Body Recomposition Calculator
The Healthy Eater body recomp calculator generates the ideal calorie and macro amounts for simultaneously burning fat and adding muscle.
What is body recomposition?
Body recomposition is the process of improving your body composition by increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat simultaneously.
Favorable body composition has many health benefits and improves athletic performance.
There is ample research-backed evidence showing it is entirely achievable. However, it requires a commitment to weight training and a nutrition plan.
How to do a body recomposition
Step 1: Enter your details into the calculator
If you know your body fat percentage (calculate here), choose Lean Mass Formula and input your percentage.
The lean mass method yields better results than weight and height alone.
Step 2: Choose your recomposition goal
- If you choose More Fat Loss, there will be less muscle gain.
- If you choose More Muscle Gain, there will be more muscle gain, but probably some fat gain.
- If you choose Even – it’s a compromise between the two.
Step 3: Take note of your calories and macros
The calculator will recommend your daily calorie and macro amounts. If you’re new to macros, you’ll need to get up to speed.
You will be told how much carb, protein, and fat you must eat daily. You can adjust this to show per meal to help you get an idea.
It’s best to eat more on workout days (the increased carbs fuel your workouts) and less on non-workout days. Protein remains relatively constant throughout – muscle recovery can happen anytime.
Step 4: Stick to a consistent workout routine.
Consistent workouts are not optional for body recomposition.
Your workouts must be resistance-based, not cardio-based. Do weight-bearing exercises rather than running or walking.
As a basis, we recommend this:
- Have three weight training sessions per week.
- Minimum of 30 minutes per session.
- Focus on compound movements.
For example, squats, deadlifts, pull-ups (or lat pull-downs) – rather than bicep curls, etc. - Rest only 30-60 seconds between sets (i.e., leave your phone at home).
- Three sets per exercise, 8-15 reps per set.
Step 5: Track your macros
For the maximum chance of success, you will want to track your macros.
This can be tricky.
If you’ve got the budget, use Factor Meals, which has consistent 500-550 calorie meals. These can form the basis of daily meals, and you can then add in protein shakes to meet the required calorie amount.
Step 6: Get enough sleep
It might seem odd, but let’s quote the research:
Sleep deprivation […] seems to create an “anti” body recomposition environment, where building muscle mass and losing FM [fat mass] would be less likely.
Step 7: Measure results
Rather than using basic scales, use an advanced scale system like Renpho. This gives far more precise body recomp metrics.
How long does it take to recompose your body?
We recommend a minimum of 8 weeks.
Take measurements (fat skinfold tests, photos, etc.) weekly. You can weigh yourself – but that won’t tell you anything about your body composition.
Depending on your results, you will want to adjust your settings.
If you need help, Coach Ted has helped hundreds achieve their goals.
How much protein should I choose?
- The default option (high) is best.
- Maximum is only for those doing longer, more intense weight-lifting workouts.
- Plant-based protein is set lower: It’s challenging to meet the protein macro without carbs and fats getting too high. If you are vegetarian or vegan and okay with 1-2 protein shakes daily, use the default option.
If I do extra workouts, do I need to account for the calories?
You can account for the extra calories if you do over three weight training sessions a week.
- Track your extra calories over a week.
- Be conservative (i.e., don’t overestimate).
- Enter them into the “Additional Weekly Calories.”
The additional energy expenditure will be allocated to the overall weekly algorithm.
If you need help, use the calorie burn calculator. Remember you are looking for extra calories expended over a week.
How many calories should I eat a day for a body recomposition?
There is no one-size-fits-all here. Calories and macros for body recomposition are highly individualized.
Your biological sex, height, weight, and activity level will predict your daily energy expenditure. By making minor adjustments to this, you can begin the process of gaining muscle while losing fat mass.
The technical bits – how to calculate calories for body recomp
- Apply the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to calculate your basal metabolic rate.
- If you know your body fat percentage, use the Katch-Mcardle formula.
- Multiply BMR by 1.2 to get your maintenance calories.
- Adjust the calorie amount for training days based on the goal:
+20 % for more muscle gain and +10% for more fat loss. - Adjust calorie amount for rest days based on the goal:
-5% for more muscle gain, -15% for more fat loss. - Calculate protein amount
The default is 0.95 grams protein/lb (~2 g / kg) of body weight. Plant-based is 0.65 g/lb. - Calculate the fat amount.
Calculate fat at 30% of daily calories. - Calculate the carb amount.
All remaining calories are allocated to carbs.
Yes 🤓. That’s why we made a calculator.
Is this the same as the macro calculator?
No, there are many differences.
The standard macro calculator is aimed at people wanting to lose weight, and exercise is optional.
