Recomposition: Maintaining weight while losing fat
Replies
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There's a lot of talk about recomposition through the boards, so I wanted to have a place where we can compile research on it and experiences with it.
When is recomp appropriate? When you are at a decent weight for your height, but your body fat is still at a level that is undesirable to you recomposition is probably a good option. It's a way to maintain your weight, eat well and still lose fat. This is a slow process and can feel like spinning your wheels, but it can be less mentally stressful than bulk and cut cycles.
The keys to recomposition are:
1. At the end of the week you have eaten at about your TDEE. You may choose to cycle calories or eat at a flat rate every day, this should fit your personal preference. If you have a consistent workout schedule using a TDEE calculator should place your goal fairly close to your actual maintenance. The only way to know for sure is to monitor your weight and calories over time while adjusting calories when you have an up or down trend.
2. Getting adequate protein. Protein is a building block of muscle. The goal of recomposition is to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Protein, carbohydrates and fats play different roles in the muscle building process, so make sure that you keep to a macronutrient set up that works for you. This may need to be adjusted over time.
3. Lift! Following a good lifting program is the key to the entire process. It's where the magic happens. Pick a program that you will enjoy and that is going to challenge you. Continue to focus on improving.
4. Take pictures and measure. It's a slow process and you may feel you are making no progress. Your measurements will help you see that you are making progress.
Feel free to share stories of recomposition and any research you have seen on it. Ask questions if you have any.
Soon to be 60 yrs old , 6'-1", 185, I am making great progress with my recomp. I have reduced my fat intake and have learned a little bit. But my sodium intake I can not seem to get control of, and I know sodium retains water. Is life flavorless in the fitness world?2 -
Well, sodium is also needed by body, and your body wants to retain some water for all kinds of things.
If you mean excess sodium that is causing you some health issues and extra water retention beyond needed purely because of that - then sure.
But guess what, you gain 2 lbs of retained water, and your sodium intake remains constant, and you lose 1 lb of fat, guess what is still going to show up on the scale and tape measure?
You lower that 2 lb by changing sodium intake from a diet you won't keep - then it's just false weight loss - so what's the point.
Enjoy your food!
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MoBetta4Sure wrote: »There's a lot of talk about recomposition through the boards, so I wanted to have a place where we can compile research on it and experiences with it.
When is recomp appropriate? When you are at a decent weight for your height, but your body fat is still at a level that is undesirable to you recomposition is probably a good option. It's a way to maintain your weight, eat well and still lose fat. This is a slow process and can feel like spinning your wheels, but it can be less mentally stressful than bulk and cut cycles.
The keys to recomposition are:
1. At the end of the week you have eaten at about your TDEE. You may choose to cycle calories or eat at a flat rate every day, this should fit your personal preference. If you have a consistent workout schedule using a TDEE calculator should place your goal fairly close to your actual maintenance. The only way to know for sure is to monitor your weight and calories over time while adjusting calories when you have an up or down trend.
2. Getting adequate protein. Protein is a building block of muscle. The goal of recomposition is to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Protein, carbohydrates and fats play different roles in the muscle building process, so make sure that you keep to a macronutrient set up that works for you. This may need to be adjusted over time.
3. Lift! Following a good lifting program is the key to the entire process. It's where the magic happens. Pick a program that you will enjoy and that is going to challenge you. Continue to focus on improving.
4. Take pictures and measure. It's a slow process and you may feel you are making no progress. Your measurements will help you see that you are making progress.
Feel free to share stories of recomposition and any research you have seen on it. Ask questions if you have any.
Soon to be 60 yrs old , 6'-1", 185, I am making great progress with my recomp. I have reduced my fat intake and have learned a little bit. But my sodium intake I can not seem to get control of, and I know sodium retains water. Is life flavorless in the fitness world?
Would just add to what Heybales said - check your food diary entries carefully.
There's loads of rubbish entries for sodium in the database, people confuse salt for sodium, confuse g and mg, have wild stabs at things (often too high), enter zero when it's plainly impossible. It's actually far from easy to be precise.
(Not that precision is really required unless you have particular issues to need to monitor or address....)2 -
If you "decorate" your own food and cut back on the overly processed food (if you cook something it's processed) you should be able to control most of your sodium intake. By overly processed I mean food items that have ingredients you can't pronounce. I still enjoy, pizza, cake, cookies, etc.; just only do occasionally and watch my portion sizes when I do indulge. Good luck!
