Recomp or Still Weight Loss?

corysmithsmail
corysmithsmail Posts: 166 Member
edited December 20 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I've gotten to my goal weight since end of December 2018. I've been maintaining there successfully. I still have a little stomach that I'm trying to lose. I know I can't spot reduce, but I don't know if I should just eat at maintenance and lift like I've been doing or if I should still eat at deficit until my stomach gets smaller.

Everywhere else on my body is pretty ideal size for me. If anywhere else gets smaller I'll look too skinny which is what I don't want. Can working on a recomp eventually get my stomach down without my weight changing?

I do full body weighttraining 3x/week and get 10k steps about 6.5 days of the week, while eating at maintenance calories of 2,020. I also will do about 30 minutes of LISS cardio on the same days I do weights. Is that the right approach?

I know recomp takes a LONG time and maybe I'm just being impatient. lol probaby the answer.

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    No recomp doesn't take a "LONG time" - it takes a varied amount of time depending on people's lifting experience, age, gender, response to training and quality of training.

    Your potential rate of muscle building progress is individual not universal.

  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
    My stomach did get smaller with recomp. I think I really noticed the changes about six months in when I compared a photo of that time with one when I first hit my goal weight. So, take some progress photos and measurements and yes, be patient too.
  • kytdkyt
    kytdkyt Posts: 16 Member
    I've started a recomp. Within a month I've lost an inch almost everywhere (except my stomach, wah!), although I chalk some of this up to water/glycogen loss. However, the muscles in my arms and legs are already strengthening. I'm not seeing any visible differences yet, but I can feel changes.
  • angermouse
    angermouse Posts: 102 Member
    don't mean to jump on your post - but is maintenance and recomp the same thing?
  • angermouse
    angermouse Posts: 102 Member
    angermouse wrote: »
    don't mean to jump on your post - but is maintenance and recomp the same thing?

    scrap that, just read its the same thing. was just checking haha :#
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    angermouse wrote: »
    don't mean to jump on your post - but is maintenance and recomp the same thing?

    From what I understand, not exactly. While recomp is done at maintenance, the intention is to improve... fitness, strength, body composition wise, etc. Maintenance in and of itself does not always lead to that without adequate stimulation. So if I didn't want to gain muscle or lower my bodyfat % at maintenance (which might be the goal), I would have to adjust my training accordingly.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    @angermouse

    No it's not the same thing.
    You can maintain weight and increase your fat percentage / atrophy your muscles.
    You can maintain weight and remain the same body composition.
    You can maintain weight and improve your body composition.

    Improving body comp can be a standalone goal or just a byproduct of a training regime with a different primary objective - get stronger, get fitter for example.


    I could also be picky and point out that recomp isn't just at perfect weight maintenance - for example a young, male, undertrained individual will have quite a broad calorie range where they can add muscle and lose fat at the same time.
    An old fart like me will have a far narrower range. :neutral:
  • angermouse
    angermouse Posts: 102 Member
    oh. this aint my thread so shouldn't really hijack about my question. maybe if I start my own thread?
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