Body recomp?? 5’2 125 lbs 35% body fat 24F

[ibelive30]

Hello ladies!
I’m 5’2 and I’m 125 lbs. my highest was 163 in Feb 2020. I am now 125. I got down to 118 4 months ago, but I gained weight due to vacation, holiday, etc.
I got an in body scan and the results showed that I was 35.6% body fat. I thought I would be around 27%, but the results were shocking. I have attached a link of my results. The trainer said I had extremely low amounts of muscle. I guess it makes sense as I didn’t eat much protein growing up and I have always gained the same 20 lbs and lost the same 20 lbs, usually always through diet of 1200 calories.

I have been lifting weights off an on for the past year (I have had to take breaks due to gym shutting down).

The trainer said I had to lose 18 lbs of fat and gain 10 lbs of muscle. He charges a lot for training, and I can’t afford that right now, so I was hoping someone could help me here.

What kind of diet should I eat? He said I need to eat more calories. Is 1400 calories good? Macro would be 125 g of protein. I was thinking of doing this for 3 months.
Is this a good idea? Any suggestions?
Thank you so much. I am really desperate and would really like some help. in body scan results

 

[cherrypi]

@ibelive30 That happened to me too! I have a smart scale as well as a handheld BIA analysis device that are both within 2% of each other. I thought that would mean they're accurate but then I got a dexa which showed I had 8% more body fat! Not sure if anyone else had the same experience. As for calories, what are you currently eating now?

 

[ibelive30]

@cherrypi So my smart renpho scale shows I have 23.3% body fat. Navy calculator based on measurements shows I have 24%, and the handheld tool says 30%. They’re all so different.
I don’t really care about the numbers. I just want to have a flat stomach and look tight and feel strong. So for months I was eating 1250 calories. Last 2 months I haven’t been tracking and probably averaging around 2000, which is why I probably gained weight. I want to get back into it since I took such a long break. Is 1400 a good calorie number for body recomp?

I’m thinking because according to my in body scan, my BMR Is 1167, and if I exercise 3 times a week my maintenance would be 1640, and I think in order to recomp I need to be in a 200 cal deficit. So I think 1400 is a good number. But I’m not positive. Is that tooo low or too high?

 

[cherrypi]

@ibelive30 My understanding that a recomp involves staying the same weight, but gaining muscle and losing fat. If that's your goal, I think eating at 1600 and lifting heavy would be the target. If you're looking to be in a slight defecit and lose weight, 1400 would be what I would aim for. I'm 118 lbs and my Dexa measured my RMR at 1200 so it sounds very similar to yours, and I also maintain at around 1500-1600 with walking and lifting 2-3 days/week.

 

[ibelive30]

@cherrypi Yeah that makes sense. I’ll try that out for 3 months and be consistent. I’m really hoping I see a difference. Maybe then I’ll evaluate whether I need to lose weight or not

 

[klara6]

@ibelive30 For people with a high body fat percentage but relatively low weight, recomposition is recommended with a slight calorie deficit of 100-250 calories per day. This will optimize your rate of fat loss as you start building muscle. Not a requirement, but it helps you see more visible results. The key is that the deficit isn't too steep to counter your efforts. Since your BF is rather high, I'd expect this process to take at least 6 months, rather than the classic 3 that's often purported for beginners. So keep at it! (To add progressive overload and heavy lifting is key. If your weights are too light and you're not adding additional weight when you're able, then you won't see results.)