If I'm happy with the size I am and just want to tone up, I need to add weight. Right?

Height and age?

If you gain weight it won’t all be muscle or recomp. What finally worked for me was getting all the fat off me I wanted to, and then built muscle on that frame.

After I started bulking up a while and added a bunch of weight, I cut the fat and maintained the muscle. You could try this if you’re tired of cutting. Go beast mode… add muscle and cut fat later

I’d think you need to add 300-500 calories at this point

You definitely need to keep shedding fat.

Lift, walk, and eat protein and don’t worry about gaining muscle until you’re sub 15% BF.

I’d add 100 calories per week for a month and then ride that for a while. Up protein to 160g+.

Once you are at 1700 calories or so, I bet you’ll see a spike in fat loss for a few weeks and you’ll feel much better.

Congrats, that's impressive!!

It’s not rocket science to recomp your body. Prioritize protein, get sleep, stay hydrated train hard get steps. Easy peasy.

High protein, moderate carb, low fats, the healthy kind. Big breakfast with protein, simple and complex carbs and healthy fats. have some simple carbs with breakfast and after workout. Fewer carbs on non workout days. Get rid of your calorie deficit or lower it to only 125-250. I never actually counted calories, i count protein, 150 non workout, 180 on workout days. Fats under 30. Trial and error with carbs. On a plan like this you can burn fat and keep your workouts going strong. I like to really lower carbs after 3 or so to keep burning fat

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Wouldn't drop below 1800 calories for a man. You'll train your metabolism to shut down.

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Eh, I know 500 deficit is recommended. But I was 280 at the doctor's appt last August. Got told I was prediabetic and going to have to up BP medicine. So, I wanted to lose it fast. Since then, I'm no longer prediabetic and have actually come off my BP medicine completely.


Was losing about 5 or so pounds a week until I hit about 220. Then about 2-3 pounds a week until 190. Been at about 1~1.5 pounds a week since then, but I don't burn as much being smaller now. I'm sure it slowed down some, but not a ton. And I've read it'll come back pretty quick (within a month or so) of going back to regular calorie intake.

I think I'm going to start adding about 100 calories a day each week (in more protein mainly. probably do a second daily protein shake at first) until I'm back up to around 1800 a day.

That would put me at a 500 or so deficit. Then work with that. After that I'll be around 170 I would guess. I definitely don't wanna go much below 170.

Amazing results, really. People who’ve never lost that kind of weight have no idea how dedicated you’ve been.

You’re spot on about how quickly it’ll come back, I’d add the calories even slower, just 100 per week for several weeks. Once you’re between 1800-1950 ride that for a long while, especially if weighing and measuring isn’t driving you crazy.

Look for a location that does Inbody scans. Usually at supplement shops or some gyms and they probably will let you do it for free. That can give you a pretty good baseline for you to jump from now that you've lost weight