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Hi all,
I am hoping someone can give me some advice. I am 4'10" female 37, and I weighed 102 2 months ago. I slimmed out by tracking intake (1200) and am feeling pretty good but I carry all my weight in my thighs. I also have cellulite so I decided to search for a different program to help me get stronger and more well defined. After lookin and reading suggestions from others, I began the strong curves program. I am only on week 2, (now eating 1400-1500 cal) but I weighed myself yesterday and I am 96 lbs. that kinda freaked me out and while that is still within true healthy range I am uncomfortable with that low number. So, my dilemma: I keep reading that to reduce body fat and Gail muscle it will be slow but k should eat at a 10-20% caloric deficit. I recalculated my tdee based on my new weight and estimating body fat based on pics (25% I'd say from looking at pics) and it put me at 1463. I don't want to really eat much under that at all, but if I follow the program will I lose body fat not eating at a deficit. Everything says if your fat % isn't low enough you won't see the definition and more sculpted look which is what I am going for. Advice appreciated!0 -
There's a lot of talk about recomposition through the boards, so I wanted to have a place where we can compile research on it and experiences with it.
When is recomp appropriate? When you are at a decent weight for your height, but your body fat is still at a level that is undesirable to you recomposition is probably a good option. It's a way to maintain your weight, eat well and still lose fat. This is a slow process and can feel like spinning your wheels, but it can be less mentally stressful than bulk and cut cycles.
The keys to recomposition are:
1. At the end of the week you have eaten at about your TDEE. You may choose to cycle calories or eat at a flat rate every day, this should fit your personal preference. If you have a consistent workout schedule using a TDEE calculator should place your goal fairly close to your actual maintenance. The only way to know for sure is to monitor your weight and calories over time while adjusting calories when you have an up or down trend.
2. Getting adequate protein. Protein is a building block of muscle. The goal of recomposition is to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Protein, carbohydrates and fats play different roles in the muscle building process, so make sure that you keep to a macronutrient set up that works for you. This may need to be adjusted over time.
3. Lift! Following a good lifting program is the key to the entire process. It's where the magic happens. Pick a program that you will enjoy and that is going to challenge you. Continue to focus on improving.
4. Take pictures and measure. It's a slow process and you may feel you are making no progress. Your measurements will help you see that you are making progress.
Feel free to share stories of recomposition and any research you have seen on it. Ask questions if you have any.
@jerb00 How often do you weigh yourself?
I weigh myself daily and it is not uncommon for my weight to normally fluctuate by 2 pounds. It will bounce around much more if I have a large meal, had a high sodium meal or monthly hormonal changes - it can fluctuate by as much as 5 pounds if 2 of these things are happening simultaneously.
At your height and weight you are still a healthy weight - so don't panic! You can add another 100 calories to your daily intake and monitor your weight for downward trends. If it appears that the scale is moving down, add another 100 calories to your daily intake.
Reread the first post. You do not need to eat at a calorie deficit. Eat to maintain your weight while, get adequate protein, follow a lifting program.2 -
@jerb00
I am hoping someone can give me some advice.
Here's my opinion/advice....
I weighed myself yesterday and I am 96 lbs. that kinda freaked me out and while that is still within true healthy range I am uncomfortable with that low number.
So raise your calories.
So, my dilemma: I keep reading that to reduce body fat and Gail muscle it will be slow but k should eat at a 10-20% caloric deficit.
Yes you would lose fat in that kind of deficit - but highly doubt you would gain muscle at 20% deficit.
But it's a moot point as you want to be heavier so need to raise calories not have a deficit.
For info: I'm sure our situations are different but I could only gain muscle at a miniscule deficit - 1lb a month!
1lb a week saw my lean mass decline slowly.
But again if you are underweight - eat more!
I recalculated my tdee based on my new weight and estimating body fat based on pics (25% I'd say from looking at pics) and it put me at 1463. I don't want to really eat much under that at all, but if I follow the program will I lose body fat not eating at a deficit.
Far better to use your own logging data and actual weight results than a calculator.
Yes recomp is all about gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time. Recomp is what Bret Contreras does with some of his female physique competitors who are at the right weight but needs their physiques honing.
Everything says if your fat % isn't low enough you won't see the definition and more sculpted look which is what I am going for.
Yes that's true. Definition comes mostly from low body fat but of course the more muscle you have the more you have to show and earlier it will show.0 -
Thanks so much for your quick reply. I freaked a little because right after college I was 96 lbs and I stopped getting my period. But you are right it is still in the healthy range and you are also right that there may be other factors at play. Especially since I don't weigh myself every day. In fact, I don't own a scale and only weigh myself every couple/several weeks when I get to my parents house.
I reread the first post and understand it but everything I have read elsewhere states that if you still have a good % of body fat then you can't get deduced without a deficit. But I'll follow the advice here and try out no deficit.
So, just to clarify, when you say I can eat 100 cals more do you mean above my tdee or above the deficit which would have been 1100 something...
Really appreciate your help!0 -
@jerb00
I am hoping someone can give me some advice.
Here's my opinion/advice....
I weighed myself yesterday and I am 96 lbs. that kinda freaked me out and while that is still within true healthy range I am uncomfortable with that low number.
