Calculate your daily macronutrient requirements for weight management, muscle gain, or fat loss. Perfect for fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and nutrition planners who want accurate protein, carbohydrate, and fat targets to reach their health goals.
Snacks: Protein Shake (200 cal) + Almonds (170 cal) = 370 cal
Total Daily Calories: 530 + 600 + 580 + 370 = 2,080 cal
Calories tell you how much to eat; macros tell you what to eat for the results you want. Our Macro Calculator converts calorie targets into protein, carbohydrate, and fat recommendations tailored to goals, training frequency, and body composition. This guide walks through choosing targets from your BMR Calculator and Calorie Calculator, setting protein priorities for muscle retention and growth, aligning carbs to training, and making smart fat choices for health and hormone support. We include practical meal templates, troubleshooting checks, and links to the Body Fat Calculator, Nutrition Guide, and Weight Loss Guide.
Two diets with identical calories can produce different outcomes if one is high-protein and the other high-carb. Macros influence body composition, performance, hunger, sleep, and recovery. Protein protects lean mass in a deficit and supports growth in a surplus. Carbs fuel training and high-intensity work. Fats support hormones, brain function, and satiety.
The tool translates a calorie target into gram-based macro targets, supports different protein strategies (per kg bodyweight or per lean mass), and offers split templates (e.g., 40/30/30, high-protein, low-carb). It also pairs with our Macro Calculator to export quick meal templates and weekly grocery guides.
Macros are relative to total calories. Start by calculating resting energy (BMR) and estimating your TDEE with activity multipliers using the BMR Calculator and Calorie Calculator. From TDEE, choose:
Recalculate after ±2–3 kg of weight change or when your training or daily activity changes significantly.
Protein is the most important macro for body composition. Recommended starting points:
If you know your body fat percentage, consider basing protein on lean mass for tighter precision (use our Body Fat Calculator to estimate lean mass).
Fat intake should never be too low. A practical range:
When in a calorie deficit, keep fats at least at the baseline—too-low fat can increase hunger and impair hormonal health (especially for women).
Carbs fill the remaining calories after protein and fat are set. Tailor carbs to training:
75 kg person, maintenance TDEE = 2500 kcal, goal = 15% deficit → 2125 kcal target.
Protein at 2.0 g/kg = 150 g → 600 kcal.
Fat at 25% of calories = 531 kcal → ≈59 g.
Remaining calories for carbs = 2125 − (600 + 531) = 994 kcal → ≈249 g carbs.
Templates you can use as starting points (adjust to preference and performance):
Protein: 1.8–2.4 g/kg; Fat: 25–30% kcal; Carbs: remainder. Good for preserving muscle in a deficit.
Protein: 1.6–2.0 g/kg; Carbs: moderate for daily energy; Fat: 20–30% kcal. Works well for steady performance and body comp maintenance.
Protein: 1.6–2.0 g/kg; Carbs: higher to fuel volume; Fat: lower end to fit calories. Best for athletes with large training loads.
Track weight and body composition trends, not single-day fluctuations. Check these if results deviate from expectations:
Re-run the Calorie Calculator and the Macro Calculator after 2–4 weeks if your weight changes by ~2–3 kg or you change activity levels.
Pregnant or breastfeeding people, adolescents, or those with medical conditions should follow clinician guidance—macros and calorie targets differ and may require lab monitoring. For aging adults prioritizing muscle retention, emphasize protein and resistance training.
Use these related tools and articles to round out your plan: BMR Calculator, Calorie Calculator, Body Fat Calculator, Nutrition Guide, and Fitness Guide. These internal links form a practical cluster so users can move from measurement to plan to tracking quickly.
Update when your bodyweight changes by about 2–3 kg, you change training volume, or every 4–8 weeks in a longer program. Re-run the Calorie Calculator first, then the Macro Calculator.
Not necessarily. Many people use tracking as a learning phase to calibrate portions and habits, then shift to portion cues with periodic audits. Keep protein targets even if you stop daily tracking.
Recomposition is possible—especially for beginners or those returning from a break—by eating near maintenance with high protein and prioritizing progressive resistance training. Use the Macro Calculator to set high protein and slightly variable calories across weeks.
If tracking every macro is unsustainable, prioritize protein tracking and use a simple percentage split (e.g., 25% fats) with portion-based carb choices. Periodic audits can keep you on track.
Increase carbs on heavy training days to fuel performance and recovery and lower carbs slightly on rest days while keeping protein constant. Many people use calorie cycling (±100–300 kcal) and move carbs accordingly.
Use the Macro Calculator to convert calories into a practical meal plan and take the guesswork out of day-to-day eating.
Need help tailoring this to special needs? Check our Fitness Guide or the Nutrition Guide.