There are differences in both the calorie calculation step and the macro calculation step.
How much cardio for a body recomposition?
The traditional bodybuilding method involves a ‘bulk’ phase (lots of calories + heavy weights), followed by a ‘cutting’ phase (reduced calories + lots of cardio).
Body recomposition is a different process. Cardio alone (such as steady-state running or walking for 20 mins+) won’t increase muscle mass.
You should keep cardio to a minimum. However, it’s good for the heart and mental health, so don’t give up going for bike rides or walks if this is your thing.
It’s a good idea to account for the extra energy expenditure from cardio.
If you burn a lot of calories through cardio, you will not achieve the desired body recomp results. You are not doing a body recomposition!
Help! I’m not getting the desired results
- “I’m gaining some muscle but not losing fat“
Adjust calories down lower. - If your goal is Even, change it to More Fat Loss.
- Are you eating more on workout days? And less on non-workout days?
Sources
- Barakat, C., Pearson, J., Escalante, G., Campbell, B., & De Souza, E. O. (2020). Body recomposition: can trained individuals build muscle and lose fat at the same time?. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 42(5), 7-21. (full text)
- Ribeiro, A. S., Pereira, L. C., Schoenfeld, B. J., Nunes, J. P., Kassiano, W., Nabuco, H. C., ... & Cyrino, E. S. (2022). Moderate and Higher Protein Intakes Promote Superior Body Recomposition in Older Women Performing Resistance Training. Medicine and science in sports and exercise.Link
404 Comments
I understand that progress can be slow but how long is advised/realistic to stay on a body recomposition plan? Most literature is focused on muscle growth and/or cutting but not everyone is on a life long bodybuilding journey. I’m a 38 year old dad of 4 and just want to get in shape and stay there. Even the maintenance articles treat it like a temporary phase in the bulk/cut rat race. Lets say I get to a place where I am happy with my progress. Do I transition to a focus on hitting protein intake and maintenance calories (adjusted for physical activity) and stick with the same training routine?
Hi Tyler, I think for anyone with more than 10 pounds of fat tissue to lose they should start with a greater deficit of 20%. This is still safe in that you won’t lose muscle and is still possible get stronger with the right recovery. Once you reach your goal weight or body fat percentage, transition to maintenance and spend some time there. You could then add in 5-10% more to find your lean gain sweet spot. It can be done without big gain/cut cycles but it takes a bit more precision and intentionality to achieve.
Thanks! One more follow up question. Is the increase in calories on resistance training days supposed to be a surplus beyond the increase required to cover what you burned from exercise? In other words if you burn 500 calories from a work out does the suggested training days calories take you beyond 500 for a true surplus or just enough to still meet maintenance calories after taking into account 500 calories burned. True net surplus or just more than inactive maintenance to refuel? If true surplus, how much of a surplus beyond replenishing calories burned is suggested?
No, simply replenish what has been burned. Your body will use food to rebuild and tap into fat tissue for any extra as long as you are maintaining a safe deficit for recomp. The problem is when people try to cut too severely.
Hi! I’m 28 I am 157m tall and I weight around 52kg. I’m skinny fat and want to look more ‘tonned’ I calculated my daily calorie intake and it says 1265kcals per day on workout days and 900kcals on rest days. Tbh im not sure I can achieve that, it’s too little. If I walk daily 10k steps can I account those calories to increase my daily calorie intake?
Thank you!
Viv
Hi Viv, Yes, good call. Those calcs wouldn’t be right for you. Would you be open to me helping you out with those? I can get things dialed in for you so you can change your body composition without starving yourself. -Coach Ted
Is the carbohydrate calories net of fibre?
Hi Viv, No the carbrs shown are total carbs. Just note that net carb info is pretty inaccurate since most of the time food labels subtract all the fiber, but in reality around 30% of fiber does contain some digestible calories. This is why tracking total carbs is always the safest bet.
I want to have more muscle gain, why are there less cals on the rest day?
Hi Lucy, Because your body needs less energy on a rest day. It’s always best to eat according to your body’s daily energy needs. Otherwise you’ll store fat especially if you eat more and then have a rest day.
What is considered “heavy weights”? Formula?? Thanks!
Anecdotally, where the lifter is in the 5-8 rep range (rather than, say, 10-12).
What happens if take enough protein but 20-30% less carbs and fats and enough fiber? Does it effect negative to my body recomposition plan?
If you’re eating too much protein and less carbs or fat then your body can use protein for energy. You really want to avoid this. Use carbs and fat for energy, not protein.
Hi.
I walk my dogs an hour every morning and again in the evening seven days a week.
