Sustainable body fat % whilst on a relatively clean maintenance diet

**Rya** · 11-07-2011, 01:57 PM

Slightly long thread title!

What are people views/experiences with sustaining a relatively low body fat % (say 10%) whilst on a relatively clean maintenance diet, I don't want to diet forever and would like to gain some understanding of what is realistic to expect. If I can't maintain in throughout the year I'm not interested ...

I know how I want to look but don't know what bf% I would need to be in order to look that way, it could be a % that simply isn't sustainable...

It's kind of like that documentary "I want to look like that guy" where I want to look a certain way but don't fully know what it would take in order to sustain a look.

I picked 10% bf because it appears to be a recommended level to be at before bulking, I have no desire to compete etc

I'm curious as to what peoples views are on this subject.

**largerthannormal** · 11-07-2011, 02:20 PM

What is your size now? height, weight, bf%

and what is your goal?

I think I am missing a few things in your story....or what your exact objective is.

**Rya** · 11-07-2011, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by largerthannormal

What is your size now? height, weight, bf%

and what is your goal?

I think I am missing a few things in your story....or what your exact objective is.

It's more of a general discussion around the topic rather than looking for a specific answer tailored to myself, I have a diet log thread that your welcome to have a browse through - my stats for the most part are within it.

**largerthannormal** · 11-07-2011, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Rya

It's more of a general discussion around the topic rather than looking for a specific answer tailored to myself, I have a diet log thread that your welcome to have a browse through - my stats for the most part are within it.

ahhhh i see!! my bad!! i think that is very debatable with genetics and so forth. I have many views on this.....where to start??? SGT hit most of it for me!! everyone will be different thats why i wanted to see ur stats.. sorry didnt know it was a general question.

**Sgt. Hartman** · 11-07-2011, 02:53 PM

Good topic. I think that a maintainable BF% is very individualistic based on genetics, and even more so on previous BF levels. Someone who has had 20% BF for 20 years is gonna find it much more difficult to maintain 10% than someone who has maintained 15% for the same amount of time. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it would be more difficult until your body readjusts its "set point".

I also think that it is easier to maintain a BF% a little bit higher than what you diet down to at your lowest. I'll use myself as an example. I've had BF in the teens (sometimes low teens and sometimes high teens) for most of my adult life until I cut to 10% a couple years ago. Ever since, its been relatively easy to maintain 10% - 12%. I have to diet down to reach 10% but its not that difficult. But it is very difficult to gain LBM while maintaining 10%. I can maintain it just fine but as soon as I up my cals to gain muscle, my BF goes up as well. Probably this spring I'm gonna try to diet down to 8% with the hope that 8% - 10% will become what 10% - 12% is now, if that makes sense.

Another point to consider is that a lot of BB competitors and people who have gotten their BF well down into single digits, claim that once you get your body to that very low BF% it permanently changes the way your body processes nutrients and stores body fat. Who knows if its true?

**JohnnyVegas** · 11-07-2011, 03:00 PM

Great topic with great timing. I have been working on getting my BF down for quite a while and still have a bit to go (I am in the high teens)...but wondered if I could realistically keep my BF at 10% - 15% without putting in the work it has taken to get it down. I am not sure I can live this lifestyle forever.

Looking forward to more posts.

**Sgt. Hartman** · 11-07-2011, 03:10 PM

Let me add one more thing. It is A TON easier to maintain a reasonable BF% of say 10% than it is to achieve it in the first place. IMO, it is also a ton easier to reach 10% after you have already done it previously, ie. you reach 10% then gain a little BF, it's much easier to get back down to 10% than it was to get there the first time. I think part of it is the learning curve of knowing what you must do to get there but also your body isn't as resistant to drop the fat once you have already done it.

