What are macros?
Macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — are the three nutrients that provide calories. Protein and carbohydrates each deliver 4 kcal per gram; fat delivers 9 kcal per gram. When you track macros, you are setting a target for each one, not just a single calorie number. This matters because the source of your calories affects body composition, hunger, energy, and training performance.
How protein targets are set
Protein is the most important macro to get right. It is the primary driver of muscle retention during a deficit and muscle growth during a surplus. Research consistently supports a range of 1.6–2.4 g per kg of body weight for people who train:
- Fat loss: 2.4 g/kg — the upper end helps preserve lean mass when calories are restricted.
- Muscle gain: 2.2 g/kg — slightly elevated to support hypertrophy without over-allocating calories away from carbs.
- Maintenance: 2.0 g/kg — a solid baseline for performance and body composition with no specific body-change goal.
Fat and carbohydrate targets
After protein is set, fat and carbohydrates split the remaining calories. Fat is set at a fixed percentage of total calories (25–30% depending on goal) because it is essential for hormonal function and cell health — dropping below ~20% of total calories consistently is not recommended. Carbohydrates fill the rest, which is why low-calorie diets naturally produce low-carb results.
Carbohydrates are the main fuel for intense training. If your workouts are suffering, increasing carbs slightly (and reducing fat proportionally) is often the first lever to pull.
Calories come first
Macros only make sense on top of a calibrated calorie target. If you are not sure how many calories to eat, use the TDEE calculator to find your maintenance calories first, then adjust by your goal (deficit for fat loss, small surplus for muscle gain).
Pair your nutrition with a training plan
Hitting your macro targets gets body composition moving in the right direction; a structured training program ensures the changes are muscle, not just scale weight. Want a complete weekly routine matched to your goal? Build a free training program in about 30 seconds.
Estimates only. Individual requirements vary based on body composition, health status, and activity type. If you have a medical condition or are making significant dietary changes, consult a qualified dietitian.