Body recomp problem area - midsection

Once you're out of beginner gains territory, body recomp is going to be very slow. You're looking at a 3-5 year process if you want to be getting stronger while building some muscle while also dropping fat and leaning out.

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I haven't been super strict on my diet

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There's your trouble.

1. Use an online calculator to determine your TDEE.
2. Download MyFitnessPal and make a profile. Set your daily caloric intake to TDEE - 500 calories.
3. Track your calories. I recommend doing it by weight, so get a cheap digital food scale on Amazon.

If you can make this your routine for the next 2-3 months, you will probably lose 5 lbs of fat. Keep your protein intake as like 35-40% of your caloric intake and you will not lose a ton of muscle as long as you keep a good weight training program.

As others have said, start tracking your food.

One other thing I've been reading about today is strengthening the transverse abdominis. This is the inner muscle that holds everything together in your midsection. The idea is that supposedly if you strengthen it up it will draw your organs in tighter which could help you drop your waist size a bit.

For most, that will be the last thing to go.

You will lean out everywhere else ahead of the abdominal region.

Clean up the diet and keep doing what you're doing.

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3-5 years

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Dude use the RP diet app and in 12 weeks you will prolly be where you want to be.

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It can definitely add up, but a half pound of fat in a week? That means in the last 2 months I would have added 4 pounds of fat? Nah. I have maintained or lost fat, added some muscle. With the intensity and regimen I've been doing those extra 300 calories are not going to fat.

I don't mind the extra calories if it is for the sake of muscle. It's just insurance for if I go over my daily caloric goal. But I do need to tighten up to be in a deficit.

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Huh? My post was to illustrate the point of how easy it is to overeat when you think you're in a deficit and it's consequences.

Nobody knows how much you're eating including yourself.

I’ve tried and was in the same boat.
Trainer at the gym told me it’s basically impossible to do a true recomp. You need tons of clean calories for gains but you need to cut back on calories to lose the weight I wanted to lose in my gut. (Only scientific way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume)

He suggested, and I’m trying with a ton of success, to spend 4-6 weeks cutting. Keeping protein at 1:1, grams:bodyweight is keeping probably 90% of the muscle I’ve gained while I eat around half the calories I was eating. Do HIIT twice a week, two lifting days.

I’m almost to my goal and then it’s back to the GAINZ!

Good for you man.
When it comes to diet I’ve tried it all.
Even lost 30 lbs in 30 days but I crushed my metabolism.
After a few years what I’ve learned FOR ME, is I have to be super strict 6 days out of the week. On the 7th day though... it’s balls to the wall eat whatever I want all day. This is the only method that has kept me in a good routine for a prolonged period. The other methods I get bored with it and get fat again. Been going at it for a year now.

I would agree. I would like to strip off the fat and then build from there. I'm in my mid 40's now, this shite used to be easy.

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