21/10/2026
Scale hasn’t moved in 6 weeks but your jeans fit differently? That’s not a stall. That’s recomp. Full breakdown 👇
WHAT IT IS
Losing fat and building muscle at the same time. Lose 2 kg fat, gain 1.5 kg lean, and the scale says -0.5 kg. Different body, same-ish number.
WHY THE SCALE LIES
It weighs water, stored carbs (every gram holds 3 g of water), food in your gut and fluid from your cycle. One salty dinner can add 1 kg overnight.
Gaining 1 kg of real fat takes 7,700 extra calories. You didn’t do that.
Weigh 3-4 to 7 mornings a week and compare weekly averages, not single days.
THE 5 LEVERS
1️⃣ Calories: maintenance or a small deficit (10-15%). Cut too hard and you lose muscle. Eat too much and you add fat.
2️⃣ Protein: 1.6-2.2 g per kg of bodyweight. At 70 kg that’s 112-154 g a day, spread over 30-40 g meals.
3️⃣ Lifting: 3-4 sessions a week. Big compound lifts, 1-3 reps left in the tank, beat last week.
4️⃣ Sleep: 7-9 hrs. In one study, dieters on 5.5 hrs lost way more muscle and less fat than on 8.5 hrs, with the same scale loss.
5️⃣ Time: lifts climb first (wks 1-4), your waist drops next (4–8), and photos show it (8-12). Most people quit right before it shows.
READ THE SIGNS
Weight steady, waist down, lifts up → it’s working, change nothing.
Weight and waist creeping up → trim 150-200 cal a day.
Weight dropping fast, lifts going backwards → eat more, check protein and sleep.
Recomp isn’t magic. It’s boring basics, done long enough.
Save this. Send it to your scale-obsessed mate.
Want it built around your life, your job, your kids or your Hyrox race? DM “RECOMP” 💬