Dante Carrillo
Body composition is a useful way to monitor changes in your body and health. It refers to more than just weight, as it accounts for both fat and muscle mass. To change your body composition, you need to make changes to your diet and exercise habits. While losing fat is important, maintaining or gaining muscle is key to changing your body composition. A balanced diet rich in whole foods, such as fresh produce, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and protein is best for everyone, regardless of fitness goals. However, individuals trying to reform their body composition may need to focus on increasing their protein intake, as studies have shown that a high-protein diet is necessary for promoting muscle growth and preventing muscle loss.
Characteristics of changing body composition with diet
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Calorie intake | Eating more calories than burned leads to weight gain, fewer calories lead to weight loss |
| Macronutrients | Carbohydrates, fats, and protein are essential |
| Protein | Essential for muscle building and preservation, preventing muscle loss in a calorie deficit, and supporting recovery |
| Healthy fats | Provide long-lasting energy, support hormone function, and help with nutrient absorption |
| Meal timing | Eat more before or after a workout and a sensible meal when hungry |
| Fibre | Eat foods with lots of fibre such as brown rice, veggies, grilled chicken, turkey burgers, and salad |
| Sugar | Cut back on added sugars from sweets or processed foods |
| Hunger | Avoid getting too hungry, as this can lead to overeating |
| Portion size | Stop eating when full and save leftovers for later |
| Intuitive eating | Focus on hunger and satiety cues, slow down when eating |
| Supplements | Certain supplements can help increase muscle mass and strength |
| Exercise | Strength training and resistance exercises speed up muscle growth, a mix of cardio and weight training optimises body composition |
| Rest and recovery | Proper sleep and rest days prevent muscle loss and enhance fat metabolism |
| Consistency | Staying committed to healthy habits is key for long-term success |
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What You'll Learn
Eat more protein-rich foods
Eating a diet rich in protein is a key way to change your body composition. Protein is one of the three macronutrients, along with fats and carbohydrates, and it is one of your body's fundamental building blocks. It plays a crucial role in supporting your cells, organs, and tissues.
Protein is especially important for muscle growth and maintenance. It is recommended to distribute protein sources evenly throughout each meal, aiming for 20-30 grams of protein per meal. Eating a high-protein breakfast can reduce cravings and late-night snacking, as protein reduces levels of ghrelin, the "hunger" hormone. A high-protein breakfast can also help you feel full for longer, reducing your overall calorie intake throughout the day.
Good sources of protein include eggs, poultry, and dairy products. For example, cottage cheese is a high-protein food that is as filling and satisfying as eggs. It can be eaten on its own or with chopped nuts or seeds, cinnamon, and stevia. Greek yogurt is another versatile, high-protein food. Lean proteins like chicken and turkey are also great sources of protein, as are almonds, which can be added to yogurt, cottage cheese, salads, or oatmeal. Canned fish, such as tuna, is another easy way to add protein to your diet, and it can be served in a salad, eaten straight from the can, or added to an omelet or pasta dish.
Increasing your protein intake can also have other health benefits. A 2022 review found that increased protein intake improved bone density, especially animal protein. This is important for lowering the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures as you age.
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Consume fewer calories than you burn
Consuming fewer calories than you burn is a fundamental principle of weight loss. In simple terms, eating more calories than your body uses will lead to weight gain, while eating fewer calories will result in weight loss. However, it's important to note that this principle, known as "calories in versus calories out," is not the only factor influencing body composition.
The type of food you eat is crucial. A diet high in processed foods, such as ice cream, pizza, and chips, can lead to weight gain, especially if consumed in large quantities. On the other hand, a balanced diet rich in whole foods, such as fresh produce, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and protein, can promote weight loss and improve body composition.
To achieve a calorie deficit, it's essential to be mindful of your food choices and portion sizes. You can start by identifying the types of food you tend to overeat and making conscious efforts to reduce your intake of those foods. Additionally, listening to your body's hunger and satiety cues can help prevent overeating. Stop eating when you feel full, even if there is still food on your plate.
It's worth noting that creating a large calorie deficit by severely restricting your calorie intake (crash dieting) can be detrimental. It can lead to muscle loss, slow metabolism, and decreased performance. Instead, aim for a moderate calorie deficit by reducing your calorie intake slightly and increasing your physical activity to burn more calories.
Combining a calorie-controlled diet with regular exercise will help you achieve a healthy body composition. Strength training and resistance exercises are particularly effective in speeding up muscle growth, while a mix of cardio and weight training optimises body composition. Remember, body recomposition is a journey that requires consistency and patience. Significant improvements in body composition typically take 6-12 months or more to achieve.
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Avoid restrictive diets
Restrictive diets are unsustainable and can be harmful to your health. Diets that severely restrict calories, such as ultra-low-calorie diets, extreme detoxes, and juice cleanses, can lead to a loss of lean muscle mass and a slower metabolism. This is because insufficient calorie intake can deprive your body of vital nutrients, resulting in malnutrition and a weakened immune system.