**fit4ever180** · 11-08-2011, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by Sgt. Hartman

Good topic. I think that a maintainable BF% is very individualistic based on genetics, and even more so on previous BF levels. Someone who has had 20% BF for 20 years is gonna find it much more difficult to maintain 10% than someone who has maintained 15% for the same amount of time. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it would be more difficult until your body readjusts its "set point".

I also think that it is easier to maintain a BF% a little bit higher than what you diet down to at your lowest. I'll use myself as an example. I've had BF in the teens (sometimes low teens and sometimes high teens) for most of my adult life until I cut to 10% a couple years ago. Ever since, its been relatively easy to maintain 10% - 12%. I have to diet down to reach 10% but its not that difficult. But it is very difficult to gain LBM while maintaining 10%. I can maintain it just fine but as soon as I up my cals to gain muscle, my BF goes up as well. Probably this spring I'm gonna try to diet down to 8% with the hope that 8% - 10% will become what 10% - 12% is now, if that makes sense.

Another point to consider is that a lot of BB competitors and people who have gotten their BF well down into single digits, claim that once you get your body to that very low BF% it permanently changes the way your body processes nutrients and stores body fat. Who knows if its true?

Originally Posted by Sgt. Hartman

Let me add one more thing. It is A TON easier to maintain a reasonable BF% of say 10% than it is to achieve it in the first place. IMO, it is also a ton easier to reach 10% after you have already done it previously, ie. you reach 10% then gain a little BF, it's much easier to get back down to 10% than it was to get there the first time. I think part of it is the learning curve of knowing what you must do to get there but also your body isn't as resistant to drop the fat once you have already done it.

^^^ Agree with Sgt. I was morbidly obese until I was 20 years old (42% bf), but once I started training and learned about proper diet I dropped to around 15%. 2 years after I started training, I was still maintaining about that same amount of bodyfat until I decided to prep for a show. I was able to drop to 6% (didn't prep long enough to get as low as I wanted) and since then maintaining 10-12% has been pretty easy. Even while bulking, I've found that my bf does not climb much as long as the foods I eat are clean. However, as soon as I eat processed shit, the bf will build up quickly. Losing it and dropping back down is much easier too like Sgt. said. Having above average muscle mass will further speed up that process though as well.

**Back In Black** · 11-07-2011, 03:25 PM

Agree wholeheartedly with Sgt. It is definitely possible to maintain a 10% level for a period of time. It may take a few weeks to work out the relevant maintenance calories and, as importantly, maintenance macro split.

The problem is, for me anyway, that at 10% I always get a little compla***ent and think 'I'll just have that little bar of choc or a couple of croissant etc. Not every day but do it enough and the bf creeps slightly.

As you suggest you are doing Sgt., this time I'm getting down to 8-10 and then maintaining, to see how that goes.

Ultimately it is MUCH easier to maintain than to get there in the first place!

**Doctapeppa** · 11-07-2011, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by Rya

... I don't want to diet forever and would like to gain some understanding of what is realistic to expect. If I can't maintain in throughout the year I'm not interested ...

With few exceptions of some genetically gifted people, maintaining your ideal body fat is going to require some dieting year round. Given, it will be less stringent than achieving the weight loss, but very few people can just eat what they want and maintain. Your body wants to make you fat. It is part of human nature and a way of your body to assure self preservation. That being said, I want to re-emphasize that there are exceptions and there are even people who have to struggle to keep weight on.

**Rya** · 11-08-2011, 07:41 AM

I guess you won't know what range you can reasonably sustain until you get there..

It may sound odd but I think I'm hesitant to do a proper bf check because I think I'll get one of the following

* - I'm close to the % but not to where I want to look
* - I'm above the % so perhaps once I get there I'll look as I want to - but what's it going to take to get there and will I be able to sustain it?

I'm going to do a 9 point check this weekend so I guess I'll know soon enough.

As I said, I don't want this thread to be about me just more of a general conversation. Getting a view of people's individual experience with this is the aim and maybe some scientific stuffs thrown in if anyone knows something relevant!