27M. I have lost 5 BMI points, down to 30 from 35, in 5-6 months. I did simple CICO and resistance training (PPL split).
I am a bit exhausted of the caloric deficit now and want a break. I have felt like this before and taken a maintenance phase of 1 week and then continued cutting. Now that I am no longer obese, I feel less inclined to continue.
Should I recompose at my current weight or should I continue cutting? Ultimately I do want to get to at least 28 BMI or lower.
Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.
I think cutting and bulking is the fastest way to get to a goal weight with the composition you desire. You cut down past it, bulk up past it, and then do a small cut to stick the landing. However, it gets tricky because a body builder cuts for far less time than someone who is losing weight casually. I believe a fighter making weight or a body builder do a more aggressive cut for time on the order of a month or two. The chronic accumulated fatigue doesn’t set in the way that it does when losing higher percentages of your total mass.
I think that if you’re tired of managing yourself and your consumption in a cut, you’ll probably make yourself cry with the more disciplined, harsher thresholds you need to recomposition.
Mike Isaeratel has a video about mini cuts that seemed like a promising strategy regarding dealing with accumulated fatigue in cuts. He details the benefits, psychological or otherwise, of taking a longer time to reach your goal with more pronounced breaks in the middle of the process.
My source is that I just personally feel like that from my cut (and it’s opinion or whatever)
I don’t really know if I have diet fatigue. I have seen Mike’s videos about it and it doesn’t feel relatable to me.
I will check out mini cuts video.
How is recomposition harsher than cutting?
If I understand it correctly, you have a small window on either side of your calorie requirements. Too low and you don’t gain any muscle (and don’t lose much fat for the trouble) and too much and you gain fat (but not that much muscle for the trouble). When you’re just cutting, as low as you can handle consistently is good. When you’re bulking you’re getting the full muscle building potential of that day plus some fat. To me it just seems like 2 fail conditions instead of 1 at a time and the pace is slower for the trouble.
Honestly whatever keeps you going is best. If you feel like youre losing motivation or strength and wanna change it up for a while go ahead.
Your goals are achievable whether you cut now or later.
I am stumped. What would you do?
I would keep cutting. But I grew up fat and was obsessed with losing weight-until I wasn’t. Once I was happy with my weight did I worry about body composition.
I grew up fat. I have lost 20 kg twice in my life but gained it all back and more. I don’t want to gain back anything this time, even if I lose a little less.
In that case I’d suggest sticking to a aloric deficit and getting used to a certain intake.
Try eating most of your calories on satiating foods. Potatoes etc.
I have cut out ultraprocessed food entirely from my diet and eat junk food only once a week. All other meals are whole foods.
