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Macro Calculator

Macronutrients are the three nutrients that supply your calories: protein and carbohydrate at four calories per gram, and fat at nine. This calculator turns a calorie target into those gram amounts. Choose a goal and it works out your calories first, then places protein, fat and carbohydrate around that number in the proportions most training programs use.

Enter values

The maintenance number from the TDEE calculator

Sets protein, which is counted per kg you carry

Applies the calorie change and the matching protein floor

Results update as you type.

Results

Calories per day
1,900 kcal/day
Change from TDEE
−500 kcal
Protein
140 g · 29%
Fat
53 g · 25%
Carbohydrate
216 g · 46%

How is the Macro calculated?

The calculator estimates your daily energy expenditure, then adjusts it for your goal: minus five hundred calories for cutting, the maintenance figure for holding, or plus three hundred for gaining. Protein is set per kilogram of body weight: two grams when losing, one point six when maintaining and one point eight when gaining. Fat takes a quarter of the calories and carbohydrate claims the rest. Grams then come from each macro's calorie share, so the three add up to your target.

Formula

Calories = TDEE ± adjustment (−500 kcal cutting, 0 maintaining, +300 kcal gaining). Protein = 2.0, 1.6 or 1.8 g per kg for lose, maintain, gain. Fat = 25% of calories ÷ 9. Carbohydrate = (calories − protein calories − fat calories) ÷ 4.

Example

A 70 kg man with a TDEE of 2400 kcal who wants to cut gets 2400 − 500 = 1900 kcal a day. Protein at 2.0 g per kg is 140 g, worth 560 calories. Fat at 25% of 1900 is 475 calories, which is about 53 g. The remaining 865 calories become carbohydrate: 865 ÷ 4 ≈ 216 g. The split reads 140 g protein (29%), 53 g fat (25%) and 216 g carbs (46%), and the three calorie contributions total the 1900 kcal target.

Things to remember

Macro targets work best as a framework rather than a cage: protein protects muscle, fat supports hormones, and carbohydrate fuels the sessions that make the plan worth following. Track the split for a fortnight, check that your weight is moving in the right direction, and adjust calories before you rewrite the macros.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many grams of protein should I eat per day?

This calculator uses two grams per kilogram of body weight when cutting, one point eight when gaining and one point six when maintaining, which covers most trained adults. Higher intakes help preserve muscle in a deficit, while endurance athletes may sit nearer the lower end.

What if my carbohydrate target comes out negative?

A negative carbohydrate figure means your calorie target is too low, because protein and fat alone are using up the whole budget. Raise the target towards maintenance or check your activity level. Anything below a thousand kcal a day deserves professional guidance.

Should I track macros every day?

Daily tracking is useful while you learn what portions actually contain, but it does not need to be permanent. Averaging protein and calories across the week is more realistic than panicking over one off-plan dinner, because long-term trends are what change body composition.

Do macros matter more than total calories?

Calories decide whether your weight goes up or down, while macros decide how that change is composed: enough protein holds muscle, and enough carbohydrate keeps training productive. Get the energy balance right first, then refine the split until your performance and satiety feel steady.

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