Timeline for recomposition

Anyone who has tried recomp, what kind of timeline should I expect? I understand that it is slow going, but I am wondering what to realistically expect. I still have too high of a body fat percentage to bulk, but am struggling hard with trying to keep a deficit to keep cutting. I am not completely unhappy with my body now, but I would still like it to be better which leads to recomp.

How long does it take? Is it realistic to think I can recomp 1% body fat per month? 2%? 0.5%? I am current sitting around 26-27% body fat at 5'4" maintaining between 145-150 lbs. Any insight would be great.

Replies

  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    Thanks for the input! I have been eating around maintenance for a couple months now (trying to do a deficit for the last month, but eating to much). I don't know if it is the winter months making me want to eat more, or just the lack of motivation to be in a deficit because I'm not completely unhappy with my body anymore. I was just wondering if it was realistic to think I could lose 1-2% body fat per month. Not really sure where my end goal for body fat percentage is right now, maybe 20-22%?
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    I knew 1% a week wasn't very realistic. From the sounds of it, I don't think even 1% BF reduction a month will even happen. I've already got a solid muscle base, which makes muscle gains more difficult already. Ideally I would like to drop my maintenance range down another 5 lbs, but I don't see that happening until the weather warms up and I start running again (I can't stand treadmills, I am bored after 1 minute).
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
    I knew 1% a week wasn't very realistic. From the sounds of it, I don't think even 1% BF reduction a month will even happen. I've already got a solid muscle base, which makes muscle gains more difficult already. Ideally I would like to drop my maintenance range down another 5 lbs, but I don't see that happening until the weather warms up and I start running again (I can't stand treadmills, I am bored after 1 minute).

    It kinda sounds like you just need a break from the cut. Nothing wrong with sitting at maintenance while you keep working out for a bit until you can start running. Honestly, I'm at the top of a bulk and after I'm done with my next cut I'm probably going to sit at maintenance for quite a while. I'm getting kind of burnt on all these bulk/cut cycles. I need a "vacation" from it all. ;)
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    I knew 1% a week wasn't very realistic. From the sounds of it, I don't think even 1% BF reduction a month will even happen. I've already got a solid muscle base, which makes muscle gains more difficult already. Ideally I would like to drop my maintenance range down another 5 lbs, but I don't see that happening until the weather warms up and I start running again (I can't stand treadmills, I am bored after 1 minute).

    It kinda sounds like you just need a break from the cut. Nothing wrong with sitting at maintenance while you keep working out for a bit until you can start running. Honestly, I'm at the top of a bulk and after I'm done with my next cut I'm probably going to sit at maintenance for quite a while. I'm getting kind of burnt on all these bulk/cut cycles. I need a "vacation" from it all. ;)

    I did take an intentional break for December and tried to start cutting again in January, but the deficit just isn't happening. That's why I was curious about what to expect from recomp.
  • lildickybarrett
    lildickybarrett Posts: 20 Member
    Aim to lose no more than 1% of your bodyweight a week, adjusy your calories to that. Example:

    200lb person, loses 2lb a week. A 150lb person 1.5 lbs a week. As your weight drops you should constantly recalculate this.

    Punch your details in here: https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html and it will give you a good estimate. Be conservative on the exercise level, most people dont do as much as they think.

    Timeline depends on your goals. Estimate your current bodyfat and a %bodyfat goal, then you can see how much you have to lose and at losing 1% a week how long it will take.

  • born_of_fire74
    born_of_fire74 Posts: 776 Member
    edited February 2019
    I've been recomping for just over two years now. Never had a proper scan or used calipers, just estimating based on appearance along with occasionally plugging my measurements into the US Navy calculator and I feel that I've managed to go from ~25%BF to ~22%BF. As such, I'd say 1-2%/month is an unfeasibly high goal.

    Now it's true that I've had some injuries that set me back some, I do crossfit rather than a dedicated lifting program and I'm not the most careful tracker so my progress may be slower than it could be but I still think your goal is extremely optimistic. Based on my experience, I think you will be looking at recomping something like 1%BF over 6 to 12 months.

    There are some others here who've had very successful recomps and a fair bit quicker than mine, one member in particular going from ~22BF% to ~20%BF over the course of a year IIRC. This member is highly dedicated though so that'll likely be the high end of the spectrum for comparison sake.

    FWIW I'm 5'4" and 130+/-2lbs so similar in size to you. I started out close to 160lbs and 30%BF, dropped weight until I got to 126lbs and then switched to recomping.
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    I've been recomping for just over two years now. Never had a proper scan or used calipers, just estimating based on appearance along with occasionally plugging my measurements into the US Navy calculator and I feel that I've managed to go from ~25%BF to ~22%BF. As such, I'd say 1-2%/month is an unfeasibly high goal.

    Now it's true that I've had some injuries that set me back some, I do crossfit rather than a dedicated lifting program and I'm not the most careful tracker so my progress may be slower than it could be but I still think your goal is extremely optimistic. Based on my experience, I think you will be looking at recomping something like 1%BF over 6 to 12 months.

    There are some others here who've had very successful recomps and a fair bit quicker than mine, one member in particular going from ~22BF% to ~20%BF over the course of a year IIRC. This member is highly dedicated though so that'll likely be the high end of the spectrum for comparison sake.

    FWIW I'm 5'4" and 130+/-2lbs so similar in size to you. I started out close to 160lbs and 30%BF, dropped weight until I got to 126lbs and then switched to recomping.

    Ah, thank you. This is the kind of information I am looking for. So basically, I would be lucky to drop 0.5%-1% body fat before I am ready to start seriously cutting again. Which I likely won't even notice since that is well within any margin of error for body fat percentage calculators.
  • born_of_fire74
    born_of_fire74 Posts: 776 Member
    I've been recomping for just over two years now. Never had a proper scan or used calipers, just estimating based on appearance along with occasionally plugging my measurements into the US Navy calculator and I feel that I've managed to go from ~25%BF to ~22%BF. As such, I'd say 1-2%/month is an unfeasibly high goal.

    Now it's true that I've had some injuries that set me back some, I do crossfit rather than a dedicated lifting program and I'm not the most careful tracker so my progress may be slower than it could be but I still think your goal is extremely optimistic. Based on my experience, I think you will be looking at recomping something like 1%BF over 6 to 12 months.

    There are some others here who've had very successful recomps and a fair bit quicker than mine, one member in particular going from ~22BF% to ~20%BF over the course of a year IIRC. This member is highly dedicated though so that'll likely be the high end of the spectrum for comparison sake.

    FWIW I'm 5'4" and 130+/-2lbs so similar in size to you. I started out close to 160lbs and 30%BF, dropped weight until I got to 126lbs and then switched to recomping.

    Ah, thank you. This is the kind of information I am looking for. So basically, I would be lucky to drop 0.5%-1% body fat before I am ready to start seriously cutting again. Which I likely won't even notice since that is well within any margin of error for body fat percentage calculators.

    That may be the case. Again, FWIW, I had originally intended to cut down to under 120lbs but found myself at the same sort of impasse you are at now where I just couldn't seem to maintain the deficit to drop any more weight so I started eating at maintenance to see where that would take me. It's been slow, very slow, but I do see an improvement and have been mostly happy with my progress. Happy enough that I haven't changed my WOE, tightened up my logging or switched to a dedicated lifting program though I suppose I could if I really wanted to.