How Big of a Calorie Deficit Do You Need to Achieve Body Recomp?

With body recomposition come two goals: lose body fat while gaining muscle. At first glance, it might seem a bit too good to be true, if you think about how each goal is achieved individually. But it’s not.To lose body fat, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. To gain muscle, you need to continuously challenge your muscles in the gym, and eat enough to hit your protein goals, which is vital to building muscle mass—especially in a calorie deficit.With the two goals seemingly at nutritional odds, it’s difficult to determine exactly how you should eat to hit this two-for-one goal. Exactly how big of a calorie deficit do you need to achieve body recomp? We tapped an expert to find out.Get your personalized plan with our Eating for Body Recomp guideHow big of a calorie deficit do you need to achieve body recomp? Achieving body recomp takes some strategic nutritional planning, starting with a balanced calorie goal.Keep your calorie deficit on the more conservative side when it comes to body recomp so you have enough energy to power your important workouts, Dana White, RD, previously told WH. Aim for a calorie deficit no larger than 250 to 500 calories per day. Any larger than that, and you run the risk of feeling under-fueled in the gym or not hitting your protein goals—which is major for building and maintaining muscle mass.With body recomp, though, it’s important to get even more granular and understand what’s making up those cals, says White. “It’s not just about eating calories—it’s the type of calories.”One of the best ways to determine how to fill those calories is by tracking your macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. To find out how much of each macro you should get, check out our Eating for Body Recomp guide.Find the Perfect Women’s Health Training Program for YouCori Ritchey, C.S.C.S., is the fitness editor at Women's Health, as well as a certified strength and condition coach and group fitness instructor. She’s reported on topics regarding health, nutrition, mental health, fitness, sex, and relationships for several years. You can find more of her work in Men’s Health, HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.