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
Hi, for your macros, you say you should do .95g per lb of body weight–do you mean per lb of goal weight or current weight (which is overweight–as I want to recomp my body)?
Hi Jennifer, For protein it should be based more on lean mass or even goal weight. Fat tissue weight skews the calculation and you’d be eating more protein than you actually need. Does that help?
Im gaining fat instead of loosing
Calories 2350
Carb 194
Protein 217
Fat 78
Hi LA, If you’re gaining fat that means you have to cut back some. Try reducing by 150 calories and then re-evaluate after a couple of weeks. Another mistake people make is not reducing their consumption on rest days or less active days.
Hello. I’m 20F, around 120 lbs at 5’1. I lift 3x week, run 5x week (5+ miles each time, so around 3500-5000 extra calories per week burned depending on training load for that week) and walk 8-10K steps around school every day. The calculator says to eat 2300 calories on active days and 1800 on rest days. Are the active days the days that I’m running? I lift only on run days and keep rest days to be total rest. Beyond that, is there anything I should be taking into account as a runner while trying to recomp?
Hi there, I’d recommend not running and lifting on the same day. You could do a short warm-up run (10 minutes) but it can be hard to build muscle when also running 5 miles on your strength days.
Thanks! Any tips about eating to support body recomp and running at the same time? I keep seeing conflicting messaging about whether to eat in a deficit, near maintenance, or a surplus. I’m aware that my running will probably make this process last a lot longer but that’s something I’m okay with 😀
Just run on separate days and try to maintain a consistent, safe deficit on those days too. 10-15% deficit. You have to be in a slight deficit to lose fat tissue.
Hello, I am 5-9 (or 10, not sure) and 159.3 lbs (18.5% bf). I train 6 times a week (usually an hour to an hours 20). I am now trying to get at least 10,000 steps a day (since my job is sedentary) but some days I don’t. The calculator says to eat 1683 calories on rest days and 2187 on training days. Is this correct?
Hey there, It seems a little low to me especially on days you are walking 10k steps. It would definitely be skewed more towards fat loss and not much muscle gain.
Okay. What would you recommend in that case?
Because I tried eating at 2200 and gained .1% body fat
I’d be happy to calculate everything for you here: Expert Body Recomp Calculations
Hi, I am trying to lose body fat and gain lean muscle but I ended up gaining 7kgs over last few months. I fo strength training four days a week and increased my weights progressively , I have started looking bigger and broader with no lean muscle. How can I get back to normal weight and be more lean while reducing body fat?
Hi Taniya, Thanks for stopping by. Remember that muscle does have weight so some of the Kgs are likely muscle weight, however, if you aren’t seeing muscle definition then you do need to cut back your macros to be in a deficit of 15-20%. You can use the calculator for that or I can do these calculations for you so you can achieve those recomp results you’re after.
Hi I need help.
I workout 6 times a week.
My daily calories intake is around 2,300
I’m 5’7, 25 years old male.
I want to build more muscles while losing fat.
I don’t know how to add the extra calories since minimum frequency of working out 3 days a week.
Please help if I’m doing the right thing and also I gain weight for the past 4 months around 0.6 kgs.
Hi Jefferson, Happy to help. You need to eat less on days you aren’t working out since you aren’t always getting the 6 days in. I’m happy to calculate everything for you if you want some expert guidance.
Training Days:
1690 calories
Cals = 163g
Protein = 133g
Fat = 56g
Rest Days:
1322 calories
Cals = 98g
Protein = 133g
Fat = 44g
My question is do i need to adjust this for my activity? I am 44yo female, want to lose fat and gain muscle. do weight training 5 days per week (40-50mins) plus get about 8000 steps per day. thank you!
Hi Penelope, Thanks for visiting! Your training day would already be adjusted for your weight training activity, but it seems like you’d need to add in about 150-200 calories to either day for the 8k steps.
2934 calories a day I eat 3 times a week, workout day I spend 2607 calories
Carbs 384g
Protein 130g
Fat 98g
REST DAYS
2200 calories a day I eat 4 days and spend 2477 calories
Carbs 263g
Protein 130g
Fat 70g
will I have a body recomposition? If I am in surplus on training days, and without training there will be a deficit.
I don’t think you’ll lose much fat at those numbers if you do it will be very slow. Also your protein and carbs are a bit out of balance. More protein fewer carbs.
Hello! I have a question. I counted calories overall for the week if I burned fat, and I had a 147-calorie surplus for the week. Please explain why this happens if I try to burn more fat? If I have 3 workouts a week and I have a surplus of 337 calories these days and 4 days of rest and I have a deficit of 216 calories these days. In total, I have a surplus of 147 calories per week.
Hi Никита, You really want to think of this on a daily basis, not weekly since your body operates on a 24 energy cycle. If you’re goal is to get leaner, then you will have to be in a slight daily calorie deficit. This should be at least 10% lower than your exercise adjusted maintenance. Does that help?
hi, i am 18 5’3 and 122 lbs, with a 20% body fat. i’m looking to body recomp and lose fat and gain some muscle mass. i lift for about an hour 5 days a week followed by incline walking cardio for about 30 minutes. what should i be eating calorie and macro wise to achieve the goal
Hi Ana, Thanks for stopping by. Use the calculator here or our macro calculator and calculate both an exercise day set and a rest day set to use that’s in a slight deficit of 10-15%. If you’d like me to do all the work for you, I do offer that service here: https://healthyeater.com/expert-body-recomp-calculations
I workout every other day for 1hr ( free weights all muscle)
im 5-11 current 189p target 185
i do follow body comp calories counts but what should be my 7 day total calorie intake or does that matters?? this is were i struggle is how many calories on workout days and non.
Hi Tony, Focus more on 24 hour periods since this is the energy cycle your body operates on. Most men around your height would burn around 400 calories during 60 minutes of traditional weight lifting. Therefore, eat more on your lifting days and less on the rest days. If you want to eat the same each day then do some type of cardio for around 40-45 minutes on your non lifting days.
Hi! I’m 25 I am 152 cm tall and I weight 43.4kg. I want to gain more muscle and loose the extra fat. I’m already pretty skinny but I want to get more toned because I was really sedentary for a while.
I calculated my daily calorie intake and it says 1433kcals per day on workout days and 1122kcals on rest days. Is it correct? I’m trying to do weight training 3-4 times a week for at least 45 min to 1 hour and 20 min of cardio (incline walking) at the end of my training.
The other thing is that some “rest days” are working days in and office (I’m not sitting all the time) from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm and I eat more than in the days when I’m pretty much resting.
I also already walk daily 8k steps.
Hi Ainhoa, Thanks for visiting. You need to factor more calories in for your general movement/steps otherwise you’re deficit will be too severe and you won’t add muscle. 8k steps would be about 200 calories for you then on workout days you would add additional calories for your workouts. Does that help? I’m also available if you need me to do the calcs for you.