Counting calories alone tells you how much you're eating. Counting macros tells you what you're eating — and that distinction is what separates slow, frustrating progress from consistent results. This guide walks through the exact steps to calculate your daily macronutrient targets for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain, with no guesswork.
Skip to the numbers: Use the free CheckTheCarbs Keto Macro Calculator to get your personalised protein, fat, and carb targets in under 30 seconds.
Macronutrients — macros — are the three nutrients that provide calories. Every food you eat is composed of some mix of them:
Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram but is not a macronutrient and offers no nutritional value, so it is excluded from macro tracking.
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. Eating at your TDEE maintains your current weight. Eating below it causes fat loss. Eating above it causes weight gain.
TDEE is calculated in two parts: your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate — calories burned at rest) multiplied by an activity factor.
| Activity level | Description | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, little or no exercise | × 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1–3 days/week | × 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week | × 1.55 |
| Very active | Hard exercise 6–7 days/week | × 1.725 |
| Extremely active | Physical job + daily training | × 1.9 |
For example: a 35-year-old woman, 68 kg, 165 cm, moderately active. BMR = (10 × 68) + (6.25 × 165) − (5 × 35) − 161 = 1,451 calories. TDEE = 1,451 × 1.55 = 2,249 calories/day.
Once you know your TDEE, adjust it based on what you want to achieve:
| Goal | Calorie adjustment | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| Fat loss | TDEE − 300 to 500 cal | ~0.3–0.5 kg loss/week |
| Aggressive fat loss | TDEE − 500 to 750 cal | ~0.5–0.75 kg loss/week |
| Maintenance | TDEE (no change) | Stable weight |
| Muscle gain (lean bulk) | TDEE + 200 to 300 cal | Slow muscle growth, minimal fat |
Don't cut too aggressively. Deficits larger than 750 calories/day risk muscle loss, metabolic adaptation, and fatigue — particularly on low-carb diets. Slow and steady produces more sustainable results.
With your calorie target set, divide those calories across the three macros. The right split depends on your dietary approach.
| Diet | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard balanced | 25–30% | 25–35% | 40–50% |
| High-protein / body recomposition | 35–40% | 25–30% | 30–35% |
| Low-carb | 30–35% | 35–45% | 20–30% |
| Ketogenic | 20–25% | 65–75% | 5–10% (20–50g net carbs) |
Once you have a percentage, convert to grams using the calorie-per-gram values:
Using the earlier example (2,249 cal TDEE, −400 for fat loss = 1,849 calories, keto split):
If you're following a keto or low-carb diet, track net carbs, not total carbs. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting dietary fiber from total carbohydrates:
Fiber is not digested or absorbed as glucose. It passes through your digestive system without raising blood sugar or triggering an insulin response, which means it doesn't affect ketosis. Counting it against your carb limit is unnecessarily restrictive.
For standard macro tracking without a carb restriction, total carbs is fine — the distinction only becomes meaningful when carbs are your limiting macro. Learn more in our guide to net carbs vs. total carbs and what net carbs actually are.
To quickly check the net carbs in any food before building your meal plan, use the CheckTheCarbs food database — it covers 300,000+ foods with USDA-verified data including fruits, grains, proteins, snacks, and more.
Use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation with your weight (kg), height (cm), and age. Or skip straight to the macro calculator.
Pick the activity multiplier that honestly reflects your weekly movement. Most people are sedentary or lightly active — not moderately active.
Subtract 300–500 calories for fat loss, add 200–300 for a lean bulk, or keep it flat for maintenance.
Pick a split that matches your diet style. For keto: 70% fat, 25% protein, 5% carbs. Convert percentages to grams using the formulas above.
Weigh yourself weekly, average the readings, and compare to your targets. If weight isn't moving after 3 weeks, reduce calories by 100–150 before making bigger changes.
Overestimating activity level. One gym session doesn't make you "very active." If you have a desk job and train 3–4 days a week, you're moderately active at best. Overestimating here is the most common reason calculated macros don't produce results.
Not weighing food. Volume measurements (cups, tablespoons) vary enormously for calorie-dense foods like nuts, oils, and cheese. A tablespoon of almond butter can range from 80 to 120 calories depending on how it's packed. A kitchen scale eliminates this error entirely.
Tracking total carbs instead of net carbs on keto. High-fiber vegetables like broccoli and spinach would be nearly off-limits if you counted total carbs. Subtract the fiber. See our guide to low-net-carb vegetables for practical examples.
Changing too many variables at once. Adjust calories or macro ratios — not both simultaneously. That way, when something works (or doesn't), you know exactly why.