My Accidental 2 Month Recomp: The Scale Ain't Shit!
- Thread starter shaunf
- Start date
@sharky This is one reason why BMI isn't the terrible metric (I'm not saying it's the only metric or it's infallible) people think it is. If they had even a passing familiarity with how BMI works they'd realize what weights people of different heights carry.
At those stats OP is solidly middle healthy BMI, which she looks. She looks amazing and healthy (being borderline underweight on BMI is NOT better). I was not shocked at all. When I saw her listed weight and her pic I instantly knew should be around that height to look like that, before I saw her listed height.
At those stats OP is solidly middle healthy BMI, which she looks. She looks amazing and healthy (being borderline underweight on BMI is NOT better). I was not shocked at all. When I saw her listed weight and her pic I instantly knew should be around that height to look like that, before I saw her listed height.
eyesofargus
New member
@sharky Yep. I'm this height and the cultural idea of "attractive/healthy/whatever women weigh 120 lbs!" was a BIG part of my eventual ED.
And God forbid you be a tall woman who is also built more like a hearty German farmer than a lanky Nigerian runner....my physical skeleton probably weighs more than some people's goal weight.
And God forbid you be a tall woman who is also built more like a hearty German farmer than a lanky Nigerian runner....my physical skeleton probably weighs more than some people's goal weight.
kratiscope
New member
@shaunf This is a really encouraging post thanks OP 
I’d been feeling quite down about trying to lose weight (fat) while keeping my protein and strength up. The result tends to be a really tired & unproductive gym sesh and no movement on the scale.
I’m now going to reevaluate my diet and try to not focus too much on the scale.
I’d been feeling quite down about trying to lose weight (fat) while keeping my protein and strength up. The result tends to be a really tired & unproductive gym sesh and no movement on the scale.
I’m now going to reevaluate my diet and try to not focus too much on the scale.
@kratiscope Yeah, I'd recommend any beginner to start with recomping for a year before setting any goals for weight change. Recomping works best for beginners so it's a smart move to take advantage of it. Unless someone is very thin and needs to bulk or technically 'obese' and wants to lean out or lose weight for health reasons, weight goals can be arbitrary, counterintuitive, and contribute to disordered eating more often than not.
leroyll1990
New member
@leroyll1990 No problem. It's always good to remember that fitness is a lifestyle and not a destination. Most women are inundated with media and rhetoric about some mystical "weight loss journey" where they'll turn up with a pot of gold at the other end. True fitness isn't measured by a number on a scale or weight watcher points. And when it comes to strength training in particular, those numbers have almost no influence in how powerful you are.
@shaunf Just for any bystanders tuning in, I'll add that the 1 g per lb bodyweight rule is grandly overstated and has been proven such through research. You can definitely eat that much if you want -- maybe you love whatever protein sources you're eating from or utilizing a higher intake for satiety reasons -- but it won't have any benefit as far as building muscle and increasing strength is concerned. Even on a deficit, you only need at most 1.8 g per kg body weight or 0.82 g/lb.
This has also been cited as a very safe value, meaning that it takes all extenuating circumstances into account.
https://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
Really, there hasn't been shown to be any value in getting more than 1.7 g/kg or 0.77 g/lb. Science considers this to be a very high-protein diet to the extent that overfeeding (eating in a surplus for bulking, for example) would generally not directly contribute to fat mass.
That said, similar experiments went as high as 2.2 g/kg or otherwise known as the infamous 1g/lb bodyweight rule, and didn't see any additional benefit at all. The same experiment tested 2.4 g/kg out as well, and no dice.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5786199/
The threshold for making gains starts at 1.6 g/kg or 0.73 g/lb and you can maintain between 1.2-1.4 g/kg or the equivalent 0.54-0.64 g/lb. The first source above actually saw advanced lifters gain both strength and muscle mass on as little as 0.55 g/lb.
So if you're finding it difficult to get protein, you don't need as much as many fitness enthusiasts may tell you. And you'll save a lot of money just hitting your minimums. For carb fanatics like me who want to leave as much room as possible for more euphoria-inducing foods, you'll also have a better time overall.
Not to mention, if gaining muscle or strength is your goal, filling out your diet with carbs after hitting your protein and fat minimums is what most professionals recommend due to the numerous anabolic/anti-catabolic effects of carbohydrates.
Here's a review of some recommendations put together by Andy Galpin, who has a PhD in Muscle Physiology. One of my favorite YouTubers - Mike Isratel of Renaissance Periodization - who is a competitive bodybuilder with a PhD in Sports Physiology is also a big supporter of his work. I generally keep this in my notes for fellow fitness-oriented folk who struggle with the more popular but outdated 1 g/lb rule recommendation.