So raise your calories.
So, my dilemma: I keep reading that to reduce body fat and Gail muscle it will be slow but k should eat at a 10-20% caloric deficit.
Yes you would lose fat in that kind of deficit - but highly doubt you would gain muscle at 20% deficit.
But it's a moot point as you want to be heavier so need to raise calories not have a deficit.
For info: I'm sure our situations are different but I could only gain muscle at a miniscule deficit - 1lb a month!
1lb a week saw my lean mass decline slowly.
But again if you are underweight - eat more!
I recalculated my tdee based on my new weight and estimating body fat based on pics (25% I'd say from looking at pics) and it put me at 1463. I don't want to really eat much under that at all, but if I follow the program will I lose body fat not eating at a deficit.
Far better to use your own logging data and actual weight results than a calculator.
Yes recomp is all about gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time. Recomp is what Bret Contreras does with some of his female physique competitors who are at the right weight but needs their physiques honing.
Everything says if your fat % isn't low enough you won't see the definition and more sculpted look which is what I am going for.
Yes that's true. Definition comes mostly from low body fat but of course the more muscle you have the more you have to show and earlier it will show.
Thanks s-
I don't actually want to be heavier, exactly, I just didn't think I'd get that low. Make sense? I am tiny and so the number freaked me out a likely but I still got that junk - in - my - trunk look. Super slender and firm torso but jiggle bottom half. Am hoping to tighten and tone and just see what I can do with lifting (something I have never done before). Don't want to screw my body up not eating enough cals but don't want to work hard for nothing if I have too much fat on the bottom half to make a difference. Does that make sense? I get that if you are low you need to eat more calories, but i wasn't sure it was as simple as that in my situation. But maybe it is...
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Thanks so much for your quick reply. I freaked a little because right after college I was 96 lbs and I stopped getting my period. But you are right it is still in the healthy range and you are also right that there may be other factors at play. Especially since I don't weigh myself every day. In fact, I don't own a scale and only weigh myself every couple/several weeks when I get to my parents house.
I reread the first post and understand it but everything I have read elsewhere states that if you still have a good % of body fat then you can't get deduced without a deficit. But I'll follow the advice here and try out no deficit.
So, just to clarify, when you say I can eat 100 cals more do you mean above my tdee or above the deficit which would have been 1100 something...
Really appreciate your help!
Think about it this way:
You want to weigh more, and want fat as a % to be lower?
But that doesn't mean you need to lose any of the fat you have - if you gain muscle, fat will be lower as a % of that higher weight. Your body will be leaner, even if you keep all your fat. You have to eat some extra calories to gain that muscle, your body can't build it out of nothing. (If you get to the higher weight and still feel fat, you can then diet to lose some of the fat, but maybe all you need is some muscle to put things in shape.)
Does that make sense?1 -
Measurements
Biceps - Before 13" - After 15.75".
Chest - Before 38.5" - Now 42.75"
Waist - Before 35.5" - Now 31"
These numbers and your avatar are definitely inspiring. I'm doing everything body weight, so I may never see the kind of numbers you have, plus I'm 50 years old, 5'7 and have an average bone structure. I've added about three-quarter inch to my arms (12.75" to 13.5"), inch and a half to my chest (40" to 41.5"), waist really hasn't changed (34"). My goals are 14.5", 42.5", 32". I'm trying to avoid having a time frame, just keep doing what I'm doing and one day be able to say, "I made it!"
I'm trying to to do it recomp for the same reason you stated - I don't trust myself to bulk and cut after losing 60 lbs last year.
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@jerb00 A TDEE calculator is a good starting point for a daily calorie goal. Reality will trump a calculator though. If you eat what the calculator is telling you and you are losing/gaining weight you will need to adjust your calories up or down.
If you read what some people are posting they are eating maintenance calories and losing body fat. People see results in 6-12 months.1 -
Thanks so much for your quick reply. I freaked a little because right after college I was 96 lbs and I stopped getting my period. But you are right it is still in the healthy range and you are also right that there may be other factors at play. Especially since I don't weigh myself every day. In fact, I don't own a scale and only weigh myself every couple/several weeks when I get to my parents house.
I reread the first post and understand it but everything I have read elsewhere states that if you still have a good % of body fat then you can't get deduced without a deficit. But I'll follow the advice here and try out no deficit.
So, just to clarify, when you say I can eat 100 cals more do you mean above my tdee or above the deficit which would have been 1100 something...
Really appreciate your help!
Think about it this way:
You want to weigh more, and want fat as a % to be lower?
But that doesn't mean you need to lose any of the fat you have - if you gain muscle, fat will be lower as a % of that higher weight. Your body will be leaner, even if you keep all your fat. You have to eat some extra calories to gain that muscle, your body can't build it out of nothing. (If you get to the higher weight and still feel fat, you can then diet to lose some of the fat, but maybe all you need is some muscle to put things in shape.)
