Body recomposition diet: Why it may be perfect to lose fat and gain muscle

If you are on the lookout for a fitness regime which allows you to look lean but toned as well, read on! As the name suggests, the body recomposition diet works on the composition of your body. The main aim of the diet is to rewire your body composition by reducing fat and increasing muscle.

What is body recomposition diet?

Body composition, or analysing the fat and fat-free areas of your body, are the backbone of this diet. Dietitian Garima Goyal says, “The basic agenda is to change your body’s composition and make it high in muscle and low in fat. In such a fitness regime, high protein and balanced diet is eaten followed by strength training to build up the muscle and aerobic workouts to burn fat.”

How does recomposition diet work?

Before you follow this diet, your focus needs to shift from weight loss, to measuring body fat and circumference. Here’s how this diet will help us achieve that:

• Caloric deficit: The aim is to consume less calories than your body expends and it can be done in two ways – by eating fewer calories and by burning more calories.
• Focus on protein: Increasing protein in the diet provides essential amino acids needed for muscle growth and repair.
• Strength training: Performing strength training exercises at least 5 times a week helps to build and preserve lean muscle mass.
• Macronutrient balance: The diet in such a regime should be carefully planned to meet the body’s caloric needs along with aiding in fat loss and muscle gain.
• Cardiovascular exercise: A balance of cardiovascular exercises and strength training is needed.

How to lose fat

There are various ways how you can reduce fat in the body recomposition diet:

• Calorie deficit: For a gradual but sustainable fat loss, you need to consume at least 500 calories less than the maintenance calories.
• Macronutrient balance: This diet includes a perfect blend of macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and fat.
• Nutrient timing: For maintaining energy level during workout, have a carbohydrate-rich meal during, before or after your workout.
• Fibre-rich and whole foods: Try to have high fibre foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Portion control: It is important to work on your portion sizes for maintaining your caloric needs.

How to gain muscle

Here are the points to keep in mind while gaining muscle on the body recomposition diet.

• Caloric surplus: The calorie consumption should exceed the calories expended. A caloric surplus of 250-500 calories is enough.
• High protein: For muscle growth, aim for 1.2-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
• Micronutrient intake: Not only focus on your macros rather micros too as vitamins and minerals are needed for muscle functioning.
• Meal timing: Calories and protein should be evenly consumed throughout the day. For optima protein synthesis, have meals every three to four hours that are rich in protein.
• Pre and post workout meal: Having a pre workout meal that is rich in carbohydrates and protein is needed to give you energy during your workout and a post meal having protein is crucial for muscle recovery and growth.
• Rest: Muscle growth and repair happens when you are sleeping, so rest is important.

What are the benefits of body recomposition diet?

The recomposition diet is only about weight loss, it is multifactorial, says Garima Goyal. Here is all that it will do for you.

Altering body’s composition and fat loss will give the body a toned appearance while muscle gain build-up and preservation raises metabolism and strength. “Enhanced strength improvs your workout strength and physical performance, minimising the risk of injuries. Enhanced longevity reduces the risk of chronic diseases, manages the blood sugar levels and strengthening every organ system of the body,” explains Goyal. She adds that the body you achieve by such a diet is sustainable, unlike crash diets and will give you long lasting results for life.

Fitness routine for body recomposition diet

In a body recomposition diet, your fitness routine should focus on both strength training and cardiovascular exercise, says Goyal.

• Strength training, done 3-5 times per week, is essential for building and maintaining lean muscle mass.
• Prioritise compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, using progressive overload to challenge yourself over time.
• Cardiovascular workouts, 2-4 times a week, help create a caloric deficit for fat loss. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and steady-state cardio are effective options.
• Flexibility and mobility exercises should be included to prevent injuries and improve movement quality.