Recomp meal plan: lose fat and build muscle at the same time
A recomp meal plan holds you at a small calorie deficit, about 10% under maintenance, with high protein, about 2 g per kilogram, so you can lose fat and build muscle while your weight stays roughly steady. It needs consistency more than intensity, which is why planning every day matters. Cauli plans a recomp week for you and tracks you against a steady range, not a goal weight.
Key takeaways
- Small deficit (about 10%), high protein (about 2 g/kg), consistent training.
- Expect slow scale movement: roughly 0.1 to 0.2 kg a week.
- Judge it by a steady range and how you train, not a goal weight.
- Consistency wins, so plan the week you'll actually have.
Your recomp target, worked through
Example: a 30-year-old man, 180 cm and 80 kg, on his feet a lot (1.4) and training 4 days a week (+0.20). Resting estimate 1,780 kcal × 1.60 = about 2,850 kcal to maintain.
| Goal | Starts from | Daily target | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lose fat | about 550 kcal under | 2,300 kcal | 150 g (2.0 g × 75 kg, goal weight 75 kg) |
| Build muscle | about 250 kcal over | 3,100 kcal | 145 g (1.8 g × 80 kg, current weight is lower than the goal) |
| Recomp | about 10% under | 2,560 kcal | 160 g (2.0 g × 80 kg, no goal weight) |
| Maintain | maintenance | 2,850 kcal | 130 g (1.6 g × 80 kg, no goal weight) |
An illustration of the method on Methods and sources, not advice for you. Cauli computes yours from your own answers, or you can enter your own numbers.
How a recomp differs from a cut or a bulk
| Cut | Recomp | Lean bulk | Maintain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | About 550 kcal under | About 10% under | About 250 kcal over | Maintenance |
| Protein | 2.0 g/kg | 2.0 g/kg | 1.8 g/kg | 1.6 g/kg |
| Goal weight | Yes (or "not sure") | No | Yes (or "not sure") | No |
| What Cauli tracks | Pace toward the goal weight | A steady range drifting about 0.1–0.2 kg a week | Pace toward the goal weight | A fixed steady range |
Cauli's starting values, from Methods and sources.
How to plan meals for a recomp
- Protein at every meal. At 2 g/kg, three meals and a snack each need a real protein source; our protein-per-calorie table ranks 59 of them from USDA data.
- Keep the deficit small and steady. Same target every day; no starving Monday to feast Saturday.
- Lean training days toward carbs and protein without changing the day's total.
- Batch cook around your training week. A Batch on a rest evening covers the busy nights after.
- Watch the trend, not the day. A recomp's scale is flat by design; one weigh-in a week is enough.
How Cauli plans a recomp week
- Targets: about 10% under maintenance, 2.0 g/kg protein, no goal weight to chase. Or your own numbers.
- Every day on target: within 5% of calories, protein at 90% or more, computed from USDA data.
- Cook, Batch or Leftover around your busy nights, so consistency doesn't depend on willpower.
- A steady range that drifts gently with the slow loss a small deficit brings, so eating the plan reads as on pace.
Cauli is for adults and teens 16 and over (under 18, maintain only), and isn't medical advice. It's on the App Store for iPhone.
Questions people ask
What is body recomposition?
Losing fat and building muscle at the same time, so your weight stays roughly steady while your body changes. It works best with consistent strength training, high protein and a small calorie deficit.
How many calories should I eat for a recomp?
Slightly under maintenance. Cauli starts about 10% under its estimate of your maintenance, smaller than a cut, with protein at 2.0 g per kilogram.
Why isn't my weight changing on a recomp?
That's expected. A small deficit with high protein moves weight slowly, about 0.1 to 0.2 kg a week. Cauli tracks recomp against a steady range that drifts gently with that pace, not against a goal weight.
Should I recomp or cut?
If you want the scale to move noticeably, cut. If you train consistently and want to change shape without chasing a number, recomp. You can switch goals in Cauli any time; it asks for a goal weight only when the new goal needs one.
