to lower calories, or just say "Yay, I'm dropping inches" and see where it all leads.
What would you do?
Edited for typos - apparently I suck at typing too.
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Replies
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If I was getting smaller, I don't think I'd do anything different, unless I didn't like the way I started to look. The number on the scale is ultimately meaningless to me. I much prefer to get a body fat% in the very low 20s than get to a particular weight. (I'm also 5'6). Grats on your success
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I would keep doing what you are doing. The lbs may just be coming off slowly as you are so close to goal.
I would prefer a slightly higher weight with a good body composition, to an ideal weigh with an excess of fat, any day.
You can always revisit losing those last few lbs down the road.
Cheers, h.0 -
12 inches would be a very high amount of recomp for that short amount of time. Recomping is a very long process. You say the scale has been stuck for a while but that's still fairly normal to have weight stick around like that even though you're actually losing. There's just so many contributing factors. You're like still in a deficit and the scale just isn't reflecting it. It's reflecting in the inches. The scale will reflect those losses soon enough. Keep doing what you're doing.0
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Keep Doing What You're Doing. Scales Don't Always Tell You The Whole Storybut one thing that wont lie is mirrior and and pics0
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12 inches would be a very high amount of recomp for that short amount of time. Recomping is a very long process. You say the scale has been stuck for a while but that's still fairly normal to have weight stick around like that even though you're actually losing. There's just so many contributing factors. You're like still in a deficit and the scale just isn't reflecting it. It's reflecting in the inches. The scale will reflect those losses soon enough. Keep doing what you're doing.
I measure in 8 places (arms, thighs, waist, hips, just under breasts, neck) so you are correct that it's not a dramatic amount of inches lost. I didn't drop 4 from my waist or anything like that.
I may be confused about my terms, but I thought recomp was when you lost inches without losing weight, which is usually from losing fat or water and gaining muscle. I honestly don't feel like I have gained much muscle, but something has to be evening the weight out. What else could it be?0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »12 inches would be a very high amount of recomp for that short amount of time. Recomping is a very long process. You say the scale has been stuck for a while but that's still fairly normal to have weight stick around like that even though you're actually losing. There's just so many contributing factors. You're like still in a deficit and the scale just isn't reflecting it. It's reflecting in the inches. The scale will reflect those losses soon enough. Keep doing what you're doing.
I measure in 8 places (arms, thighs, waist, hips, just under breasts, neck) so you are correct that it's not a dramatic amount of inches lost. I didn't drop 4 from my waist or anything like that.
I may be confused about my terms, but I thought recomp was when you lost inches without losing weight, which is usually from losing fat or water and gaining muscle. I honestly don't feel like I have gained much muscle, but something has to be evening the weight out. What else could it be?
I did figure that but that's still a lot for a little under 2 months to be a recomp. Recomp is generally a very long-term thing (year+) to see results. Yes, recomp losing fat (inches) while maintaining the same body weight. But it's very difficult to do. So yeah, I think you're still losing and just holding onto scale weight. You could lower calories if you want but I'd give it more time before I took action since you are losing inches.
I've gone through a month+ time as well where my body was holding onto the scale weight for dear life as well but still making changes visually. Eventually it just whooshed off. I think it's more common than people realize. I think we're more accepting to the reverse where scale weight is dropping but the inches haven't come off yet.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »12 inches would be a very high amount of recomp for that short amount of time. Recomping is a very long process. You say the scale has been stuck for a while but that's still fairly normal to have weight stick around like that even though you're actually losing. There's just so many contributing factors. You're like still in a deficit and the scale just isn't reflecting it. It's reflecting in the inches. The scale will reflect those losses soon enough. Keep doing what you're doing.
I measure in 8 places (arms, thighs, waist, hips, just under breasts, neck) so you are correct that it's not a dramatic amount of inches lost. I didn't drop 4 from my waist or anything like that.
I may be confused about my terms, but I thought recomp was when you lost inches without losing weight, which is usually from losing fat or water and gaining muscle. I honestly don't feel like I have gained much muscle, but something has to be evening the weight out. What else could it be?
I did figure that but that's still a lot for a little under 2 months to be a recomp. Recomp is generally a very long-term thing (year+) to see results. Yes, recomp losing fat (inches) while maintaining the same body weight. But it's very difficult to do. So yeah, I think you're still losing and just holding onto scale weight. You could lower calories if you want but I'd give it more time before I took action since you are losing inches.
I've gone through a month+ time as well where my body was holding onto the scale weight for dear life as well but still making changes visually. Eventually it just whooshed off. I think it's more common than people realize. I think we're more accepting to the reverse where scale weight is dropping but the inches haven't come off yet.
Interesting. I wonder what it is that is causing the weight. From what I've read fat and water are fairly close in weight per volume, so I wouldn't think it is water. If there is a whoosh, what exactly will be whooshing off? I shall have to try and research this as I am now quite intrigued.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »12 inches would be a very high amount of recomp for that short amount of time. Recomping is a very long process. You say the scale has been stuck for a while but that's still fairly normal to have weight stick around like that even though you're actually losing. There's just so many contributing factors. You're like still in a deficit and the scale just isn't reflecting it. It's reflecting in the inches. The scale will reflect those losses soon enough. Keep doing what you're doing.
I measure in 8 places (arms, thighs, waist, hips, just under breasts, neck) so you are correct that it's not a dramatic amount of inches lost. I didn't drop 4 from my waist or anything like that.
I may be confused about my terms, but I thought recomp was when you lost inches without losing weight, which is usually from losing fat or water and gaining muscle. I honestly don't feel like I have gained much muscle, but something has to be evening the weight out. What else could it be?