Sedentary: 0.8g/kg body weight/day
Strength trained(Maintenance): 1.2-1.4/kg body weight/day
Strength trained(Gains): 1.6-2.0/kg body weight/day
Endurance trained: 1.2-1.6/kg body weight/day
Weight restricted: 1.4-1.8/kg body weight/day
Elderly: 1.4-1.8/kg body weight/day
This has also been cited as a very safe value, meaning that it takes all extenuating circumstances into account.
https://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
Really, there hasn't been shown to be any value in getting more than 1.7 g/kg or 0.77 g/lb. Science considers this to be a very high-protein diet to the extent that overfeeding (eating in a surplus for bulking, for example) would generally not directly contribute to fat mass.
That said, similar experiments went as high as 2.2 g/kg or otherwise known as the infamous 1g/lb bodyweight rule, and didn't see any additional benefit at all. The same experiment tested 2.4 g/kg out as well, and no dice.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5786199/
The threshold for making gains starts at 1.6 g/kg or 0.73 g/lb and you can maintain between 1.2-1.4 g/kg or the equivalent 0.54-0.64 g/lb. The first source above actually saw advanced lifters gain both strength and muscle mass on as little as 0.55 g/lb.
So if you're finding it difficult to get protein, you don't need as much as many fitness enthusiasts may tell you. And you'll save a lot of money just hitting your minimums. For carb fanatics like me who want to leave as much room as possible for more euphoria-inducing foods, you'll also have a better time overall.
Not to mention, if gaining muscle or strength is your goal, filling out your diet with carbs after hitting your protein and fat minimums is what most professionals recommend due to the numerous anabolic/anti-catabolic effects of carbohydrates.
Here's a review of some recommendations put together by Andy Galpin, who has a PhD in Muscle Physiology. One of my favorite YouTubers - Mike Isratel of Renaissance Periodization - who is a competitive bodybuilder with a PhD in Sports Physiology is also a big supporter of his work. I generally keep this in my notes for fellow fitness-oriented folk who struggle with the more popular but outdated 1 g/lb rule recommendation.
Sedentary: 0.8g/kg body weight/day
Strength trained(Maintenance): 1.2-1.4/kg body weight/day
Strength trained(Gains): 1.6-2.0/kg body weight/day
Endurance trained: 1.2-1.6/kg body weight/day
Weight restricted: 1.4-1.8/kg body weight/day
Elderly: 1.4-1.8/kg body weight/day
trinity101
New member
@shaunf Can you give an example of snacks or even a day of eating?
I’m always curious how people get their protein in as i find it generally not super appealing. I like cheese, yoghurt and eggs and things that have higher cals vs lower protein like avocado and nuts.
Do you get most of your protein through meat or a combo like shakes and bars, meat and dairy?
I’m always curious how people get their protein in as i find it generally not super appealing. I like cheese, yoghurt and eggs and things that have higher cals vs lower protein like avocado and nuts.
Do you get most of your protein through meat or a combo like shakes and bars, meat and dairy?
michelle14
New member
@trinity101 Yeah I’m not a vegetarian but if I’m choosing a meal purely based on taste and not macros there’s a good chance it will be vegetarian. And then, something like a veggie and cheese omelette has a good amount of protein from the egg and cheese, but the percent of calories from protein is not great since those also have a lot of fat. Or rice and beans may have an ok total amount of protein if I eat enough of it, but that’s also a lot of calories from carbs. The non-meat options with protein as a higher percent of calories are also generally not as appealing to me (eg lower fat dairy, or things like tofu and seitan instead of beans).
Honestly found I just need to actively prioritize it, and not every meal is going to be my favorite for something like a work week lunch or dinner at home. Supplementing can also help, though if you’re doing a cut liquid calories aren’t necessarily the best for satiety even in the form of a protein shake.
Honestly found I just need to actively prioritize it, and not every meal is going to be my favorite for something like a work week lunch or dinner at home. Supplementing can also help, though if you’re doing a cut liquid calories aren’t necessarily the best for satiety even in the form of a protein shake.
richardsonne
New member
@trinity101 Not OP but to get my protein up I like to add fat free Greek yogurt as a snack. I never eat shakes, bars, or protein powder but I do like meat and will easily put away 6 oz of chicken or fish at lunch and dinner. I find that beans, tofu, and seitan are delicious but less protein for the calories, so I'll mix those in but less often.