Calculate Macros for Body Recomposition The Right Way

The Myth of 'Bulking' and 'Cutting'

For decades, the fitness world has preached a rigid cycle: you must either 'bulk' (eat in a large surplus to gain muscle, accepting fat gain) or 'cut' (eat in a steep deficit to lose fat, accepting muscle loss). This yo-yo approach is inefficient and frustrating. What if you could build muscle and lose fat at the same time? This process, known as body recomposition, isn't a myth. It's a science-backed strategy that, when done correctly, creates a leaner, stronger physique without the extreme swings in weight.

This guide will teach you the exact nutritional strategy for body recomposition. We'll cover the science, provide a precise macro formula, and give you an interactive calculator to do the work for you. Forget the bulk-and-cut cycle; it's time to build and burn simultaneously.

How Body Recomposition Actually Works

Body recomposition seems counterintuitive because it involves two opposing metabolic processes. Building muscle (anabolism) requires energy, while losing fat (catabolism) requires an energy deficit. The secret lies in creating a nutritional environment where your body can pull energy from stored fat to fuel the construction of new muscle tissue.

This is achieved by two key factors:

1. A Sufficient Training Stimulus: Intense resistance training signals your body that it needs to build and repair muscle tissue. This process, known as muscle protein synthesis (MPS), is the primary driver of muscle growth.
2. Optimized Nutrition: By eating at or very close to your maintenance calorie level with a high protein intake, you provide the necessary building blocks (amino acids from protein) for muscle repair without creating a large energy surplus that leads to fat storage. Your body, needing extra energy to fuel MPS, turns to its most abundant energy reserve: your body fat.

This method works best for new lifters, individuals returning to training after a long break, or those with a higher starting body fat percentage. Their bodies are highly sensitive to the stimulus of training. More advanced lifters may find the process slower and often benefit from dedicated periods of gaining or losing weight. For most people, however, recomposition is the most effective and sustainable path to a better physique.

The 3-Step Recomposition Macro Formula (The Manual Way)

Before using our automated calculator, it's helpful to understand the math behind it. Follow these three steps to find your starting numbers. You will need to track your intake and adjust based on progress, but this formula provides a solid foundation.

Step 1. Find Your Maintenance Calories

Your maintenance level is the number of calories you need to eat to keep your weight the same. A simple and effective way to estimate this is to multiply your bodyweight in kilograms by 33. If you use pounds, multiply your bodyweight by 15.

For an 80 kg person, the calculation is 80 kg x 33 = 2640 calories per day. This is your starting target. While more precise formulas exist, this is a reliable starting point.

Step 2. Set Your Protein and Fat Intake

Protein is the most important macronutrient for body recomposition. It provides the amino acids needed to repair and build muscle. Set your protein target at a robust 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (or 1 gram per pound).

For our 80 kg person, this is 80 kg x 2.2g = 176g of protein. Since protein has 4 calories per gram, this accounts for 704 calories.

Next, set your fat intake. Fat is essential for hormone production. A good target is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight.

For our 80 kg person, this is 80 kg x 0.8g = 64g of fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, so this accounts for 576 calories.

Step 3. Fill the Remainder with Carbs

Carbohydrates provide the primary fuel for your workouts. To find your carb target, subtract your protein and fat calories from your total maintenance calories.

For our example, that is 2640 total calories - 704 protein calories - 576 fat calories = 1360 calories remaining for carbs. Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram. So, 1360 / 4 = 340g of carbs.

Your final daily macros for an 80kg person are 176g Protein, 64g Fat, and 340g Carbs.

Tired of guessing? Track it.

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Your Easy Button: The Body Recomposition Macro Calculator

The manual formula is great for understanding the principles, but for a more precise calculation tailored to your specific body and lifestyle, an automated tool is superior. Our interactive calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which accounts for your age, sex, height, and activity level, providing a more accurate estimate of your daily energy needs.

Instructions: Enter your details below and select 'Body Recomposition' as your goal. The calculator will provide your daily calorie target and a full macronutrient breakdown.

Putting It Into Practice: Sample Recomposition Meal Plans

Knowing your numbers is one thing; hitting them consistently is another. Here are two sample daily meal plans to show you how you can structure your eating to meet your recomposition goals. Use these as templates and swap foods based on your preferences.

