What Are Macros?
Macronutrients, or macros, are the three main categories of nutrients that provide calories: protein, carbohydrates and fat. Each gram of protein provides 4 kcal, each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 kcal, and each gram of fat provides 9 kcal. Your total daily macro intake multiplied by their respective calorie values should equal your TDEE (or deficit/surplus target).
Tracking macros gives you far more control than tracking calories alone. Two people eating 2,000 kcal could have completely different body composition results depending on how those calories are split across protein, carbs and fat.
Macro Splits By Goal
The right macro split depends on your goal. These are evidence-based starting points, adjust based on food preferences and how your body responds over 3-4 weeks.
| Goal | Protein | Carbohydrates | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat Loss | 35% | 35% | 30% |
| Maintenance | 30% | 40% | 30% |
| Muscle Gain | 30% | 45% | 25% |
Why Protein Is The Priority
Regardless of your goal, protein is the most important macro to get right. For fat loss, high protein preserves muscle while you're in a calorie deficit, without adequate protein, your body breaks down muscle tissue alongside fat. For muscle gain, protein provides the amino acids needed to build new muscle.
Research supports a minimum of 1.6g of protein per kg of bodyweight for people who train. More experienced lifters or those in a steep calorie deficit may benefit from up to 2.2g/kg. If you can only track one macro, make it protein.
Carbohydrates and Fat
After hitting your protein target, the remaining calories should be split between carbohydrates and fat. Carbohydrates are your body's preferred fuel for high-intensity exercise, cutting them too aggressively will hurt your training performance. Keep carbs as high as your calorie budget allows, especially if you train regularly.
Dietary fat is essential for producing hormones including testosterone and oestrogen. Dropping fat below 20% of total calories for extended periods can negatively affect hormonal health and recovery. Prioritise healthy fat sources: olive oil, nuts, avocado, oily fish.
How To Hit Your Macros
The most effective method is using a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer with a kitchen scale, weighing food rather than estimating. You don't need to hit your macros exactly every day. Being within 5-10g of each target is fine. Consistency over weeks matters far more than perfection on any given day.
