Forget Weight Loss To Hunt Better

How Body Recomposition Can Improve the Hunting Experience 

About The Author: Kyle Kamp is a dietitian and performance nutrition coach who works with everyone, from the elite athlete to the everyday hunter, to improve strength, body composition, and long-term health through practical, sustainable strategies.

There are hundreds of articles posted at the beginning of each year promoting weight loss through restriction and unrealistic rules in a race to see who can lose weight the fastest. But there is more to the story than just seeing the scale move since all scale movement isn’t actually body fat movement.   In fact, I would say that when people we meet say they want to “lose weight”, what they really want is a recomposition.  And, I would argue a recomposition- more than weight loss in some cases- would allow you to have the energy to train hard, recover well, and show up capable when it counts.

When most people cut portions indiscriminately, they don’t just reduce calories—they reduce fuel. Protein drops. Strength drops. Energy drops.  Recovery drops.  The scale may look like it loves what you’re doing,  but under the surface the body is becoming less capable, less resilient, and slower to recover due to insufficient fuel and muscle loss.  

This is where focusing on body recomposition changes the conversation.

Body recomposition focuses on improving the type of weight, not just the quantity. The goal is to reduce body fat while maintaining—or even building—lean muscle. Instead of eating less across the board, recomposition prioritizes adequate protein to recover lean muscle, strategic carbohydrate intake to fuel training, and enough total calories to support it all.

 

For hunters, this approach has direct, practical benefits.

First, you actually progress in your training.  Progress in training requires that the plan you’re following gets increasingly difficult over time.  Without sufficient fuel, you’ll hit a premature hurdle or ceiling that you can’t seem to get over.   Conversely, having an appropriate nutrition plan will retain the strength and energy needed to train hard through those different months leading into the season and see progress.  

Second, energy becomes more stable. Chronic under-eating leads to fatigue, irritability, and poor thinking, and even injury. A recomposition approach supports steady and sustained energy levels during every training session and through the entirety of the week.

Third, recovery improves. Progressive training programs hinge on you recovering from the prior workout so you can progress to the next one and that obviously requires that you be recovered.  Muscle-preserving nutrition helps you bounce back faster. Soreness fades quicker. Sleep improves. You’re ready to go again instead of dragging yourself through the next training round and never seeing any improvement.

Ultimately, this all culminates into you being a stronger and more capable hunter because of your training.  And, the goal of spending time in the backcountry isn’t to just survive it- it’s to thrive in it and love every minute.  The more capable, confident, and strong you feel back there, the more your entire hunting experience will improve.

If you want to hunt longer, move better, and enjoy the experience more—stop chasing pure weight loss in the off season.  Instead, start fueling yourself appropriately to get through difficult training sessions that will ultimately help you build a body that’s prepared for the demands of the hunt.