How do I count macros for beginners?

Start by calculating your TDEE, then set your protein target at 1.8–2.2g per kg of bodyweight. Set fats at 25% of your total calories, then fill the remaining calories with carbohydrates. Use a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal to log your daily intake.

What is a good macro split for fat loss?

A good macro split for fat loss is approximately 35–40% protein, 35–40% carbohydrates and 25% fats. Higher protein helps preserve muscle mass during a calorie deficit.

Do I need to count macros to lose weight?

No — you can lose weight by simply tracking total calories without worrying about macros. However, tracking macros gives you better control over body composition, hunger levels and energy, making it easier to achieve and maintain your results.

How many grams of protein should I eat per day?

For most active adults, 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day is recommended. For a 70kg person, that is approximately 112–154 grams of protein per day.

How to Count Macros – Beginner's Guide to Macronutrients

What Are Macros?

Macros — short for macronutrients — are the three main nutrients that provide your body with energy: protein, carbohydrates and fats. Every calorie you eat comes from one of these three sources. Alcohol is sometimes counted as a fourth macronutrient but is not essential for health.

Understanding macros goes one step beyond just counting calories. While total calories determine whether you gain or lose weight, your macro split determines your body composition — how much of that weight change is fat versus muscle.

💡 Simple summary: Calories tell you how much energy you're eating. Macros tell you what kind of energy — and that matters enormously for how your body looks, feels and performs.

The Three Macronutrients Explained

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Protein

4 calories per gram

Builds and repairs muscle, supports immune function and keeps you feeling full. The most important macro for body composition.

🍚

Carbohydrates

4 calories per gram

Your body's primary energy source. Fuels exercise, brain function and daily activity. Provides fibre for gut health.

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Fats

9 calories per gram

Essential for hormone production, brain health, vitamin absorption and cell function. More calorie-dense than protein or carbs.

How to Calculate Your Macro Targets

Follow these steps to set your personal macro targets:

Calculate your daily calorie target

Find your TDEE using our calculator, then adjust based on your goal — subtract 10–20% for fat loss, add 5–10% for muscle gain, or eat at TDEE to maintain.

Set your protein target first

Aim for 1.8–2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight. For a 70kg person that is 126–154g of protein per day — providing 504–616 calories from protein.

Set your fat target

Allocate 25% of your total daily calories to fats. For a 2,000 calorie target, that is 500 calories from fat — equal to 56g of fat per day.

Fill the rest with carbohydrates

Subtract your protein and fat calories from your total target. The remaining calories come from carbohydrates. Divide by 4 to get grams.

Example — 75kg person, 2,000 calorie fat loss target

Protein: 75kg × 2g = 150g × 4 = 600 calories
Fats: 2,000 × 25% = 500 calories ÷ 9 = 56g fat
Carbs: 2,000 − 600 − 500 = 900 calories ÷ 4 = 225g carbs

Final targets: 150g protein / 225g carbs / 56g fat

Get Your Macro Targets Calculated Automatically

Our free TDEE calculator works out your protein, carbs, fats and water intake instantly — just enter your details and goal.

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Recommended Macro Splits by Goal

Goal	Protein	Carbohydrates	Fats
Fat loss	35–40%	35–40%	25%
Muscle gain	30–35%	40–45%	25%
Maintenance	25–30%	45–50%	25%
Athletic performance	25–30%	50–55%	20–25%

How to Track Your Macros

Use a food tracking app

Apps like MyFitnessPal, Cronometer or Nutracheck let you log food by scanning barcodes or searching a database. They automatically calculate your protein, carbs, fats and calories for each item and show your daily totals.

Weigh your food

A kitchen scale is essential for accurate tracking, especially in the first few weeks. Portion sizes are notoriously difficult to estimate accurately by eye — even experienced trackers often underestimate by 20–40%.

