Macro calculator
Protein is set per kilogram of body weight, fat as a share of energy, and carbohydrate takes the remainder. No preset drops fat below the lower bound of the published range.
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Result
These are estimates from population-level equations, not a measurement of you and not medical advice. Individual results vary widely. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to how you eat or train.
How this is calculated
Macronutrient splitdefault
protein (g) = g/kg × body weight
fat (g) = (calories × fat share) / 9
carbohydrate (g) = (calories − protein kcal − fat kcal) / 4
protein 4 kcal/g · carbohydrate 4 kcal/g · fat 9 kcal/g
- Source
- Energy densities: Atwater WO, Woods CD, USDA Bulletin 28, 1896. Distribution ranges: Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes, National Academies Press, 2005 — protein 10–35%, fat 20–35%, carbohydrate 45–65% of energy.
- Assumes
- The Atwater general factors, which are population averages. Real absorption varies with food matrix and preparation.
- Accuracy
- The arithmetic is exact. The judgement is in the targets: protein per kilogram is well supported, the fat share less so, and carbohydrate is simply the remainder because the body is most flexible about it.
Macronutrient split by preset
Grams per day at 2200 kcal for a 75 kg person. Protein scales with body weight, fat is a share of energy, and carbohydrate takes what is left — so the carbohydrate column is the one that moves most.
| Preset | Protein | Fat | Carbohydrate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | 120 g | 73 g | 265 g |
| Cut | 150 g | 61 g | 263 g |
| Bulk | 120 g | 61 g | 293 g |
| High protein | 165 g | 61 g | 248 g |
| Low carb | 150 g | 110 g | 153 g |
Questions
- Why is protein set per kilogram rather than as a percentage?
- Because protein need tracks body size, not energy intake. Setting it as a percentage means your protein target falls when you eat less — exactly backwards, since protein needs rise slightly in a deficit.
- Why does the fat share never go below 20%?
- That is the lower bound of the Institute of Medicine acceptable distribution range. Below it, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and hormone production can suffer. No preset here crosses it.
- Do macros matter more than total calories?
- For body weight, no — energy balance dominates. Macros matter for body composition, training performance and how full you feel at a given intake, which is why protein gets a target of its own.
- Why did my carbohydrate figure come out at zero?
- Because protein and fat together already account for the full calorie target. That happens at low intakes with high body weight and a high protein setting. Lowering the protein per kilogram opens room for carbohydrate.
- Is a low-carbohydrate split better for fat loss?
- Controlled trials that match calories and protein find little difference in fat loss between higher and lower carbohydrate splits. Choose whichever you find easier to stick to; adherence is the variable that actually moves results.