If I get to low bf% to get rid of stubborn fat, does it come back first?

[darkxshade]

Once I start eating normally again?


Scenario:
I spent most of my life eating unhealthy and at my peak, I reached about 22+%bf. I turned my life around, started a food log, lifting 3x/week and doing lots of cardio and I'm now down to about 10-12%bf. Say I manage to brute force my way to 6% bf to get rid of the stubborn fat through meticulous dieting and then start eating again once I've reached my goal. Not eating unhealthy mind you but just in a caloric surplus. Would the stubborn fat come back first or will fat distribute more evenly? I believe that what I eat has some bearing on where fat goes but then there's also the saying lower belly fat is the last place to go and the first place to pile on.

 

[McWatt]

Generally, the last fat to go will be the first fat to return. However, a caloric surplus isn't eating normally. Eat at maintenance and do resistance training and you won't have to let the fat come back at all.

 

[darkxshade]

Well presumably, 6% bf is a bitch to maintain. The only reason to get to 6% is to get rid of the stubborn fat but after getting there, I would begin eating normally which means a slight caloric surplus until about 9-10% where I would begin to maintain. So the question really is that those 3-4% isn't all gonna just go straight to the lower belly is it? Especially if I'm eating healthy on that surplus. I have no objections on gaining fat back but I see no point in trying to get to 6% to lose the love handles just to get it back immediately. I was thinking it would distribute more evenly this time around.

 

[iluvdeal]

My guess is once you go back to 10%, the fat will be distributed just like before. Those fat cells around the waist and lower belly are a bitch aren't they?

 

[Pantlegz]

This guy has apparently found the secret to keeping a crazy low bf% consistently. http://www.leangains.com/2010/03/maintaining-low-body-fat.html I've only ready about 1/4 of his articles and haven't had the time to look into any of the research he's using. If it's legit, and you can still function normally it looks decent. maybe once I get closer to 10% I'll switch over as long as the research is legit.

 

[darkxshade]

I've already read a lot of his articles... mostly about the stuff with IF which is what I'm planning to incorporate into my lifestyle to achieve low bf%. That said, using IF in the long term is not quite as easy as it seems unless I have no job or life to think about. So I've pretty much written off any idea of maintaining low bf%. I do however think I can manage to stay sub 10% as long as I stick to a few fast and hard rules about what I eat rather than the timing of it.