Macro Calculator for Cutting, Maintenance, and Lean Bulk
Calculate your daily protein, fat, and carbohydrate targets based on your body stats, daily movement, training, and fitness goal. Includes per-meal breakdowns.
Cutting macros
Choose a deficit level and get calories, protein, fat, and carbs for fat loss while keeping protein high.
Maintenance macros
Use your current weight, daily movement, and training to set a stable target before cutting or bulking.
Lean bulk macros
Set a controlled surplus for muscle gain, then track weekly weight and body composition trend changes.
Recommended for most people. Smaller deficits suit lean starting points; larger suit higher body fat.
High deficit warning
Hard, Very Hard, and Very Aggressive cuts are short-phase settings. Keep protein high, keep lifting, and avoid pushing below minimum calories without medical guidance.
Enter your details above to see your results.
What Are Macros?
Macronutrients are the three types of nutrients that provide calories: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Each plays a different role in your body. Protein builds and repairs muscle tissue (4 calories per gram). Carbohydrates are your body's preferred energy source, especially during exercise (4 calories per gram). Fat supports hormone production, nutrient absorption, and brain function (9 calories per gram).
"Counting macros" means tracking how many grams of each macronutrient you eat per day. This approach (also called IIFYM, "If It Fits Your Macros") gives you more flexibility than strict meal plans because you can eat any foods as long as you hit your targets.
How Macros Are Calculated
This calculator sets macros based on research-backed guidelines:
BMR (Katch-McArdle)
This calculator estimates resting calorie needs from lean body mass: 370 plus 21.6 times lean mass in kilograms. Its output depends on the lean-mass estimate supplied. Daily movement, training, and the goal setting then help determine your calorie and macro targets.
Activity
This calculator separates daily movement from training. A desk worker who lifts 4 days per week should not get the same calorie target as someone with a physical job and no gym sessions.
Protein
Cutting protein scales with deficit size: 2.3g per kg of lean mass at a 15% Gentle deficit, up to 3.1g per kg at a 40% Very Aggressive deficit. Bulking and maintenance use 2.3g per kg lean mass.
Fat
Cutting fat scales 25% to 30% of calories with deficit size for hormonal protection. Bulking and maintenance use 25% fixed. Floor: the larger of 0.5g per kg body weight or 20% of calories.
Carbs
Fills the remaining calories after protein and fat are set, with a 50g minimum for brain function. Place most carbs around training.
Reviewed by Andrew Menechian, Head of Fitness, FitCommit
Andrew reviews FitCommit's calorie, macro, and body-composition methodology. His background includes 15+ years in fitness, PN1, PNC 1&2, Poliquin PICP 1&2, bodybuilding, powerlifting, and coaching education.
Read the body weight methodology for how FitCommit connects lean mass, body fat percentage, BMI, and healthy-weight ranges before setting calorie and macro targets.
Why Use One Interactive Macro Calculator?
Macro charts can be useful for quick examples, but they freeze too many assumptions. This calculator recalculates from your current weight, sex, daily movement, training load, goal, and deficit or surplus setting, then shows the exact grams behind the calorie target.
Use it when you need a practical macro target for today. If you need a more specialized flow, start with the cutting macros calculator, lean bulk calculator, or keto macros calculator.
All outputs are estimates for planning and tracking. Adjust with several weeks of body weight, body composition, training performance, hunger, and recovery data.
Meal Timing Tips
While total daily intake matters most, spreading your protein across 3-6 meals helps maximize muscle protein synthesis. Research suggests 20-40g of protein per meal is optimal. Beyond meal frequency, consider:
- •Eat protein within 2 hours after training for recovery.
- •Place most carbs around your workout for energy and recovery.
- •Fat timing is flexible. Avoid high-fat meals right before training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are macros and why do they matter?
Macros (macronutrients) are the three main nutrients that provide calories: protein (4 cal/g), carbohydrates (4 cal/g), and fat (9 cal/g). While total calories determine whether you gain or lose weight, your macro split affects body composition, energy levels, and performance. Higher protein preserves muscle during a cut. Adequate fat supports hormones. Carbs fuel training.
How much protein do I need per day?
This calculator sets a protein target using estimated lean mass and your selected goal. Cutting settings also account for the chosen deficit level. Treat the result as a planning estimate: uncertainty in body fat or activity carries through to the target. The methodology explains the calculation and its sources.
How do I set protein, fat and carb targets for a cut?
The calculator sets protein and fat targets first, based on your estimated lean mass, your chosen goal, and your deficit. It then assigns the remaining calories to carbs. Use the gram targets and the calorie total together, and review them when your weight, activity, or goal changes.
Do macros matter more than total calories?
Total calories are the primary driver of weight change. You cannot out-macro a calorie surplus if your goal is fat loss. However, macros matter for body composition. Two people eating the same calories will have different results if one eats adequate protein and the other does not. Think of calories as the "how much" and macros as the "what kind."
How do I track my macros?
Use a food tracking app like FitCommit, which supports photo, barcode, voice, text, and nutrition-label logging. Body composition changes take time. Scan once a week under similar conditions and watch the trend across several weeks instead of reacting to one result.
Related Calculators
Scan Food. Hit Macros.
FitCommit connects your body-composition estimate to calorie and macro targets, then lets you log food by photo, barcode, nutrition label, voice, or text. Review your food estimates and follow your progress over time.
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