Counting macros sounds complicated, but setting them is a simple, ordered process. Do the steps in the right sequence and the numbers fall out automatically.
The answer first
Set your macros in this order:
- Calories for your goal (from your TDEE).
- Protein: 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight.
- Fat: 20–35% of calories (a floor of about 0.8 g/kg).
- Carbohydrate: whatever calories remain.
The macro calculator does this for you. Protein and carbs supply 4 kcal/g; fat supplies 9 kcal/g.
Step 1: calories for the goal
Start from maintenance (TDEE) and adjust:
| Goal | Calories |
|---|---|
| Cut (fat loss) | TDEE − 15–20% |
| Maintain | TDEE |
| Bulk (lean gain) | TDEE + 10–15% |
Step 2: protein first
Protein is the priority macro because it builds and preserves muscle and is the most satiating. Aim for 1.6–2.2 g/kg of body weight. For an 80 kg lifter that’s 128–176 g/day. Push toward the top of the range on a cut, where protecting muscle in a deficit matters most.
Protein calories = grams × 4. At 160 g that’s 640 kcal.
Step 3: set a fat floor
Fat supports hormone production and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, so don’t crush it. A sensible target is 20–35% of calories, or a floor of about 0.8 g/kg. For the same 80 kg lifter eating 2400 kcal, 25% fat is 600 kcal ÷ 9 ≈ 67 g.
Step 4: carbohydrate fills the rest
Whatever calories are left after protein and fat become carbohydrate. Continuing the example at 2400 kcal:
carb kcal = 2400 − 640 (protein) − 600 (fat) = 1160 kcal
carbs (g) = 1160 / 4 = 290 g| Macro | Grams | Calories | % of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 160 | 640 | 27% |
| Fat | 67 | 600 | 25% |
| Carbohydrate | 290 | 1160 | 48% |
Carbohydrate is your main training fuel, so it generally rises on a bulk (more energy for hard sessions) and falls on a cut (because the calories aren’t there). Protein and fat stay relatively fixed.
How precise do you need to be?
Not very. Aim to land within roughly 5–10 g of each target and judge progress over weeks, not days. Total calories and protein do most of the work; the carb-to-fat balance is mostly about training performance and personal preference.
Putting it together
Get your calories from the TDEE calculator, set the split with the macro calculator, and read how to calculate your TDEE if you’re starting from scratch. Want to track body composition rather than just scale weight? Use the body-fat calculator.
A note on health
This is general fitness information, not medical or dietary advice. People with medical conditions or specific clinical needs should work with a registered dietitian. See our methodology.