What “macros” means
Macros are the three main energy-providing nutrients: protein, carbs, and fat. This tool converts your calorie target into gram targets for each macro.
Macros Calculator
Paste your daily calories (e.g. from the BMR & TDEE calculator), choose your goal, then use the sliders to split protein & fat.
How this calculator works
Set your calories and goal, choose protein & fat presets, and the calculator assigns the remaining calories to carbs.
What calories should I enter?
Enter your daily calorie target (often your TDEE for maintain, below for cut, above for bulk). If you’re unsure, calculate maintenance first using our BMR & TDEE calculator.
Protein preset (g/kg)
Protein is set relative to body weight. Higher protein helps preserve muscle and improves fullness.
Protein (g/day): protein_gkg × bodyweight(kg)
Protein calories: protein_g × 4
Fat preset (g/kg)
Fat supports hormones, satiety, and food enjoyment. You set fat relative to body weight.
Fat (g/day): fat_gkg × bodyweight(kg)
Fat calories: fat_g × 9
How carbs are calculated
After protein and fat are set, the remaining calories are assigned to carbs.
Carb calories: totalCalories − proteinCal − fatCal
Carbs (g/day): carbCalories ÷ 4
Goal slider & weekly change
- Cut: aims to reduce weight over time (deficit).
- Maintain: aims to stay stable (maintenance calories).
- Bulk: aims to gain weight over time (surplus).
The weekly % option is a guide for how aggressive the goal is — it doesn’t replace calorie accuracy.
Practical presets guide
- Protein: 1.6–2.2 g/kg is common for training and muscle retention.
- Fat: ~0.6–1.0 g/kg is a typical evidence-based range.
- Higher carbs can help training performance; higher fat can help satiety and preference.
Accuracy & limitations
- Nutrition labels and tracking errors can be significant.
- Daily activity varies, so calorie targets may need adjustment.
- Macros don’t guarantee results — adherence and weekly averages matter most.
How to use your macro targets
Treat the result as a starting point. Track a 7-day average bodyweight trend for 2–3 weeks. If you’re not moving toward your goal, adjust calories slightly (not wildly) and re-check.
Hit protein first
Fat for satiety
Carbs fill the rest
Mini FAQ
Do I need to track macros to get results?
Not strictly — you can make progress with consistent portions and food choices. But macros make it easier to control outcomes (fat loss, muscle gain, performance), especially when progress stalls.
Which goal should I pick: cut, maintain, or bulk?
Choose cut to lose body fat, maintain to stay roughly the same weight while improving habits, and bulk to gain weight (ideally muscle). If you’re unsure, start with maintain for 2–3 weeks and track your trend.
How much protein should I set?
A strong evidence-based range for most people is 1.6–2.2 g/kg. Go higher if you’re cutting, already lean, or training hard. Go moderate if you’re maintaining and less active.
How low can I set fat?
Many people do well around 0.6–1.0 g/kg. Going too low can reduce satiety and make diets feel harder. The calculator will assign the remaining calories to carbs after protein + fat.
Why did my carbs become very high or very low?
Carbs are the “leftover” macro after protein and fat are set. If you push protein and fat high, carbs drop. If you set fat lower, carbs rise. Aim for something you can follow consistently, not a perfect ratio.
Have more questions? Visit the full FAQs.