Example 1: 70kg Person (Maintenance Calories: ~2300)

• Target Macros: 154g Protein / 248g Carbs / 78g Fat
• Breakfast (7:00 AM): 4 whole eggs scrambled with 1 cup spinach and 50g low-fat cheddar cheese, served with 2 slices of whole-wheat toast. (Approx: 45g P, 35g C, 30g F)
• Lunch (12:30 PM): 170g grilled chicken breast over a large salad with mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, bell peppers, and 2 tbsp olive oil vinaigrette. 1 cup of cooked quinoa on the side. (Approx: 45g P, 60g C, 25g F)
• Post-Workout Snack (4:00 PM): 1 scoop whey protein powder mixed with water, plus one medium banana. (Approx: 25g P, 30g C, 2g F)
• Dinner (7:00 PM): 170g baked salmon with 250g roasted sweet potato and 1 cup of steamed broccoli. (Approx: 40g P, 55g C, 20g F)
• Evening Snack (9:00 PM): 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt. (Approx: 20g P, 10g C, 0g F)

Example 2: 90kg Person (Maintenance Calories: ~3000)

• Target Macros: 198g Protein / 330g Carbs / 100g Fat
• Breakfast (7:00 AM): Protein Oatmeal: 1 cup dry oats cooked with water, mixed with 1.5 scoops of whey protein, 2 tbsp of peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of berries. (Approx: 50g P, 80g C, 22g F)
• Lunch (12:30 PM): 225g lean ground beef (93/7) with 1.5 cups of cooked brown rice, 1 cup of black beans, and salsa. (Approx: 55g P, 95g C, 25g F)
• Post-Workout Snack (4:00 PM): 1.5 scoops whey protein powder mixed with water, plus one large apple. (Approx: 35g P, 35g C, 3g F)
• Dinner (7:30 PM): 200g steak (e.g., sirloin) with a large baked potato (300g) topped with 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, and a large side of green beans. (Approx: 60g P, 80g C, 30g F)
• Evening Snack (9:30 PM): 1.5 cups of 2% cottage cheese. (Approx: 35g P, 10g C, 7g F)

Tracking these meals requires looking up every food item. An app like Mofilo, with its verified food database, can make this process much faster by letting you scan barcodes instead of searching manually.

What to Expect and When to Adjust

Body recomposition is a marathon, not a sprint. Your scale weight might not change much for weeks, or it could even go up slightly as you build dense muscle tissue. This is normal. Ditch the daily weigh-ins and focus on these metrics:

• Body Measurements: Every 4 weeks, measure your waist, hips, chest, and arms. A shrinking waist measurement is a clear sign of fat loss.
• Progress Photos: Take photos from the front, side, and back in the same lighting every month. The visual changes are often more dramatic than the scale suggests.
• Performance in the Gym: Are you getting stronger? Lifting more weight or doing more reps is a direct indicator that you are building muscle.

Assess your progress after 4-6 weeks.

• If strength is up and measurements are down: You're on the right track. Keep everything the same.
• If strength is stalling and measurements are unchanged: Your body needs more fuel. Increase your daily calories by 150-200, adding them from carbs or fats.
• If you're gaining weight and your waist measurement is increasing: You're in too much of a surplus. Decrease your daily calories by 150-200.

You read this far. You're serious.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can anyone do body recomposition?

It works best for beginners, people returning to training after a long break, or those with higher body fat percentages. Experienced lifters find it much harder and often need dedicated bulking and cutting phases.

What's the best training style for recomposition?

The foundation should be a structured resistance training program focused on progressive overload. This means consistently aiming to lift more weight or perform more reps on big compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and rows. Aim for 3-5 tough workouts per week.

Does the scale have to go down?

Not necessarily. Since you are building dense muscle while losing fluffy fat, your total body weight might stay the same or even increase slightly. Focus on measurements, progress photos, and strength gains instead of the scale.

How long does recomposition take?

This is a long-term strategy. Expect to see noticeable changes every 4-6 weeks, but a significant transformation can take 6-12 months or more. The slow, steady progress is what makes the results sustainable.