Macros, in plain terms
Your macronutrients are protein, fat and carbohydrate — the three things calories come from. Protein and carbs carry 4 kcal per gram, fat 9. A macro target is just a way of splitting your day’s calories between them, built here on your maintenance calories.
Protein first
Protein is set per kilo of body weight, not as a slice of calories, because its job — keeping muscle — depends on your size, not your intake. We use the same range as the protein calculator (about 1.6–2.2 g/kg), pulled from the same source, so the two pages can never disagree.
Fat and carbs
Fat sits at 20–35% of calories — enough for hormones and to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Carbs take the rest: not the enemy, just your main working fuel. Whether carbs or fat run higher is preference, not a rule.
Adjusting for a goal
These are maintenance macros. To lose, keep protein where it is and take the cut mostly from carbs and fat — build the calorie target on the calorie deficit calculator, then the same protein floor still applies.
FAQ
How do I calculate my macros?
Start from a calorie target (your maintenance, or a deficit), then split it. Protein is set per kilo of body weight; fat is a share of calories (20–35%); carbs are whatever is left. Protein has 4 kcal per gram, carbs 4, fat 9 — which is how grams turn into calories.
What is a good macro split?
There is no single magic split. Set protein for muscle first, keep fat in the 20–35% band for hormones and vitamin absorption, and let carbs fill the rest as your training fuel. Whether carbs or fat sit higher is mostly preference — adherence matters more than the ratio.
How much protein should I eat?
Around 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight for active people and anyone in a deficit — the same range as our protein calculator, so the numbers match across the site. This tool uses that source directly rather than inventing its own figure.
Do I need to hit my macros exactly?
No. They are a target range, not a test. Protein is the one worth getting close to most days; fat and carbs can move around within the day and week. Consistency over a fortnight beats precision on any single day.
Should carbs or fat be higher?
Either can work. Once protein is set and fat is at least ~20% of calories for health, the split of the remaining calories between carbs and fat is down to what you enjoy, train on, and can sustain.