How to track macros

Macros (protein, carbohydrate and fat) are where your daily calories come from. Get the split right and body composition follows; obsess over food choice while ignoring totals and you'll spin your wheels.

Start with calories

Your macro plan sits on top of a calorie target. Use the TDEE calculator to estimate maintenance, then adjust:

• Cut: ~10–20% below maintenance
• Maintain: at maintenance
• Lean bulk: ~10% above maintenance

Set protein first

Protein is the priority macro: it preserves muscle in a deficit and builds it in a surplus.

Then fat, then carbs

Set fat at 0.7–0.9 g per kg of bodyweight (never under 0.5 g/kg) to support hormones, then fill the rest with carbs, your main training fuel, and the one macro you move when calories need to change.

protein_kcal = protein_g × 4
fat_kcal     = fat_g × 9        (fat_g = 0.7–0.9 × kg)
carb_kcal    = calories − protein_kcal − fat_kcal
carbs_g      = carb_kcal / 4

Consistency beats precision

You don't need to hit grams exactly. Land within ~5–10 g of protein and keep calories in range most days, and you'll progress. Track for a few weeks to build intuition, not forever.