Macros 101
Use this free macro calculator to estimate daily calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat for cutting, bulking, or body recomposition.
Your calorie and macro targets are not permanent rules. They are useful numbers to test, track, and refine as your training and body change.
Tell us about yourself and choose the goal that best matches your current focus.
Choose the option that fits you best, and do not worry too much about getting it perfect.
You lift three to six days per week, spend more time on your feet, and may do other exercise once or twice per week.
Macros, short for macronutrients, are nutrients your body needs in large amounts. Carbohydrates, fats, and protein supply energy or essential building materials, and together account for most of the calories you eat.
Protein is made from amino acids, the building blocks your body uses to create and repair tissue. It supports muscle recovery and growth, helps preserve lean mass, contributes to enzymes and immune function, and can help you feel full. Common sources include chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, tofu, lentils, beans, and protein powders.
Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and fiber. Your body breaks most carbs down into glucose for readily available energy, while storing some as glycogen for later use in your muscles and liver. They are especially useful for your brain, daily movement, and higher-intensity training. Common sources include fruit, potatoes, rice, oats, whole grains, beans, and legumes.
Dietary fat is a concentrated energy source and provides essential fatty acids your body cannot make on its own. It supports cell membranes, hormone production, brain health, and absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Common sources include avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, nut butters, eggs, and fatty fish.
A calorie is a unit of energy, not a nutrient. Your daily calorie intake comes mainly from protein, carbohydrates, and fat; alcohol can also contribute calories. The amount your body needs depends on factors such as body size, activity, training, and goals.
The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your resting energy needs, then applies your activity level and fitness goal to calculate a daily calorie target. Protein is based on your current or target weight, fat provides about 27% of calories, and carbohydrates fill the remaining calories.
A calculator cannot know exactly how your body will respond. Your personalized calories and macros are a sensible place to begin based on your details, activity, and goal.
Follow the targets consistently for two to three weeks before judging them. Your real-world progress, rather than a single day on the scale, will tell you whether they need adjusting.
Working with a trainer? Share your results with them so your nutrition target and training plan support the same goal.
Build the rest of your plan with our exercise library, or learn how Traination supports nutrition coaching.
You do not need the “perfect” goal forever. Choose the one that best matches what you want to focus on now. The progress rates below are starting ranges, not promises, and your individual response may vary.
Fat loss
Eating slightly fewer calories than you use helps reduce body fat. Keep protein high and continue strength training to support muscle while losing weight.
A realistic pace is about 0.5–0.75% of body weight per week. Look for steady progress, not the fastest possible loss.Muscle gain
A controlled calorie surplus gives your body extra energy to build muscle. Pair it with progressive strength training and expect body weight to rise gradually. Some people also move more without noticing when they eat more, so progress may be slower than the initial estimate.
A realistic pace is about 0.5–2% of body weight per month. More food only helps when the training is consistent.Maintain weight
Calories stay near maintenance while you build strength and improve body composition. Your weight may stay similar even as your measurements and shape change.
Body weight may stay stable, so track strength, measurements, and photos. This is a strong option for many beginners returning to training.Consistency creates useful feedback. Changing the plan every few days does not.
Stay reasonably close to your calorie and protein targets for two to three weeks. You do not need to hit every number perfectly.
Use several weigh-ins under similar conditions and compare weekly averages. Also note your energy, hunger, training, and recovery.
Before changing calories, make sure weekends, drinks, snacks, and missed meals are not hiding the real pattern.
If the trend is clearly off course, adjust by roughly 100–200 calories per day, keep protein steady, and reassess after another two weeks.
No. Treat the numbers as targets, not pass-or-fail rules. Being consistently close, especially with total calories and protein, matters more than matching every gram.
No. Build most meals around foods you enjoy, a useful protein source, fruits or vegetables, and carbohydrates or fats that fit your targets. Supplements are optional.
That is okay. Pick the closest description and use your progress over the next few weeks to refine the estimate. The calculator is designed to provide a starting point.
Changes in carbohydrates, sodium, food volume, hydration, and stored glycogen can move scale weight before meaningful fat or muscle change occurs. Do not use the first week alone to judge the plan. Follow it consistently for two to three weeks and compare weekly averages.
Recalculate after a meaningful weight change, a major change in activity, or a new goal. Otherwise, adjust your existing target from the progress data you already have.
If you already have several weeks of reliable progress data, use that information to adjust your existing calorie target instead of treating a completely new estimate as exact.
No. This is a general estimate. A qualified nutrition professional can account for medical needs, dietary restrictions, and personal circumstances that a calculator cannot.