Macro Calculator: Protein, Fat and Carb Grams for Your Goal
Enter your body weight, daily calorie target and goal. You get protein set first by body weight, a fat minimum so meals stay realistic and fat never drops very low, and the remaining calories as carbs to fuel training.
Your results
Estimates for healthy adults, for education only. Not a medical assessment. Built and reviewed by Umair Hazrami.
How this macro calculator works
Three steps, in this order. The order matters.
1. Protein first, from body weight.
| Goal | Protein |
|---|---|
| Fat loss | 2.2 g per kg |
| Maintain / recomp | 1.8 g per kg |
| Muscle gain | 1.6 g per kg |
2. Fat second. Fat = 25% of your calories, or 0.6 g per kg of body weight, whichever is higher. The 0.6 g/kg floor only kicks in when calories are low relative to your size.
3. Carbs get the rest. Carbs = (calories − protein × 4 − fat × 9) ÷ 4. If that drops below 50 g, you see a warning.
Worked example: 70 kg, 2,200 kcal, fat loss. Protein is 154 g (28% of calories). Fat is 61 g (25%). Carbs come out at about 259 g (47%).
Need a calorie target first? Get it from the calorie calculator.
Why these numbers
Muscle gain at 1.6 g/kg. A meta-analysis of 49 trials and 1,863 people found no further gains in fat-free mass beyond about 1.62 g/kg/day of total protein (Morton et al., 2018). Eating well above that is fine, but it mostly leaves less room for carbs.
Fat loss at 2.2 g/kg. Dieting changes the picture. A systematic review of lean, resistance-trained people in a deficit concluded needs are likely 2.3-3.1 g/kg of fat-free mass, scaled up as the diet gets harder and you get leaner (Helms et al., 2014). Note the “fat-free mass”. At around 15% body fat, 2.2 g/kg of total weight works out to roughly 2.6 g/kg of lean mass. Only six studies made the cut, though.
Maintenance at 1.8 g/kg. This is a middle setting between the two, not a number taken from a single study.
Fat at 25%. For natural bodybuilders in contest prep, one evidence review suggested 15-30% of calories from fat, with carbs filling the remainder (Helms, Aragon and Fitschen, 2014). Going very low on fat for long stretches has a possible cost: a meta-analysis of six intervention studies (206 men) found lower testosterone on low-fat versus high-fat diets, though the authors said more trials are needed (Whittaker and Wu, 2021).
Using your macros in an Indian kitchen
A pattern worth watching for: carbs and fat get covered without trying, while protein falls short. Rice, roti and ghee add up fast. Plan protein around each meal first: dal plus paneer, curd, eggs, chicken or soya. Then fit the rest. Cooking oil and tadka count toward fat, so measure them for a week. For per-meal protein targets, use the protein calculator, and see calculating macro splits step by step for the reasoning behind each choice.
Limitations and who this is not for
- Higher body fat. Protein is based on total weight. If you carry a lot of fat, entering your goal weight gives more sensible numbers.
- Aggressive diets. At very low calories, protein and fat can use up nearly the whole budget. If carbs land near zero, raise calories rather than cutting protein.
- Endurance athletes may need more carbohydrate than this split gives.
- Medical conditions. Kidney disease, diabetes, pregnancy and under-18s need individual advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before following any macro target.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this macro calculator split my calories?
Protein is set first from your body weight and goal: 2.2 g/kg for fat loss, 1.8 g/kg for maintenance and 1.6 g/kg for muscle gain. Fat is then set to 25% of calories or 0.6 g/kg of body weight, whichever is higher. Every calorie left over goes to carbohydrates.
Why is protein highest when cutting?
A calorie deficit makes it harder to hold on to muscle, and a systematic review of lean, resistance-trained people in a deficit suggested protein needs of 2.3-3.1 g/kg of fat-free mass. For a lifter at moderate body fat, 2.2 g/kg of total body weight lands in roughly that range. The evidence base was small (six studies), so treat it as a sensible target rather than a precise threshold.
Is 1.6 g/kg of protein really enough to build muscle?
For most people, it looks like enough. A meta-analysis of 49 trials found that, on average, extra protein stopped adding fat-free mass beyond a total intake of about 1.6 g/kg per day. That is an average, so eating somewhat more is reasonable if it suits your diet and budget, but it is not essential.
Can I eat more carbs and less fat than the calculator says?
Yes, within limits. The 25% fat setting sits inside the 15-30% range suggested for natural bodybuilders in contest prep, so going a little lower is not unreasonable for short periods. Very low-fat diets have been linked with lower testosterone in men in a small meta-analysis, so it is wise not to push fat right down for months.
What does the low-carb warning mean?
The calculator flags any result under 50 g of carbs a day. At that point protein and fat have used up almost all your calories, which usually means the deficit is too large for your size. A smaller deficit typically keeps training quality and energy in a better place.
Should I use my current weight or goal weight?
The calculator uses whatever weight you enter, and the protein targets are per kg of total body weight. If you carry a lot of body fat, that can push protein very high and squeeze carbs, so many coaches use a goal or lean-adjusted weight instead. This is a practical adjustment, not a research-tested rule.
Do I need to hit my macros exactly every day?
No. For body composition, total calories and protein do most of the work, so aim to land close to those on most days. For most people, fat and carbs can vary from day to day without much practical effect as long as the weekly average is near target.
Sources & References
Every claim above is checked against peer-reviewed research (PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine) or guidance from established health bodies. How we fact-check.
- Morton RW, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018. PMID: 28698222
- Helms ER, et al. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014. PMID: 24092765
- Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014. PMID: 24864135
- Whittaker J, Wu K. Low-fat diets and testosterone in men: Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2021. PMID: 33741447