π₯© Macro Calculator
Daily protein, carb, and fat targets with per-meal splits.
Daily Protein Target
Estimates only, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician or registered dietitian about what your result means for you.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your daily calorie target (use the TDEE calculator if you do not know it), pick your goal and a macro split preset, and the calculator converts the percentages into grams of protein, carbs, and fat, plus a per-meal breakdown.
Enter your daily calories. Cutting usually means TDEE minus 300 to 500; bulking means TDEE plus 200 to 300.
Choose your goal. It adjusts the recommended split: cutting favors protein, bulking favors carbs for training fuel.
Pick a preset split or choose Custom and type your own percentages. They should add to 100.
Set your meals per day to see per-meal targets, which makes grocery planning and meal prep concrete.
How Macro Math Works
Each macro carries a fixed amount of energy: protein and carbs 4 calories per gram, fat 9, and alcohol 7 (not tracked here). To convert a split into grams, multiply your calories by the macro percentage and divide by its per-gram value. At 2,400 calories on the balanced 30/40/30 split: protein = 2,400 x 0.30 / 4 = 180 g, carbs = 2,400 x 0.40 / 4 = 240 g, fat = 2,400 x 0.30 / 9 = 80 g. The presets encode common strategies: high protein protects muscle while cutting, high carb fuels heavy training, and keto keeps carbs near zero so the body runs on fat and ketones.
Worked Example
Daily target 2,000 calories, cutting goal, balanced 30/40/30 split, 4 meals a day. Protein = 2,000 x 0.30 / 4 = 150 g (600 kcal). Carbs = 2,000 x 0.40 / 4 = 200 g (800 kcal). Fat = 2,000 x 0.30 / 9 = 67 g (600 kcal). Check: 600 + 800 + 600 = 2,000. Per meal: about 38 g protein, 50 g carbs, 17 g fat. In real food that is roughly a palm-and-a-half of chicken, a cup and a half of cooked rice, and a tablespoon of olive oil, four times a day.
Protein Science Basics
Protein is the priority macro because it does the most jobs: it preserves muscle in a deficit, drives satiety (you feel fuller per calorie than with carbs or fat), and costs the most energy to digest. Spreading it across 3 to 5 meals of 25 to 50 g each maximizes muscle protein synthesis through the day. Carbs are your training fuel: they refill muscle glycogen and power high-intensity work, which is why bulking splits run higher on carbs. Fat supports hormones and vitamin absorption; dropping below about 0.3 g per pound of body weight for long stretches can disrupt hormones, so even aggressive cuts keep a fat floor. Fiber, while technically a carb, deserves its own target: 25 to 35 g daily keeps digestion and hunger in check. These are estimates, not medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein should I eat per day?
For active adults, 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight (1.6 to 2.2 g per kg) covers most goals: the higher end for cutting or heavy training, the lower end for maintenance. A 180 lb person cutting would target roughly 145 to 180 g of protein daily. Sedentary adults can get by on less, around 0.5 to 0.6 g per pound, but protein is the one macro you should almost never cut aggressively.
What is IIFYM?
IIFYM stands for "If It Fits Your Macros": a flexible dieting approach where any food is allowed as long as you hit your daily protein, carb, and fat targets. The idea is that body composition responds mostly to calories and macros, not to specific "clean" foods. It works well for adherence because nothing is banned, but food quality still matters for hunger, energy, and micronutrients, so most people land on flexible eating built around whole foods.
What macros should I use for keto?
Classic keto is roughly 70 to 75 percent fat, 20 to 25 percent protein, and 5 to 10 percent carbs, which usually means under 30 to 50 g of carbs per day. The low carb intake keeps insulin low enough for the liver to produce ketones. Protein stays moderate rather than very high because excess protein can convert to glucose. This calculator includes a keto preset with a 25/5/70 protein/carb/fat split.
Should my macros change on rest days?
Slightly, if you want to optimize. Many people eat a bit more carbs on training days (fuel for the workout) and shift some of those calories to fat or protein on rest days, keeping total calories and protein roughly constant. This is called carb cycling. It is optional: for most people, hitting the same daily averages across the week works just as well, and consistency beats perfect daily periodization.
Do I need to hit my macros exactly every day?
No. Weekly averages matter far more than any single day. Being within about 10 percent on calories and hitting protein most days will get you 95 percent of the results. People who stress over exact daily numbers tend to quit; people who track loosely but consistently tend to succeed. Use the per-meal split as a planning guide, not a pass/fail test.