[How To] Body Recomposition

 So you're trying to lose weight. Build some muscle. You want to get toned. You want to get some more definition in your arms. 

What you're trying to do - what you really want! - is not weight loss, but body recomposition!

So what is body recomposition? It's different from weight loss. You might not actually lose weight in the process of body recomposition (meaning the weight on the scale). You might actually GAIN weight. But with this weight gain comes more muscle. And with more muscle, fat loss becomes much more doable.

And when fat loss occurs, that's when we get that lean, defined appearance that most of us want when we talk about weight loss!

Let's look at my own fat loss journey as an example - 

I'm by no means or ever have been overweight. But I've definitely experienced the effects of body recomposition.

Your body's total daily energy expenditure or TDEE makes up the amount of calories used during the day. What we know about fat loss, is that to lose fat, we need to be exceeding the amount of calories we eat with what we burn. I present CICO or calories in calories out. Calories out > calories in = fat loss.

So now you may be saying, "Laura why don't I just eat less?" IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE.

Yes, you can create what we call a calorie deficit by eating less. But that's usually not the best way to go about it for long-term success.

There are several components that make up your TDEE - Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), and Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT). Let's break down each one.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR is the most influential part of your TDEE, making up more than half of your daily expenditure. BMR is basically the amount of calories you'd need to sustain your body at its current size if you were just in a vegetative state. BMR is influenced by your height, weight, muscle mass, fat mass, sex, etc. 

With that being said, changing your BMR is one of the most powerful things you can do to increase your metabolism. If you can increase your BMR, you'll be increasing the amount of calories your body expends on a daily basis, without having to go to the gym and running on the treadmill for an hour to get the same result.

How do we increase BMR? Well, the easiest and most direct way to do it is to increase muscle mass! This is why lifting weights is SO important! The more muscle mass we have, the more energy costly we become. Therefore, we burn more calories doing the same activities we usually do and we are more "expensive" in terms of energy so we use more throughout the day in general.

This is why, instead of telling people to drop calories, I stress the importance of appropriate fueling, recovery, and strength training. Pack the muscle on!

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

NEAT is another influential aspect to body recomposition. When people embark on their fat loss journey, many of them focus on food and the gym, but forget a huge component; daily activity. This just comprises of everything you do that's NOT exercise - walking, hiking, breathing, fidgeting, using your hands when you talk, blinking, etc. NEAT is the second biggest component of your TDEE. 

So what does that mean for you? If fat loss is your goal, on top of lifting weights and eating that protein to increase your muscle mass, you need to be increasing your NEAT. How do we do that? We WALK. Get your steps in! 10k a day may seem outdated, but it, in fact, works. Especially when you have a sedentary job. Getting out of your house and walking for an hour or so a day may seem mundane. It's boring. It's not sexy. But it works.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

When you eat food, you burn calories. What?! Yes!

Thermic Effect of Food is our third greatest contributor to our TDEE. Our body has to expend energy in order to digest and absorb our food. Wild, I know. 

However, this doesn't mean just go and eat ravenously now. TEF is still a small component of TDEE compared to BMR and NEAT. But this just goes to show how important eating is and how cutting calories is not always the answer (it actually rarely is).

Eating more protein, which helps us build muscle, is a component to increasing TEF because protein is the most energy-taxing macronutrient to digest and absorb when compared to carbs and fats. 

Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)

EAT has actually the least contribution to our TDEE because most of us don't exercise for hours on end.

This doesn't discount its importance though!

Exercise is a huge component for fat loss. Without exercise, most of us wouldn't get the sufficient stimulus to drive recovery and adaptation. Without exercise, it'd be hard to build muscle or make our bodies more resilient and capable.

So what can we conclude from all this information?

To break it down simply:

Eat to fuel and nourish

Lift to get strong and build muscle

Move often; stop sitting on your butt (10k a day!)

Need help with your body recomposition goals? Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or book a consult call with me!