cut & maintain instead of bulk

Luna3386
Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
in Motivation and Support
Not sure I'd in right forum... But, I'm at an estimated 30% body fat. Majority on my stomach. Not sure how much is loose skin compared to fat- but my belly was definitely more saggy and baggy after my first child and it never was taut again. I've since had two more pregnancies with high weight gain. With my last kid it took me 5 1/2 years to lose the weight.

I find compliance to my deficit pitiful. I don't know if it is stress, exhaustion, a combination. I've decreased my deficit even though I'd really love to just charge ahead. I don't want to break forever, what's a good amount?

Not sure what info is needed: 1200 calories since April. Currently eating about 1400.
5'4" female. Weight: 148-152 been stuck at 152 since beginning of July.
Lift weights 4 days a week. Cardio 2x a week on most weeks. Lifting way less than my personal bests I hit in 2016 at a slight surplus (most likely). My goal weight is 135-140#

Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    How you do figure you have 30% body fat? You lift and you're barely overweight, so that number might be a bit high.

    You say you have terrible compliance and your deficit seems a bit extreme. You aren't losing, so you aren't even sticking to your calories consistently. Why not set your goal to maintain, focus on logging accuracy, and not add exercise calories. That should put you at a very slight deficit. It could set you up for recomposition and is going to help you with adherence.
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    How you do figure you have 30% body fat? You lift and you're barely overweight, so that number might be a bit high.

    You say you have terrible compliance and your deficit seems a bit extreme. You aren't losing, so you aren't even sticking to your calories consistently. Why not set your goal to maintain, focus on logging accuracy, and not add exercise calories. That should put you at a very slight deficit. It could set you up for recomposition and is going to help you with adherence.

    Thank you @usmcmp you actually estimated it based on my photos.

    I feel like my body fat is unportionately stuck in the middle of my body, which makes me feel bigger than I am.

    I did well sticking to my deficit calories (and eating lifting calories only) from April thru June. I'm working my way out of the deficit slowly in hopes of maintaining my weight.

    Would I see results from recomping now? Or should I maybe maintain thru the new year, then try another cut for ~12 weeks to hopefully get to my goal.
  • sugarfree123
    sugarfree123 Posts: 82 Member
    You sound like you are in the same hole I used to be in. I used to eat 800 to 1200 calories per day and lift weights hoping to build muscle. You are not eating enough to build muscle to even think about cutting. If you just cut without really building some muscle, you won't like your results. What calories are you thinking about cutting. You don't eat enough right now to be able to cut. Your metabolism is probably shot right now. You don't have a fat problem. You have a muscle problem. If you work on building muscle, the fat will take care of itself. I know this sounds crazy. I now eat about 2500 calories per day. I eat about 300 carbs per day. Sounds scary right? I lift weights just like I used to, so no crazy workouts. Guess what, I am weight stable. I am making muscle and losing the fat at the same time. If I ever do want to cut, at least I eat enough now that I have room to make a cut. but I love being able to eat the food and make muscle. I am over 60 years old. Do yourself a favor and check out a program called Eat To Perform online. I am merely a happy member. There are thousands like me who love the weekly reviews by coaches who care. You really don't have to be stuck and you don't have to starve to recomp. It is not expensive and a total eye opener.
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    I took all of 2016 at a surplus and built muscle. I have been cutting slightly since Thanksgiving, aggressively this spring and summer.

    I was more asking about instead of alternating cutting and bulking, cutting and maintaining since my body fat is too high to bulk (and honestly not sure I could mentally handle it). I was very successful this spring cutting- I have actually never she'd fat that successfully, except after my first two pregnancies. Which is why I was thinking of a break before cutting again. As well as trying to figure out how long to run each cycle. I seem to find more info about cutting/bulking than breaking.

    I'm slowly coming out of a deficit. But wasn't successful cutting until I got pretty low calorie wise.

