Body recomp as an intermediate lifter, is this possible?

[mikerb]

I hear about body recomp being easier for beginner lifters, but i want to know your opinions or experiences in body recomp as a non-beginner.

Context:
My current body type i would say is chunky. I want to be leaner; lose a little weight (8 kgs max) and feel lighter.

I’m F, 61kg, but i’d say i look 52kg. I’ve been lifting since late 2018, stopped 2020-2021, casual lifter since then.

My problem is I am heavy, but my goals are:
Leaner for vanity, lighter for sports purposes.

When i started lifting I was 44kg feeling like I’m fat. Now i have a good relationship with food, i don’t feel like if i eat ice cream i have to cry and run the next day. I feel like cutting will set me back and might trigger my bad relationship with my body and food. I’m hoping there’s a way to be leaner and lighter without a drastic deficit(more than 500 of deficit is drastic to me). My maintenance is 1,700 calories.

I don’t mind a slow progress. Just seeking opinions or experiences that can help me with my plan.

 

[gustavowoltmann]

@mikerb Body recomp in intermediate is still possible. Do you know your current body composition? You have to determine your amount of lean tissue and burn-able fat in your total body weight. There are body charts and computations to guide you. General strategy is stay around maintenance calories with high protein diet while doing regular strength training. If the body fat % is higher than 20-22%, cut phase is more ideal. If it is lower, then recomp to ~15% body fat though this will depend on how much of intermediate muscle gains are accessible to the body.

 

[mocast83]

@mikerb Sure, pick up an endurance sport, like running, and keep at it. Seriously, my daily calorie allowance has ballooned ever since I took running seriously and it’s been a convenient weight management tool for me.

When I was purely doing weights/calisthenics, I could probably maintain on 2200 kcals a day (5’8, about 145 lbs then), but now I have to consume at least 3300-3500 kcals to be on a slight surplus (I’m trying to gain weight).

The moment I lower my intake, my weight comes off scary fast and I’ve always had difficulty cutting weight purely via dieting before. Also, running is fun! If that’s not your thing, maybe biking or swimming?

 

[mikerb]

@mocast83 I actually like to run and swim, bike as a commute. So there’s no problem with endurance sport. I wanted to lose a little weight for Spartan and climbing, actually. Lol. It’s a schedule issue for me, i like lifting weights more so that’s what i do mostly. I’ll try swapping some of my lift days to running. Thank you.