How to Calculate Your Macros: A Step-by-Step Method

The Order Matters

Macros come in a specific order. Get this wrong, and everything else is off.

1. Calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).
2. Set calories based on your goal.
3. Set protein first.
4. Set fat second.
5. Fill the rest with carbs.

That's it. The rest of this article is detail.

Step 1: Calculate Your TDEE

TDEE is how many calories you burn in a day. Use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the most accurate non-lab method.^[1]

Step 1a — Basal metabolic rate (BMR):

• Men: 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age + 5
• Women: 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age − 161

Step 1b — Activity multiplier:

Activity	Multiplier
Sedentary (desk job, no exercise)	1.2
Light (1–3× exercise per week)	1.375
Moderate (3–5× exercise)	1.55
Active (6–7× exercise)	1.725
Very active (heavy training, physical job)	1.9

TDEE = BMR × multiplier.

Or save time and use our calorie calculator to get the same result instantly.

Example

Male, 32 years, 178 cm, 80 kg, moderate activity.

• BMR: 10×80 + 6.25×178 − 5×32 + 5 = 1,758 kcal
• TDEE: 1,758 × 1.55 = 2,725 kcal/day

Step 2: Adjust Calories for Goal

Goal	Adjustment
Maintain	TDEE
Lose fat (moderate)	TDEE − 400 to 500
Lose fat (aggressive)	TDEE − 600 to 800
Gain muscle (lean)	TDEE + 200 to 300
Gain weight (faster)	TDEE + 400 to 500

For our example, fat-loss target: 2,725 − 500 = 2,225 kcal/day.

Step 3: Set Protein First

Protein protects muscle and keeps you full. It's the highest-leverage macro. See our protein guide for context.

Goal	Protein
Fat loss	1.8–2.2 g/kg
Muscle gain	1.6–2.0 g/kg
Maintenance	1.4–1.6 g/kg

For our 80 kg example at fat loss: 80 × 2.0 = 160 g protein = 640 kcal.

Step 4: Set Fat Second

Fat supports hormones, vitamin absorption, and satiety. Don't go too low.

• Minimum: 0.6 g/kg
• Standard: 0.8–1.0 g/kg
• Higher (e.g., if you prefer lower carbs): 1.0–1.5 g/kg

For our example at 1.0 g/kg: 80 × 1.0 = 80 g fat = 720 kcal.

Step 5: Fill Remaining Calories with Carbs

Take your total calorie target, subtract protein and fat calories, divide by 4 (kcal per gram of carb).

For our example:

• Total calories: 2,225
• Protein calories: 640
• Fat calories: 720
• Carbs: (2,225 − 640 − 720) ÷ 4 = 216 g

Final Targets for Our Example

Macro	Grams	Calories	%
Protein	160 g	640	29%
Fat	80 g	720	32%
Carbs	216 g	864	39%

Track your calories with KairoFree on the App Store

How Strict Should You Be?

Within ~5 g of fat, ~10 g of protein, and ~20 g of carbs of your daily target is fine. Trying to hit each macro to the gram is precision theater — and a fast way to burn out.

What matters far more:

1. Hit your calorie target most days.
2. Hit your protein target most days.
3. Let fat and carbs flex.

Recalculate When Your Body Changes

Your TDEE drops as you lose weight (less body mass to maintain). Recalculate every 5 kg of weight change, or when progress stalls for 3+ weeks.

Common Calculation Mistakes

Overestimating activity

This is the #1 reason people don't lose fat at their calculated target. Most office workers who exercise 3× per week are not "moderately active" — they're "lightly active." When in doubt, pick the lower tier.

Setting fat too low

Anything under 0.5 g/kg of fat per day is a recipe for low energy, dry skin, and mood crashes. Cut carbs before fat in most cases.

Forgetting to recalculate

A 30-year-old, 80 kg version of you needs different calories than a 32-year-old, 72 kg version of you. Recalculate quarterly at minimum.

Conclusion

Calculating macros isn't complicated when you take it in order: TDEE → calories → protein → fat → carbs. Run the numbers once, track for two weeks, then adjust based on what your body actually does. Use the calorie calculator and macro calculator to skip the math.

For the full system, read our macronutrients guide.