I do a free weight workout if 30 mins 6 times a week alongside 20 mins beginner callisthenics. I’m 47, female, 5ft 5in and weighing 150lb. Waist measures 29”, Bust 30” hip 40” and thigh 24”. I follow high protien (140g daily) 2000 calories diet.
I’m happy with my weight and measurements but not my definition, I seem to be carrying fat on top of muscle and can seem to cut it. Can you advise what I could do… is it the protien? Is it too high?
Hi Suzy, It seems like your calories are a tad too high to lose fat. I’d be happy to dial in those numbers for you so you can start getting that definition. You’re probably overestimating how many calories you are burning during the dog walks.
Hi! I’ve been in a 1400cal cut the past 2 months and now increasing them back upbecause my goal now is to also build muscle as I felt like I just looked soft. I burn a lot of calories at boxing 2-3 days a week and weight train 3- 4 times but I’m unsure if increasing my calories back up is going against my goal or if that’s the right move. (I am hoping to start seeing at least some positive results by April when I go away). Is increasing my cals just going to undo the fat I lost in my cut?
Hi Rachel, Thanks for reaching out. Increase slowly only on days you are working out. Start with 100-150 more and evaluate every couple of weeks.
Hi, I am working with a trainer and lift 4x / week for 25-30 mins. Lost nearly 10 lbs in 4 weeks and gradually losing about .3 lbs per week avg. weeks 5-present (8 wks). My daily cal goal is 1600 daily, even on lift days. I walk 8k steps min and often exceed 10k; sometimes 15-20k. (Ex: Earlier this week my total calorie burn was 2,999 with cal consumption at 1,668). I SIT train 2x week (bike). Most days I consume 1600 cals or just under. Occasionally 1800-2100, but rarely. My trainer hasn’t instructed me to eat more on high workout days. Should I be? Also macro goal is 35 carbs, 30 fat, 35 protein.
Hi Megan, great job so far. At this stage it would be a good idea to eat a little more, especially on this bigger exercise days. I would imagine that right now you are also losing a little bit of muscle. Just note that trackers greatly overestimate total calorie burn so take that number with a grain of salt.
Hi Ted! Thanks for the tips! If trackers often overestimate, do you have suggestions for finding a a more accurate caloric burn estimate? In terms of eating a little more on high exercise days, would you figure adding a couple hundred calories? So glad I found this page!
My pleasure, You can take about 80% of the calories the tracker gives you or you can use a table of METs which is what our calculator here uses: Calories Burned Calculator
Hi! I want to decrease fat from body I have so much fat around belly and have big love handles I do resistance training 6 day a week and I am skinny fat.How many time should I hit gym and ehat should be my calories intake (I am taking 2000 calories and going to gym for 4 month but didn’t saw any result I want to lose fat and biuld some muscles ) kindly guide me.Thanks
Hi Ali, Great goals you have, but more specific nutrition would be needed to get you there. The best way I can help is calculate your numbers for you here: Expert Body Recomp Calculations This will get you started on the best path possible. 🙂
Hi Doctor, can you help me please? I’m 29 yo, male, 142kg x 1.85, i do 4 days x week 70-80 min of gym (only machines and barbells, no cardio or circuit) and i walk 8000-10000 steps x day). I want to lose weight. My actual body fat is 38%, i want to go at 15%, but im an ex obese and this is hard. How much kcal i have to eat daily? I’m confused, thanks…
Hey There, Alfonso. I’m more than happy to do your calculations for you so click through to the expert calculations page under your results.
Hello,
For me I do workout 5 days per week. So how I can adjuste this with the calculator.
Thanks
Hi Lazher, probably our macro calculator would be better and then you can customize the deficit. Do a sedentary set and then a workout day set Macro Calculator
Hi Ted!
When calculating daily carbs for recomp, do I tally “net carbs” or “total carbs”?
(e.g. 10g Carbs – 4g fiber= 6 net carbs vs 10 g of total carbs)
Hi Sharonda, Do total carbs. In reality the formula isn’t that simple. 30% of the fiber you eat can supply some energy depending on the type. Therefore, track total carbs and use the fiber you eat as a “buffer” for timer you may go a little over.
My goodness – what a page! 🙌
Any advice for the perimenopausal/menopausal ladies who are recompositioning? Should we adjust (and decrease) calorie intake somewhat further and would you recommend cycle syncing any of the macros? I’ve read luteal phase may benefit from increased carbs and menstrual and follicular from more protein.
Hi Tiffany, Glad it was useful. Check out our Menopause Macro Calculator but typically it’s higher protein lower carb and emphasis on strength training. Also aligning more to your estimated energy needs during a given 24 hour period. Some women do crave carbs during their cycle and there’s nothing wrong with having a few higher carb days here or there with still being in range of your calorie targets.