Learn to read nutrition labels

Nutrition labels show macros per 100g and per serving. Always check whether the serving size matches what you're actually eating — many snack products show unrealistically small serving sizes.

Track consistently, not perfectly

You don't need to hit your macro targets exactly every day — within 5–10g is fine. What matters is consistency over the week rather than perfection on any single day.

💡 Pro tip: If tracking every meal feels overwhelming, start by just tracking protein. Getting your protein right is the single most impactful macro change you can make for body composition — whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain.

Best High-Protein Foods for Hitting Your Macro Targets

Food	Protein per 100g	Calories per 100g
Chicken breast (cooked)	31g	165 kcal
Tuna (canned in water)	25g	116 kcal
Egg whites	11g	52 kcal
Greek yoghurt (0% fat)	10g	59 kcal
Cottage cheese	11g	98 kcal
Salmon (cooked)	25g	206 kcal
Tofu (firm)	8g	76 kcal
Lentils (cooked)	9g	116 kcal

Macro Counting — Top Questions Answered

The most commonly searched questions about counting macros — answered simply and clearly.

What does counting macros mean?

Counting macros means tracking how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and fats you eat each day, rather than just tracking total calories. It gives you more control over your body composition — helping you lose fat while keeping muscle, or build muscle with minimal fat gain.

Is counting macros better than counting calories?

For body composition goals, counting macros is generally more effective than counting calories alone — because it ensures you eat enough protein to preserve muscle during fat loss or support muscle growth during a surplus. For simple weight loss, calorie counting alone is sufficient. Counting macros is counting calories — just with more detail.

How many grams of protein should I eat to lose weight?

During a calorie deficit for fat loss, aim for 1.8–2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. Higher protein preserves muscle mass, keeps you feeling fuller and has a higher thermic effect — meaning your body burns more calories digesting it compared to carbs or fats.

What is IIFYM?

IIFYM stands for "If It Fits Your Macros." It is a flexible dieting approach where you can eat any foods you enjoy as long as they fit within your daily macro and calorie targets. It removes the concept of "good" and "bad" foods, focusing instead on overall nutritional balance. Most nutrition professionals recommend prioritising whole, nutrient-dense foods while leaving room for flexibility.

How many carbs should I eat per day?

Carbohydrate needs vary widely. A general starting point is to fill remaining calories with carbs after setting protein and fat targets. For most people on a moderate calorie intake, this works out to 150–250g of carbs per day. Athletes or very active people may need significantly more — 300–500g or higher.

Should I cut carbs to lose weight?

Cutting carbs is not necessary for weight loss. Fat loss is driven by a calorie deficit — not by carb restriction. Low-carb diets work for some people because they reduce total calorie intake, often by reducing hunger and eliminating high-calorie processed foods. But a moderate-carb diet with a calorie deficit is equally effective for fat loss and is more sustainable for most people.

How much fat should I eat per day?

Fat should make up approximately 20–30% of your total daily calories. Fat is calorie-dense at 9 calories per gram — more than double protein or carbs — so it is easy to overconsume. However, cutting fat too low (below 15% of calories) can impair hormone production and fat-soluble vitamin absorption. A target of around 25% of total calories from fat is a good starting point for most people.

What app is best for tracking macros?

MyFitnessPal is the most widely used macro tracking app with a huge food database and barcode scanner. Cronometer is an excellent alternative with more detailed micronutrient tracking. Nutracheck is popular in the UK with a large database of UK-specific foods. All three have free versions that are sufficient for most users.

Do I need to count macros forever?

No — most people only need to track macros for a few months to build an accurate intuition for portion sizes and food composition. After that, many people transition to a more relaxed approach where they roughly estimate their intake without logging everything. Tracking periodically — for a week every few months — helps recalibrate if progress stalls.

Get Your Personal Macro Targets Now

Our free calculator works out your protein, carbs, fats and water intake automatically based on your goal — in under 60 seconds.

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How to Count Macros — The Beginner's Complete Guide