Is this a body recomposition macro calculator?

Yes. Choose recomp when you want protein high enough to support muscle retention or gain while calories stay near maintenance. The calculator sets protein first, uses a moderate fat target, and lets carbs fill the remaining calories for training performance.

How much protein per pound of bodyweight should I eat?

0.8 to 1.0 grams per pound of bodyweight per day for resistance trainees. The International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand (Jäger et al., 2017) supports 1.4-2.0 g/kg (roughly 0.6-0.9 g/lb) for general resistance training, with the upper end (around 1.0 g/lb) appropriate during a fat-loss phase to preserve muscle.

Should I eat more protein on a cut?

Yes. During a calorie deficit, higher protein helps preserve lean muscle and increases satiety. This macro calculator uses 1.0 g/lb on a cut, 0.9 g/lb on recomp, and 0.8 g/lb on a bulk. The protein floor goes up as calories go down.

Why do my calories not equal protein plus carbs plus fat?

Protein and carbs are 4 kcal/g, fat is 9 kcal/g. The math is: (protein g × 4) + (carb g × 4) + (fat g × 9) = total kcal. Rounding to whole grams may show a 5-15 kcal difference; that is normal and not a problem in practice.

Do I need to hit my macros exactly every day?

No. Target the weekly average. If protein is 30 g low one day and 30 g high the next, the week averages out. Day-to-day variation is expected. The point is the weekly trend, not perfection on any single day.

How should I split protein across the day?

Split into 3-5 meals of roughly equal protein. For a 200 g daily target, that's 40 g across 5 meals or 50 g across 4 meals. Evenly distributed protein maximizes muscle protein synthesis stimulation throughout the day per leucine-threshold research.

Free tool

Body recomposition macro calculator

Set macros for body recomposition, cutting, or lean bulking. Protein follows ISSN guidance (Jäger et al., 2017), fats shift by goal, and carbs fill the rest. Free, no signup, no email gate.

How the body recomposition math works

Protein is set first based on bodyweight and goal: 1.0 g/lb on a cut, 0.9 g/lb on recomp, 0.8 g/lb on a bulk. Fat is set as a percentage of total calories: 25% on a cut, 27% on recomp, 30% on a bulk. Carbs fill the remaining calories.

For recomp, the calculator keeps protein high and fat moderate so the plan supports hard training without turning into a crash diet. If you are trying to lose fat and build muscle at the same time, start with recomp calories from the TDEE calculator, then use this page to split those calories into protein, carbs, and fats.

Why protein goes up during a cut: lower calories means more relative emphasis on preserving muscle. Why fat percentage shifts: hormone production and satiety both benefit from adequate fat at different calorie levels. Carbs are flexible because performance tolerance varies — some clients do well on lower carbs, others need more for training intensity.

When to choose cut, recomp, or bulk

Choose cut if your main goal is fat loss and your waist trend needs to move down.

Choose recomp if you are newer to structured lifting, coming back after time off, or carrying enough body fat that you can train hard near maintenance while improving body composition.

Choose bulk if you are already lean enough and need a controlled calorie surplus to add muscle.

The calculator is a starting point

Macros are the easy part. The hard part is reading your week — sleep, training quality, weight trend, hunger, stress — and knowing when to shift protein up, fat down, or carbs around training. That is what 1:1 coaching with Kris adds. The calculator gets you 80%; coaching gets you the last 20%, which is where most people stall.

Apply for 1:1 coaching See the full methodology