    I don't think my metabolism is shot though. I think our bodies are more adaptable than that, and I haven't been at a deficit for a really long time, in the grand scheme of things.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Luna3386 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    How you do figure you have 30% body fat? You lift and you're barely overweight, so that number might be a bit high.

    You say you have terrible compliance and your deficit seems a bit extreme. You aren't losing, so you aren't even sticking to your calories consistently. Why not set your goal to maintain, focus on logging accuracy, and not add exercise calories. That should put you at a very slight deficit. It could set you up for recomposition and is going to help you with adherence.

    Thank you @usmcmp you actually estimated it based on my photos.

    I feel like my body fat is unportionately stuck in the middle of my body, which makes me feel bigger than I am.

    I did well sticking to my deficit calories (and eating lifting calories only) from April thru June. I'm working my way out of the deficit slowly in hopes of maintaining my weight.

    Would I see results from recomping now? Or should I maybe maintain thru the new year, then try another cut for ~12 weeks to hopefully get to my goal.

    Maintaining and recomp are the same thing if you lift. Most people who recomp don't do it intentionally, they just maintain weight and lift.
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Luna3386 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    How you do figure you have 30% body fat? You lift and you're barely overweight, so that number might be a bit high.

    You say you have terrible compliance and your deficit seems a bit extreme. You aren't losing, so you aren't even sticking to your calories consistently. Why not set your goal to maintain, focus on logging accuracy, and not add exercise calories. That should put you at a very slight deficit. It could set you up for recomposition and is going to help you with adherence.

    Thank you @usmcmp you actually estimated it based on my photos.

    I feel like my body fat is unportionately stuck in the middle of my body, which makes me feel bigger than I am.

    I did well sticking to my deficit calories (and eating lifting calories only) from April thru June. I'm working my way out of the deficit slowly in hopes of maintaining my weight.

    Would I see results from recomping now? Or should I maybe maintain thru the new year, then try another cut for ~12 weeks to hopefully get to my goal.

    Maintaining and recomp are the same thing if you lift. Most people who recomp don't do it intentionally, they just maintain weight and lift.

    Okay, I plan on recomping until the new year, then probably doing a small cut to reduce fat before going back into recomp. My hopes are that I will be satisfied with myself then and be okay with slow progress on the rest. And, of course, I reserve the right to change my mind on the cut lol.
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    This was my question and response in the recomping thread:
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Luna3386 wrote: »
    usmcmp 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.

    Feel free to share stories of recomposition and any research you have seen on it. Ask questions if you have any.

    Here are my questions:

    What does a healthy weight mean? I'm 5' 3 3/4" (heh heh) and 154#. I'm happy at this weight. I'm not super concerned with what my weight is. It is in the "overweight" BMI category. I don't know my body fat but it's over 25, for sure. Maybe over 30.

    I'm honestly pretty tired of dieting, despite taking all of 2016 off. I ate probably above maintenance (Scooby is obviously not accurate for me) and lifted weights, heavy. I started back in a deficit Thanksgiving last year and I am down 20 pounds. I am much happier at this weight and I suppose I would be even happier at a lower weight.

    My lifts are suffering. I'm usually pretty tired to begin with. I'm not overly concerned with what my exact weight, body fat, or appearance is, I just want to be less fat. I'm eating at a 1 pound weight loss a week now. Should I switch to .5 a week for a while before recomping? How do I know when to switch over?

    Guess I need some advice, please.

    @Luna3386 Healthy weight typically means within the normal BMI standards. The only people this wouldn't apply to is people who have higher than normal amounts of lean mass.

    You're going to have to decide what it is you can stick to. Recomp at your weight is going to show almost no visible progress. Losing some more fat before attempting recomp will help you see the changes a bit easier. It's also easier on your joints and your organs if you maintain a healthier level of body fat while doing recomp. Whether you stick to a pound a week or half a pound per week should be how fast you are actually losing, how accurate you are at that level, and whether you feel it is sustainable to reaching a normal BMI.

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