I did figure that but that's still a lot for a little under 2 months to be a recomp. Recomp is generally a very long-term thing (year+) to see results. Yes, recomp losing fat (inches) while maintaining the same body weight. But it's very difficult to do. So yeah, I think you're still losing and just holding onto scale weight. You could lower calories if you want but I'd give it more time before I took action since you are losing inches.
I've gone through a month+ time as well where my body was holding onto the scale weight for dear life as well but still making changes visually. Eventually it just whooshed off. I think it's more common than people realize. I think we're more accepting to the reverse where scale weight is dropping but the inches haven't come off yet.
Interesting. I wonder what it is that is causing the weight. From what I've read fat and water are fairly close in weight per volume, so I wouldn't think it is water. If there is a whoosh, what exactly will be whooshing off? I shall have to try and research this as I am now quite intrigued.
It could be anything really making you hold onto water. Hormones a little off, pushing yourself harder in exercise, higher sodium in your diet, changes in the way you typically eat, stress, bad luck lol.
It'll be whooshing off water. It's normal to lose fat but have water retention that makes it appear on the scale that you haven't lost anything.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »12 inches would be a very high amount of recomp for that short amount of time. Recomping is a very long process. You say the scale has been stuck for a while but that's still fairly normal to have weight stick around like that even though you're actually losing. There's just so many contributing factors. You're like still in a deficit and the scale just isn't reflecting it. It's reflecting in the inches. The scale will reflect those losses soon enough. Keep doing what you're doing.
I measure in 8 places (arms, thighs, waist, hips, just under breasts, neck) so you are correct that it's not a dramatic amount of inches lost. I didn't drop 4 from my waist or anything like that.
I may be confused about my terms, but I thought recomp was when you lost inches without losing weight, which is usually from losing fat or water and gaining muscle. I honestly don't feel like I have gained much muscle, but something has to be evening the weight out. What else could it be?
I did figure that but that's still a lot for a little under 2 months to be a recomp. Recomp is generally a very long-term thing (year+) to see results. Yes, recomp losing fat (inches) while maintaining the same body weight. But it's very difficult to do. So yeah, I think you're still losing and just holding onto scale weight. You could lower calories if you want but I'd give it more time before I took action since you are losing inches.
I've gone through a month+ time as well where my body was holding onto the scale weight for dear life as well but still making changes visually. Eventually it just whooshed off. I think it's more common than people realize. I think we're more accepting to the reverse where scale weight is dropping but the inches haven't come off yet.
Interesting. I wonder what it is that is causing the weight. From what I've read fat and water are fairly close in weight per volume, so I wouldn't think it is water. If there is a whoosh, what exactly will be whooshing off? I shall have to try and research this as I am now quite intrigued.
It could be anything really making you hold onto water. Hormones a little off, pushing yourself harder in exercise, higher sodium in your diet, changes in the way you typically eat, stress, bad luck lol.
It'll be whooshing off water. It's normal to lose fat but have water retention that makes it appear on the scale that you haven't lost anything.
Hmm, that doesn't make sense to me. Water and fat are very similar in weight per volume, so why would you be losing inches but not weight when retaining water? If the weight were water it should take up similar room to fat which would mean less/no inches lost.
Muscle weighs less per volume, so it would make sense to lose inches but not weight if gaining muscle. But I wouldn't expect muscle to whoosh off.
All very interesting. What the heck is going on??0 -
Recomp does not always mean a long drawn out process. Keep doing what you are doing, some people recomp faster than others, just as some people gain or lose weight faster than others. I've been 170 lbs for several years now, but the last 18 months or so have really shown a big difference in appearance where I've gotten pretty lean @ the same weight.0
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I had my weight stuck for more than 3 months at one point, while working pretty hard to exercise and log consistently, but was getting smaller and had to go buy new jeans twice. Eventually started losing again. I would just keep doing what you are doing.0
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I seem to be accidentally recomping. I haven't had my BF% checked in over a year, but while trying to slowly lose weight (I suck at restriction) the scale has become stuck. My measurements, however, continue to drop. It's been well over a month, close to 2, since I dropped any weight. In that time I've lost almost 12inches.
I am still about 8 lbs from the healthy/normal BMI category and about 10-15 from where I think I'd like to be. (5'6" 162 lbs)
I'm undecided whether I should try to lower calories, or just say "Yay, I'm dropping inches" and see where it all leads.
What would you do?
Edited for typos - apparently I suck at typing too.
I looked at your diary. You've only logged your food 3 days in the past 2 weeks.
I'd be very surprised if you're eating at a deficit, and am inclined to think you're just pulling the tape measure tighter.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a great one for inaccurate measurements, and I suck at estimating calories without a scale and nutrition information.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I seem to be accidentally recomping. I haven't had my BF% checked in over a year, but while trying to slowly lose weight (I suck at restriction) the scale has become stuck. My measurements, however, continue to drop. It's been well over a month, close to 2, since I dropped any weight. In that time I've lost almost 12inches.
I am still about 8 lbs from the healthy/normal BMI category and about 10-15 from where I think I'd like to be. (5'6" 162 lbs)
I'm undecided whether I should try to lower calories, or just say "Yay, I'm dropping inches" and see where it all leads.
What would you do?
Edited for typos - apparently I suck at typing too.
I looked at your diary. You've only logged your food 3 days in the past 2 weeks.
I'd be very surprised if you're eating at a deficit, and am inclined to think you're just pulling the tape measure tighter.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a great one for inaccurate measurements, and I suck at estimating calories without a scale and nutrition information.
I did think of measuring inaccurately, though I don't always do my own measuring and pulling the tape measure tighter wouldn't explain fitting into jeans I haven't worn in over a year or other clothes getting looser.
I haven't logged my food throughout my weight loss. Honestly, IDK if I'm at a deficit or not. I'm not losing weight, that's for certain. But I am getting smaller, of that I am also certain.0
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