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 makes it harder to keep and build muscle, so recomp plans eat only a little below maintenance. This calculator uses a fixed 150 kcal below TDEE, the middle of the 100–200 kcal range. A 2020 review of body recomposition (Barakat and colleagues, Strength and Conditioning Journal) found it works with resistance training and high protein, and is most likely in beginners, people returning to training and people with more body fat.

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?

Treat it as a rough guide. The calculator divides the fat you need to lose by a fixed 0.6 lb of fat per week and assumes your lean mass stays the same: 185 lb going from 22% to 15% body fat means about 15.2 lb of fat and roughly 25 weeks. A 150 kcal daily deficit on its own covers only about 0.3 lb of fat per week at 3,500 kcal per lb, so real progress is often slower and varies with training, sleep 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.

How much protein do I need for body recomposition?

This calculator uses 1 g per lb of lean body mass, which for the 185 lb, 22% body fat example is 144 g, or about 1.7 g per kg of body weight. That sits inside the 1.4–2.0 g/kg range in the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (2017) and the 1.2–2.0 g/kg range from ACSM, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada (2016). Lean, trained people in a deficit may use more, up to 2.3–3.1 g per kg of lean mass. If you have kidney disease, check protein targets with your doctor.

How do I find my body fat percentage?

The calculator needs a body fat number but does not measure it. A DEXA scan is the most common lab method. At home you can use a tape-measure method such as the U.S. Navy formula in the Body Fat Calculator, skinfold calipers or a smart scale, but these can be off by several percentage points. Use the same method each time and watch the trend rather than a single reading.

Body Recomposition Calculator

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

The calculator estimates your daily burn (TDEE) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation times an activity factor, then sets a recomp target 150 kcal below it.

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.

Quick answer

The calculator estimates your daily burn (TDEE) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation times an activity factor, then sets a recomp target 150 kcal below it. Protein is 1 g per lb of lean body mass (2.2 g/kg), fat is 27% of calories and carbs fill the rest. A 30-year-old man, 5 ft 10 in, 185 lb at 22% body fat and moderately active gets 2,648 kcal, 144 g protein, 79 g fat and 339 g carbs. Table rows assume age 30, moderate activity, men 5 ft 10 in and women 5 ft 5 in.

Examples

Age 30, moderate	kcal/day	Protein
M 160 lb, 18% fat	2,473	131 g
M 185 lb, 22% fat	2,648	144 g
M 200 lb, 25% fat	2,754	150 g
M 230 lb, 30% fat	2,965	161 g
F 135 lb, 26% fat	1,916	100 g
F 150 lb, 30% fat	2,022	105 g

Enter your stats and click Calculate.

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 subtracts 150 kcal from TDEE, the middle of the 100–200 kcal range used for recomp.
Protein is set at 1 g per lb of lean body mass; fat at 27% 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: 2026-06-19 · Reviewed by Nham Vu

Body Recomposition Calculator

Use the Body Recomposition Calculator

Your Stats

Body Composition

Daily Calories

Daily Macros

Estimated Timeline

Quick answer

Examples

Summary

How it works

Use cases

Frequently Asked Questions