Ready to Recomp . . .

Just got another hydrostatic test done today and my LBM increased to 91.3% (from 89.9%) and my BF has dropped to 8.7% (from 10.1%). Whoopee!!

That was a surprise because I have actually been increasing my daily cal intake while maintaining a relatively low level of exercise (5 days/wk) over the past 3 months. My weight was 158.3# (144.55# LBM and 13.75# BF). My weight was essentially unchanged from the hydrostatic test 3 months ago at 158.0 but my LBM increased 2.55# and my BF dropped 2.25#.

That is a pure recomp result!

My marcos from the start over a year ago were and have continued to be 40%P/40%C/20%F and, despite the common belief that it's ALL about CICO, my data indicates that over a 9 month period, I actually lost weight from 170 to 158 and my BF dropped from 16.9 to 10.1% on relatively constant cal intake of between 1800-1900 cals per day over that 9 month period and, while I increased my cal intake by 10% to 2000-2100 per day over the past 2 months, I maintained my weight between 157-159 and dropped my BF from 10.1 to 8.7% during this 2 month time period.

This is entirely contrary to the CICO hypothesis!

The macro goals were seldom actually achieved but the average over the past 12 months has been:
33.3% P/38.4%C/28.3%F. The average monthly gm of protein per # of body weight during this time period varied from a low of 0.811 to a high of 1.233. My average intake of protein daily over the past 12 months was 187 gms of protein, 177 gms of mostly low GI carbs and 67 gms of fat.

The only thing that can make sense of these results is the thermogenic effect of eating a high protein and low fat diet which reduces appetite, contributes to LBM/muscle development and/or maintanance, requires more energy to digest plus a high carb diet of mainly low GI foods which reduced the amount of insulin released thereby allowing more BF to be burned (rather than stored).

I would take a more careful analysis of the food that I ate and the exercise program that I have engaged in over the past year to "prove" this to be the case.

While I have weighed myself and logged my food and exercise daily over the past year, my data would not endure scientific scrutiny and I certainly cannot extrapolate my individual experience to everyone else but this has been the result for me and I am entirely convinced it has had more to do w/the nature of my diet and exercise program than just the calories that I have consumed.

PS: I have been measuring my LBM & BF by means of DXA scanning and hydrostatic testing quarterly over the past year and now that I am clearly in an established weight maintenance zone and am obviously at a very low BF level, I am going to reduce DXA scanning and hydrostatic testing to just semiannually for the next 12 months. Those scan/test results will be due on or about Jan and Jun of 2018.

BTW, my exercise program over the past 2 months generally has been a split session upper and lower body routine as follows:

Day 1: Pullups/Pushups/Dips (PPD) and Squats (Bill Starr 5x5 Method)
Day 2: OHP (Bill Starr 5x5 Method) plus 2x15 min Concept 2 Rowing sessions
Day 3: PPD plus 2x15 min Stairmaster sessions
Day 4: BP (Bill Starr 5x5 Method) plus 2x15 min Concept 2 Rowing sessions
Day 5: PPD plus DL (Bill Starr 5x5 Method).

All rowing and Stairmaster sessions are constant rate and moderate pace; no HIIT.

My current PPD routine requires me to wear a 15# vest and do 100 (12") decline pushups, 50 pullups and 75 dips.

My calculated 1RMs for the lifts have been progressively increasing and currently are:
DL: 389#
SQT: 259#
BP: 215#
OHP: 125#

That's all the exercise that I have been doing recently and this is what I plan to continue to do indefinitely.