3 Habits For Effective Body Recomp with Optimal Results

The three big things I’m doing to lose fat and gain muscle over age 40 for the next 100 days! These are the cornerstones for an successful body recomp. (All posts for 100 day recomp)

OK Ladies! If you’re over 40 and don’t think it’s possible to recomp your body (lose fat while gaining muscle), I want you to try these 3 things for the next 100 days to prove to yourself that it is possible!

Research evidence for body recomp!

There are new studies that show, when your in a calorie deficit, it is possible to preserve, and possibly even build new lean tissue. Here’s a few quotes from peer reviewed research

Research indicates that incorporating resistance training and adequate protein intake during VLCDs can help preserve skeletal muscle mass. (source)

Combining caloric restriction with moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise reduced weight while maintaining lean mass. This suggests that exercise can attenuate muscle loss during calorie deficits (source)

Being in energy deficit most likely impairs muscle growth, but the effect is not major and muscle growth is still possible in energy deficit for many people and strength gains should still be very realistic. (source)

A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology examined the effects of caloric restriction on anabolic resistance. The findings suggest that while caloric restriction can induce anabolic resistance, consuming adequate protein (1.2 g/kg body weight) and engaging in resistance training can help maintain lean mass during energy deficits (source)

So, it is possible! Especially when you have excess fat storage, energy needs in a calorie deficit will likely break down your body fat for fuel, before it needs to break down muscle for fuel. So, it’s a win-win!

What all these studies point to, is that there are 3 major components to a successful recomp. They are:

1. Eat adequate protein
2. Lift heavy weights
3. Keep your calories and macros in check

1) Eat Protein (150 g per day)

According to research, dietary protein can mitigate muscle loss during a calorie deficit. This means, when you’re eating enough protein, it can help preserve that muscle. It’s required for the building and repair of muscle tissue that is stressed through exercise.

But the protein goal for me is more than just a building block for muscle. Having a high protein target actually quiets the food noise for me naturally. (read my post on all the ways to quiet the food noise here).

So, 150 gram protein target essentially,

• Helps build muscle
• Minimizes muscle loss during a deficit
• and help’s you eat less, by quieting the food noise!

Start here:

• Set a daily goal of at least 150 grams of protein. (check out the top 25 protein foods I eat the most here!)
• Include protein with every meal and snack—think eggs, chicken, Greek yogurt, protein powder, cottage cheese, and lean beef.
• Don’t guess—track your intake to make sure you’re hitting your number.

For more, here’s

• 20 minute protein prep and meals
• Complete list of high protein foods

2. Lift Heavy and Track Your Progress

Muscle growth can happen quickly when you first embark on a strength training program. But, after the first 6 months, if you aren’t either increasing your weight or increasing your reps, it’s unlikely you’ll grow much beyond the “newbie gains.”

Things really changed for me when I started tracking my workouts- with the weight and the rep totals. I can’t give you a run down of good apps, since I’ve only tried one, but I LOVE IT! I’ve been using the Strong App for about 3 years, and it keeps track of how heavy I’m lifting and how many reps I can do. (here’s a screenshot from my phone using the Strong app after a workout was complete)

Bottom line: Gradually increasing the weight or reps over time, stimulates muscle growth. (which is our goal!)

Your action steps:

• Strength train at least 3–5 times a week.
• Focus on progressive overload: Increasing your weight as a priority, and reps secondarily.
• Track a few specific moves at the beginning and at the end of 100 days. I’m using shoulder press, deadlifts, and squats to gauge strength gains.

I only have a few exercise posts, but if you need help,

• My bikini prep 5 day training split
• My dumbbell only home workout
• and a shoulder workout with YouTube video!

3. Track Calories and Macros Daily

And finally, get in the habit of tracking your calories and macros. Even if you don’t change anything, or even limit your calories, tracking helps you to be aware of what you’re eating, so you aren’t being mindlessness about your food, and to get into the habit of weighing and recording foods. It’s very eye opening to see how many calories are in specific foods.

You can’t change what you don’t track. Even small miscalculations in food intake can stall your results. By tracking your calories and macros, you’ll know exactly how much protein, carbs, and fat you’re eating—and where you need to adjust.

Why this matters:

• For recomp, you’ll likely want to eat around maintenance calories or a slight deficit.
• Tracking your macros helps ensure you’re not just hitting protein, but also getting the right balance of carbs and fats to support training and recovery.
• Use apps like MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, or MacrosFirst to make this easy and efficient.

Resources: Here’s how I track recipes in Myfitnesspal. Also, if you own my 1500 calorie meal plan book, those meals can be found in Myfitnesspal already logged by me.

Alright, so we can do this, right!?? 3 things! That’s all I want you to worry about for the next 100 days for a successful body recomp!

If you’re new here and just catching up on the 100 day recomp challenge, start here!