What is body recomposition?

Body recomposition is the process of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. It typically requires a small caloric deficit, high protein intake, and consistent resistance training. Progress is slower than dedicated bulk or cut phases but avoids the drawbacks of each.

Why only a 100–200 kcal deficit for recomp?

A large deficit burns muscle along with fat. A small deficit (100–200 kcal below TDEE) combined with high protein and progressive training lets the body draw on fat stores for the remaining energy while keeping conditions favorable for muscle protein synthesis.

How is lean body mass (LBM) used here?

LBM = weight × (1 − body fat % / 100). Protein is set at 1 g per lb of LBM (2.2 g/kg LBM) to support muscle retention and growth without inflating calories unnecessarily.

How accurate is the timeline estimate?

The timeline assumes you lose roughly 0.5–1 lb of fat per week on a recomp deficit while gaining negligible scale weight (muscle offsets fat loss on the scale). Individual results vary based on training age, sleep, stress, and adherence.

Do I need to track macros exactly?

Hitting protein within 5–10 g/day matters most. Fat and carb targets can flex as long as total calories stay near the goal. Many people find it easier to hit protein first, then fill remaining calories with fats and carbs based on preference.

Body Recomposition Calculator

Name: Body Recomposition Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter your stats to get daily calorie and macro targets for body recomposition — losing fat while building muscle at the same time.

Your Stats

Units:

Gender

Male Female

Age (years)

Height

Current Weight

lbs

Current Body Fat %

Goal Body Fat %

Activity Level

Fill in your stats and click Calculate.

Body Composition

Current LBM

—

Current Fat Mass

—

Goal Weight

—

Goal Fat Mass

—

Daily Calories

TDEE

—

Recomp Target

—

BMR computed via Mifflin-St Jeor formula.

Daily Macros

Protein

— g — kcal

1 g per lb LBM · 4 kcal/g

Fat

— g — kcal

27% of total calories · 9 kcal/g

Carbohydrates

— g — kcal

Remaining calories · 4 kcal/g

—%Protein

—%Fat

—%Carbs

Estimated Timeline

Assumes ~0.5–0.75 lb/week fat loss on a recomp deficit. Actual rate varies with training consistency, sleep, and adherence.

Summary

Enter your stats to get daily calorie and macro targets for body recomposition — losing fat while building muscle at the same time.

How it works

Enter your weight, current body fat %, and goal body fat %.
Add your age, height, and gender to compute BMR via Mifflin-St Jeor.
Select your activity level to calculate TDEE.
The calculator applies a slight caloric deficit (100–200 kcal below TDEE) — the recomp sweet spot.
Protein is set at 1 g per lb of lean body mass; fat at 25–30% of calories; carbs fill the rest.
An estimated timeline shows how long to reach your goal body fat %.

Use cases

Plan a recomp phase after a long bulk or cut cycle.
Set protein and calorie targets for someone new to structured training.
Estimate how long it will take to drop from 20% to 15% body fat while preserving muscle.
Compare recomp calorie targets across different activity levels.
Use alongside a food tracker to hit daily macro goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Reviewed by Nham Vu