How To Choose Your Goal
There are three main paths you choose on your fitness journey, the fourth is unique, and not many can do it well:
1. Fat loss (aka cut)
2. Muscle gain (aka bulk)
3. Maintain current weight
4. Recomp (aka body recomposition)
“Which path should I choose?” is a very common question. If the answer is unclear, a few variables, like body fat %, muscle rate, and training experience, can answer this question. Let’s dig in!
>> Start with Your Activity Level
Your activity level sets a foundation for your nutrition plan and is based on BOTH your steps + your workouts:
Sedentary: <5K steps/day + no workouts
Lightly Active: 7–10K steps/day + 1–2 workouts/week OR 10K+ steps with no workouts
Moderately Active: 7–10K steps/day + 3 workouts/week OR 2 workouts + 12K+ steps/day
Very Active: 10K+ steps/day + 4–6 workouts/week OR 4 workouts + 15K+ steps/day
Remember: step count can swing ~20% day to day, which is totally normal. What matters most is your weekly average, and building a pace you can actually stick to.
>> Choose Fat Loss
If you’re overweight or carrying a higher amount of body fat, regardless of how long you’ve been lifting. Your #1 goal should be fat loss while maintaining muscle.
This requires a calorie deficit. Yes, you can absolutely get stronger while losing fat, but your ability to do so gets harder the:
- Leaner you become
- More advanced your training experience is
- Larger the calorie deficit
And any muscle you do build during fat loss may not be obvious on the scale.
Here’s the good news:
If you have more fat to lose and you’re newer to strength training, you’re far more likely to build muscle while losing fat at the same time, this is called body recomposition. Your weight might stay the same, or go down slowly.
For most BFit members, the “sweet spot” for fat loss is a calorie deficit of 250–500 calories/day, which typically leads to about 0.5–1.0 lb per week of fat loss while protecting your muscle.
» Choose Muscle Gain
If you’re underweight or already lean enough to see your abs — and your main goal is to build muscle:
Your priority should be gaining muscle at a steady, controlled rate while minimizing fat gain.
This is where most women struggle:
Building muscle requires a calorie surplus, but the moment a little fat comes with it, they panic, want to cut calories, and never actually build meaningful muscle.
Muscle gain is literally the creation of new lean tissue. This takes time, patience, and fuel.
A muscle-building phase ideally lasts at least 5-6 months before shifting into a fat loss phase to reveal the muscle you’ve built. And yes, the newer you are to lifting, the faster this process goes.
For BFit members, the “sweet spot” for muscle gain is about a 200 calorie surplus/day.
How much muscle can you realistically gain? BEST-CASE potential:
- Beginner/Novice Lifters (~0-2 Years of Experience): 0.75-1.5% monthly. For a 150-pound person, this is 1.12 - 2.25 pounds.
- Intermediate Lifters (~2-5 Years of Experience): 0.5-1% per month. For a 150-pound person, this is 0.5 – 1.5 pounds.
- Advanced Lifters (~5+ Years of Experience): Less than 0.5% monthly. For a 150-pound person, this is less than 0.5 pounds.
Small surpluses + consistency = the fastest way to build muscle with the least fat gain.
» Choose Maintenance
When you need a diet break or want to recomp
Diet breaks are critical during fat loss phases, and they’re one of the most skipped steps. They’re not needed during muscle-building phases, but if you’re trying to lose body fat, you NEED them. Maintenance is where the magic happens because:
- It gives you mental relief
- It restores energy + motivation
- It allows more flexibility and fun
- Practicing maintenance makes long-term success easier
Diet breaks can last a few days up to a few weeks. Choose based on how you feel. Here are general timing guidelines:
Body-fat % : Frequency:
- <10% men / 18% women: every 6–8 weeks
- 10-15% men / 18–23% women: every 8–12 weeks
- >15% men / >23% women: every 12–16 weeks
Body Recomposition (“Recomp”)
Recomp means losing fat and building muscle at the same time by eating around maintenance calories. This works best when someone is relatively new to lifting returning after a long break.
I do not recommend recomp for people who are underweight or significantly overweight:
- If you’re underweight → build muscle
- If you’re overweight → lose fat first for health.
And yes, if you’re newer to lifting and/or overweight, you can STILL gain muscle while losing fat even if the scale goes down.
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If you’re not clearly underweight or overweight, and you’re newer to consistent strength training, you can try recomp for a few months and see how your body responds.
Long term strategy:
Most people see the best results by alternating between building phases and fat loss phases, not trying to “do it all at once” forever.
Still Can't Decide?
- Fat Loss:
- Anyone overweight
- Experienced female lifter 23%+ body fat
- Experienced male lifter 16%+ body fat
- Build Muscle:
- Anyone underweight
- Experienced female lifter < 15% body fat
- Experienced male lifter < 10% body fat
- Maintenance:
- Anyone who needs a diet break or happy with the physique they have achieved
- Recomp: Inexperienced female lifter 20-35% body fat
- Recomp: Inexperienced male lifter 13-18% body fat
Hi, I'm Breanne
I am determined to remove the BS, misinformation, and fads from fitness and nutrition. In 2021, I released my best-selling nutrition book called Master Your Macros. Today, I thrive off helping others live life to the fullest while becoming their strongest, happiest, healthiest versions yet!
Are you ready to join me and the community of BFit members already transforming their lives? Let’s roll!