Does that make sense?
Yes. That makes a lot of sense. Thank you!0 -
@jerb00 A TDEE calculator is a good starting point for a daily calorie goal. Reality will trump a calculator though. If you eat what the calculator is telling you and you are losing/gaining weight you will need to adjust your calories up or down.
If you read what some people are posting they are eating maintenance calories and losing body fat. People see results in 6-12 months.
You are right. I'll just eat maintenance and see how it goes. Thanks.1 -
Bumping to follow as well. I'm 5lbs above where I'd like to be before I start recomping, so my plan is to keep dieting throughout the summer and start recomping when winter hits. I'll be wanting to spend more time on lifts (and eating
) and less time outside by then anyway! 1 -
Hello. I am at goal and maintaining. This is very helpful to me. I am not a bodybuilder so do all this stuff applies to me? What changes do I make in my plan other than the obvious of bulking up to gain more muscle? Thank you. Very informative thread.0
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Hello. I am at goal and maintaining. This is very helpful to me. I am not a bodybuilder so do all this stuff applies to me? What changes do I make in my plan other than the obvious of bulking up to gain more muscle? Thank you. Very informative thread.
Do you want to bulk (i.e clean bulk small calorie surplus) or just maintain (recomp at maintenance calories or with a very small deficit)?
Do you have a progressive strength training program you would like to follow or are you following one now?
You do not have to be a bodybuilder and certainly everyone can reap the benefits of recomping.. so to answer your question this can or does apply to you if you want to...
Really no changes to your plan is needed accept getting adequate protein in your diet.1 -
@nodmHello. I am at goal and maintaining. This is very helpful to me. I am not a bodybuilder so do all this stuff applies to me? What changes do I make in my plan other than the obvious of bulking up to gain more muscle? Thank you. Very informative thread.
I'm an elderly cyclist - recomp applies to me as well.
Applies to anyone that wants to improve their strength and body composition.
What is your plan?
"Bulking up" would more commonly be a term used when you are deliberately gaining weight.2 -
RoxieDawn and sijomial, since I lost weight, I noticed that I could use to add a little muscle all around. It is so hard to see an upward movement on the scale and so I do not intend to "bulk up" too much. I'll probably continue to stay on maintenance with a small deficit. I am currently at about 16-17% body fat (?) according to a hand held gadget and I do not know if it is possible to do this. Much appreciate the input! Thank you. 1
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I'm interested in recomp and have a body fat scale. It says I am 22.9% F and 61.2% W and 32.7% M I am assuming that those are fat and water percentages. What do the M % abbreviation and 3.4% B abbreviations stand for? Why does the total come to over 100% ? (120.2%)
Edited typo0 -
The "M" probably stands for muscle mass. As for the "B" I have no idea; are you getting the stats from??0
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I'm interested in recomp and have a body fat scale. It says I am 22.9% F and 61.2% W and 32.7% M I am assuming that those are fat and water percentages. What do the M % abbreviation and 3.4% B abbreviations stand for? Why does the total come to over 100% ? (120.2%)
Edited typo
Might "B" be for bone density? I know some show that. If so, that seems really low.
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I'm interested in recomp and have a body fat scale. It says I am 22.9% F and 61.2% W and 32.7% M I am assuming that those are fat and water percentages. What do the M % abbreviation and 3.4% B abbreviations stand for? Why does the total come to over 100% ? (120.2%)
Edited typo
Might "B" be for bone density? I know some show that. If so, that seems really low.
Okay-- figures it out to be "Bone Mass".
http://www.scalesexpress.com/blog/body-fat-monitors-what-you-need-to-know/0 -
@DebSozoI'm interested in recomp and have a body fat scale. It says I am 22.9% F and 61.2% W and 32.7% M I am assuming that those are fat and water percentages. What do the M % abbreviation and 3.4% B abbreviations stand for? Why does the total come to over 100% ? (120.2%)
Edited typo
Maybe the 61.2% is water and the 32.7% is muscle and as there's water in muscle tissue it might explain why it adds up to more than 100% ???
Make and model of the scales would help.0 -
I guess my bone density is good because it is in the positive.
http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/bone/bone_health/bone_mass_measure.asp0 -
You can find info on the make & model of scale on-line; just type it in and it should come up. I have a Weight Watchers that my husband bought over 10 yrs ago and I couldn't find the info in the house so looked it up on-line and downloaded to my computer. And, BTW 3.4% for bone mass is not good; you may want to have your doc check it out if that is what the B on your scale means. 1
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The body fat has body water in it which is why the total is greater than 100%.0
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So is your scale saying you are 22.9% body fat?0
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I know that is high which is why I want to lose 10 pounds plus recomp.1
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