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The body recomposition diet aims to help people reach their ideal body composition instead of just losing weight. Ideal body composition can be reached by reducing body fat and increasing muscles in the body.
Merely reducing body fat will make a person underweight. Muscle gain makes a person look lean and toned. There're no specific guidelines for such a diet, and several types of diet that aim to reduce body fat and increase muscle can help in this regard.
In this article, we will discuss the health aspects of the body recomposition diet and ways to reduce your fat stores.
Weight Loss vs Fat Loss in Body Recomposition Diet
Both weight loss and fat loss are often used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing when it comes to body composition. Fat is deposited under the skin and around the organs. The fat under the skin is known as subcutaneous fat, while the one deposited around the organs is known as visceral fat.
Weight loss can occur even when you lose muscle and bone mass, so weight scale measurement can be misleading. Instead of aiming to lose kilograms, you should aim to lose body fat percentage while following a body recomposition diet.
To measure your body fat, you will need a fat measurement caliper or an electronic body composition scale. You can also get yourself a DEXA scan at an authorized health clinic.
What is Ideal Body Composition?
Ideal body composition refers to the ratio of fat, bone, and muscle in the body. The proper ratio of these components is crucial to determine whether a person is healthy or not. The body recomposition diet aims to correct this ratio.
The percentage of fat is the main determining factor whether a person is lean, overweight, or obese. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has published body fat percentages for men and women. Try to reach these ranges by following a body recomposition diet.
The ideal body fat percentages for women are:
- Essential fat: 10 to 13%
- Athletes: 14 to 20%
- Fitness: 21 to 24%
- Acceptable: 25 to 31%
- Obesity: > 32%
The ideal body fat percentages for men are:
- Essential fat: 2 to 5%
- Athletes: 6 to 13%
- Fitness: 14 to 17%
- Acceptable: 18 to 24%
- Obesity: >25%
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine whether a person is underweight, healthy, overweight, or obese.
BMI can be calculated by dividing your weight (in kg) by a square of your height (in meters). The BMI ranges as mentioned by the CDC are mentioned below:
- Underweight: 18.5
- Normal: 18.5–24.9
- Overweight: 25–29.9
- Obese: 30
However, BMI might not be an accurate criterion to measure body composition, as it doesn't take into consideration the individual ratios of fat and muscles inside the body. Fat percentage is considered the best measurement to determine whether you need to follow the body recomposition diet or not.
Check out this beginner's guide to the keto diet for fat loss.
Ways to Reduce Fat Percentage
Although you can control or reduce your calorie intake, you can also try out several other effective methods while following the body recomposition diet. Some of them are:
- Cut out processed foods: According to studies, processed foods, such as fast food, candy, packaged baked snacks, and chips, have been associated with fat gain and several other obesity-linked disorders. This is the first most important step while following a body recomposition diet.
- Reduce the intake of carbohydrates: Replacing carbohydrates (especially refined carbs) with high-protein foods and healthy fats can make you feel full and lower the levels of insulin. A stable insulin level can promote fat loss due to the catabolic activity of the glucagon hormone.
- Increase fiber intake: Eating fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables, might help decrease body fat by reducing the carbs that enter the body at a time, reducing the insulin spike.
- Include regular exercise: Moderate to high-intensity workouts can reduce body fat percentage. HIIT is known to increase fat burning. Weight training can also reduce body fat by boosting metabolism.
Try out these HIIT workouts at home while following a body recomposition diet.
Can I Get an Ideal Body Composition with This Diet?
You can reach your desired body composition with a body recomposition diet. However, keep in mind that this diet does not have proper guidelines, and it's just a term used to describe a diet that reduces body fat.
You can try out low-carb diets to reduce body fat and consume a lot of protein to gain muscles.
