What are macros?
Macronutrients — or macros — are the three main nutrients that provide energy: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Every food you eat contains some combination of these three. Counting macros means tracking how many grams of each you consume daily, rather than just total calories.
Why does this matter? Because the composition of your calories affects body composition, hunger, and muscle retention during weight loss — not just the total number. A diet of 1,800 kcal with adequate protein will preserve far more muscle than a 1,800 kcal diet low in protein, even though the calories are identical.
Step 1: Calculate your TDEE
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total calories your body burns in a day, including exercise. This is your starting point — the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.
TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier
Use our TDEE Calculator to get your number.
For this example, we will use a TDEE of 2,400 kcal/day for a 30-year-old woman who exercises 3–4 days per week.
Step 2: Set a calorie target with a deficit
For weight loss, subtract 300–500 kcal from your TDEE. Research consistently supports this range as producing around 0.3–0.5 kg of fat loss per week with minimal muscle loss.
TDEE: 2,400 kcal
Deficit: −500 kcal
Target: 1,900 kcal/day
Step 3: Set your protein target first
Protein is the most important macro to get right during fat loss. It preserves muscle, increases satiety, and has the highest thermic effect (you burn more calories digesting it).
The evidence-based target for fat loss is 1.6–2.2g of protein per kg of body weight. For someone who weighs 70 kg, that is 112–154g of protein per day.
Example: 70 kg person
Protein target: 70 kg × 2.0 = 140g protein/day
Calories from protein: 140g × 4 kcal/g = 560 kcal
Step 4: Set your fat target
Fat is essential for hormonal health, brain function, and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Do not drop it below 20% of total calories. A common target is 25–35% of total calories.
Example continued
Fat target: 1,900 kcal × 30% = 570 kcal from fat
In grams: 570 ÷ 9 kcal/g = 63g fat/day
Step 5: Fill remaining calories with carbohydrates
Carbohydrates fill the remaining calorie allowance after protein and fat are set. They fuel workouts, support thyroid function, and prevent mental fatigue. Despite popular belief, carbs do not cause fat gain unless they push you into a calorie surplus.
Example — final breakdown
Total target: 1,900 kcal
Protein: 140g = 560 kcal
Fat: 63g = 567 kcal
Remaining for carbs: 1,900 − 560 − 567 = 773 kcal
Carbs: 773 ÷ 4 = 193g/day
So the final macro targets are: 140g protein, 63g fat, 193g carbs at 1,900 kcal/day.
Common macro splits for weight loss
If you prefer starting with a preset split rather than calculating from scratch, these are common evidence-based starting points for fat loss:
| Split | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 30% | 40% | 30% | Most people, moderate exercise |
| High protein | 40% | 35% | 25% | Resistance training, muscle preservation |
| Lower carb | 35% | 25% | 40% | Hunger control, insulin sensitivity |
Tips for hitting your macros consistently
- Track with a food diary app (MyFitnessPal, Cronometer) for at least the first 4–6 weeks until you develop intuition.
- Prep high-protein staples in advance: Greek yoghurt, eggs, chicken, cottage cheese, lentils.
- Protein is usually the hardest target to hit — prioritise it at every meal before filling in carbs and fat.
- Be consistent 80–90% of the time rather than perfect. Weekly averages matter more than daily perfection.
- Recalculate every 4–8 weeks — as your weight drops, your TDEE and targets change.
How long does it take to see results?
A 500 kcal/day deficit produces approximately 0.5 kg of fat loss per week, or around 2 kg per month. Results vary based on adherence, sleep, stress, and individual metabolism. Most people notice significant changes in body composition after 8–12 weeks of consistent tracking.
Patience is essential. Sustainable fat loss is not a 4-week process — it is a 3–6 month process that produces results that last.