These types of diets can also be difficult to maintain due to the restrictive nature of the food choices. They often lack critical nutrients, leading to fatigue, irritability, and increased cravings for calorie-dense foods. This can create a cycle of restriction and indulgence, known as the yo-yo effect, where weight is repeatedly lost and regained. The body experiences stress with each cycle, and it becomes harder to lose weight and easier to gain weight with each subsequent cycle due to muscle loss and a slower metabolism.
Instead of restrictive diets, it is recommended to adopt a balanced and sustainable approach to eating. This means including a variety of whole foods such as fresh produce, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and protein. It is also important to be mindful of your body's hunger and satiety cues and to stop eating when you are full. This is known as intuitive eating and can help prevent overeating.
Additionally, it is important to combine a healthy diet with a fitness routine that includes strength training to support muscle growth and maintenance. This will help to ensure that weight loss is primarily from fat loss rather than muscle loss, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy body composition.
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Eat more fibre
Eating more fibre is a great way to improve your health and change your body composition. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods, and it's essential for a healthy digestive system. It can also help with weight loss and weight maintenance, as it keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
The recommended daily fibre intake is 30 grams for adults, but most people only consume around 16-20 grams. To increase your fibre intake, try incorporating more whole grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, legumes, and seeds into your diet. Whole wheat biscuits, plain shredded whole grain, porridge, and oats are excellent sources of fibre for breakfast. Throughout the day, opt for wholemeal bread, wholegrain pasta, bulgur wheat, brown rice, and potatoes with the skins on. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are also great sources of fibre that can be easily added to stews, curries, and salads.
Fibre-rich fruits include bananas, apples, pears, and dried fruit. However, it's recommended to eat dried fruit as part of a meal rather than as a snack to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes, and unsalted nuts or seeds are also healthy, fibre-filled snack options.
In addition to its weight loss benefits, fibre has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer. It's important to get fibre from a variety of sources to ensure a healthy balanced diet. So, start incorporating more fibre into your meals today and see the benefits for your health and body composition!
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Exercise, especially strength training
Exercise is an important factor in changing your body composition. While a healthy diet is crucial, neglecting exercise habits may result in a loss of muscle mass. Therefore, it is vital to combine a healthy, lean body mass-promoting diet with a fitness routine that supports muscle growth and maintenance.
If you are new to strength training, you may see increases in muscle mass while eating at a maintenance level or even at a calorie deficit. Strength training also helps prevent the loss of lean mass, including muscle tissue, while in a calorie deficit. Types of resistance training range from bodyweight movements to heavy weight lifting.
To build muscle size, follow best practices for hypertrophy-based strength training by using progressive overload, adding volume consistently over time, and managing fatigue with deload phases. It is also key to track your progress so you can make adjustments when needed to stay on track toward your body composition goals.
To put together an effective workout plan to improve your body composition, begin with a minimum of two weekly strength training sessions for each major muscle group. If you have the time, splitting your workouts into three to four strength training sessions per week will likely be best. Gradually add sets and reps over time to help build muscle mass. If you enjoy cardio, adding two or more cardio sessions per week will support fat loss, but it will not increase lean mass.
In addition to strength training, consider incorporating some form of cardiovascular activity into your routine. Increasing your overall daily activity through natural movements like walking, climbing stairs, pacing, and taking movement breaks from work will also help you burn more calories if that is your goal.
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Frequently asked questions
Body recomposition is a lifestyle that focuses on losing fat and building muscle simultaneously. It involves making changes to your diet and exercise habits.
Body recomposition benefits everyone, regardless of the amount of fat you want to lose or muscle you want to gain. It can lead to a leaner, more defined physique with lasting health benefits. Muscle gain can strengthen bones, improve balance, help with weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and prevent cognitive decline.
Here are some tips to improve your body composition through diet:
- Focus on protein consumption: Eating a high-protein diet while in a calorie deficit can help preserve muscle mass and promote muscle growth.
- Eat a balanced diet: Include a variety of whole foods, such as fresh produce, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and protein.
- Avoid restrictive diets: Restrictive diets can lead to muscle loss, slow metabolism, and decreased performance. Instead, focus on nutritional habits that support muscle growth and recovery.
- Allow for treats: Allow 10% of your calories to come from "fun foods" or less nutritious foods. This can help curb cravings and prevent feelings of deprivation.
- Practice intuitive eating: Learn to recognize hunger and satiety cues. Slow down when eating and stop when you are full to prevent overeating.
Accomplishing fitness goals takes time, and rapid progress can be detrimental to your body composition. It's important to be consistent and patient, as meaningful progress may take months or even years. Significant improvements in body composition are typically seen after 6-12 months of consistent effort.
