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Fat Loss, Lean Bulk or Recomp? Pick Your Phase in 30 Seconds

A gentle note: This article is general education for adults (18+), not medical advice, and results vary. Eating eggs daily isn't for everyone, so check with your doctor if you have a health condition. Full disclaimer.

John's Shake, Fast & Eggs Method uses the same building blocks in every phase: a morning protein shake, a big egg meal, and flexible food at night. What changes from phase to phase is how much you eat overall, how much protein you aim for, and how the morning works. Here's how to pick.

The 30-second version

• Want to lose fat? → Fat Loss
• Happy with your weight, or need a break from dieting? → Maintain
• Already lean and training hard, and want to add size? → Lean Bulk
• New or returning to lifting, and want to build muscle while holding fat steady? → Recomp

Fat Loss

A steady, modest calorie deficit, built around the morning fast and the egg meal. This is where most people start. High protein helps you keep muscle while you're in a deficit, and protein tends to be filling. Pair it with resistance training if you can.

Maintain

Eat about what you burn and hold your weight steady, with a bit more food and flexibility. Maintenance is underrated. Showing yourself you can hold your weight is a skill, and it's what makes results last. It's also a great place to take a break after a long stretch of dieting.

Lean Bulk

A small, controlled surplus, not a "dirty bulk." The goal is slow, steady gains paired with strength training. If your weight or waist climbs fast, you trim back.

I learned this one the hard way: on my first lean bulk I overdid it a bit, went from 65 kg to 87 kg, and gained more fat than I wanted. That's exactly why the guide keeps the surplus small.

Recomp

Build muscle while keeping fat roughly steady, with training days and rest days handled a little differently. It works best for newer or returning lifters. Progress is slower and harder to see on the scale, so track your waist and how your lifts are going.

How to tell if it's working

Skip the "how do my clothes feel" guesswork and use neutral measures:

• Weekly average weight, not single weigh-ins
• A waist tape measurement every couple of weeks
• Your training log: are your lifts going up?

When to switch

You're not locked in. I've cycled through Fat Loss, Lean Bulk, and now Fat Loss/Recomp over five years. Many people cycle: Fat Loss for a few months, Maintain for a few weeks, then Recomp or Lean Bulk.

• Fat Loss → Maintain: you've reached your goal, or you're worn out.
• Maintain → Lean Bulk: you're lean and training hard.
• Lean Bulk → Maintain or Recomp: your waist is growing faster than your strength.
• Recomp → Fat Loss or Lean Bulk: nothing has changed in 2-3 months.

Check in first

Changing how you eat isn't for everyone. Please check with your doctor before you start or change phases, especially if you have a health condition or take medication. It's for adults 18 and over.

Want more? Read how I figure out my calories.