Find your maintenance calories

Visible muscle definition through the arms, shoulders, and abs. Very little softness anywhere. Takes deliberate training and nutrition to hold — and for many women it isn't sustainable or hormonally healthy year-round.

Toned and athletic with visible shape in the shoulders, waist, and legs. Some ab definition, curves preserved. The "strong, not skinny" look — built with muscle, not restriction.

A healthy, feminine range with softness through the midsection and hips. Muscle isn't very visible — often not because it needs to be "burned off," but because it hasn't been built yet. The classic starting point for recomposition.

Noticeable softness through the belly, hips, and arms, with little visible muscle tone. Very often this is the "skinny fat" zone — a normal scale weight, low muscle mass, and years of undereating slowing everything down.

Fat storage is more noticeable through the belly, hips, arms, and back, with muscle mostly hidden underneath. This is rarely a willpower problem — it's usually years of low protein, low strength work, and on-again-off-again dieting. Structure changes everything here.

Fat storage throughout the body, with everyday movement feeling harder than it should. If this is you, the answer is almost never another aggressive diet — it's eating enough of the right things, building strength, and walking more. Progress from here can be dramatic and sustainable.