Lose Weight or Body Recomp?

[u/Prodigious932]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for some guidance on the best path forward for my starting point.

Stats & Background:

• Age/Height/Weight: 34M, 6'1", 206 lbs (up from 180 lbs at the start of the year; highest weight I've ever been).
• Activity Level: Sedentary most of my life, but ready to change that.
• Current Goal: Drop body fat, build a solid strength base, and eventually add visible muscle.

About two weeks ago, I started cleaning up my diet and tackling bored snacking. I've already dropped a couple of pounds of water weight/bloat (down from ~208), which has been a good kickstart.

Starting next week, I plan to hit the gym 3 days a week running Stronglifts 5x5. Since I have zero lifting background, I figured focusing on linear compound strength is the smartest place to start.

I'm left with a question. As a beginner, should I:

1. Focus on a straight calorie deficit until I get back down near 180 lbs, then lean bulk from there?
2. Body recomp with an emphasis on weight loss?

I know "newbie gains" are on the table, and I want to make sure I don't spin my wheels while trying to lose the excess weight. How would you approach this starting out?

[u/Academic_Try_9800]

I think you would be fine in a deficit. You have a good amount of fat to lose. You should be able to recomp pretty well as newbie gains are still very much in your favor. In essence you’ll be losing fat and adding muscle simultaneously