What are good macros for weight loss?

Protein at 1.6-2.2 g per kilogram of body weight is the part that matters. After that, a 40/30/30 or 30/40/30 protein-carb-fat split both work well - pick the one you can actually eat consistently.

How much protein should I eat while cutting?

At least 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight, and up to 2.4 g/kg if you are lean or in an aggressive deficit. Higher protein preserves muscle and helps with hunger, which is the practical reason most diets fail.

Do macros matter more than calories for fat loss?

No. Calories determine whether you lose weight; macros influence what that weight is made of and how manageable the process feels. Get the calorie target right first.

Should I eat low carb to lose fat?

Only if you prefer it. At matched calories and protein, low-carb and higher-carb diets produce similar fat loss. Lower carb intake does reduce water weight quickly, which can look dramatic on the scale without being fat loss.

How low can I set my fat intake?

Keep fat at or above about 0.6 g per kilogram of body weight. Very low fat intakes over long periods can affect hormone production and make food considerably less satisfying.

Macro Calculator for Weight Loss

Get cutting macros: a calorie target with a deficit built in, and a protein floor that protects muscle while you lose fat.

Enter your details and your result will appear here.

What Is Macro for Weight Loss?

This macro calculator for weight loss gives you daily protein, carbohydrate and fat targets built around a calorie deficit.

Tracking macros rather than calories alone matters most while cutting, because the deficit itself does not decide whether you lose fat or muscle. Protein intake and resistance training do.

Understanding Your Macro for Weight Loss Result

Start with your maintenance calories, subtract a deficit, and split what remains across the three macronutrients. Protein provides 4 calories per gram, carbohydrate 4, and fat 9.

Protein comes first while dieting. Research on resistance-trained people in a deficit consistently points to at least 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight, with some evidence favouring more at aggressive deficits or low body-fat levels. This calculator applies that as a floor, so a high-protein target is never undercut by the percentage split.

Fat should stay above roughly 0.6 g per kilogram for hormonal function. Carbohydrate takes whatever is left, and its main job while cutting is fuelling training quality - which is what keeps the muscle you are trying to protect.

How Is Macro for Weight Loss Calculated?

Calories = TDEE - deficit
Protein = max(split % of calories / 4, 1.6 g per kg body weight)
Remaining calories split between carbohydrate (4 cal/g) and fat (9 cal/g)

How to use this cutting macro calculator

Enter your body details and activity level, pick a deficit size and a macro split, then calculate. You get a daily calorie target plus gram targets for protein, carbohydrate and fat.

Start with the standard 500-calorie deficit unless you have a reason not to. Aggressive deficits work on paper and fail in kitchens.

Which macro split to choose

High protein (40/30/30) suits anyone lifting weights and worried about losing muscle, and it is the most filling option per calorie. Balanced (30/40/30) suits people training hard or often, where carbohydrate fuels performance. Lower carb (35/25/40) suits those who find fat more satisfying or prefer fewer, larger meals.

None of them is metabolically superior. Adherence is the variable that decides the outcome.

Tracking macros without losing your mind

Weigh food for the first few weeks to calibrate your eye, then loosen up. Hitting protein and calories reliably beats hitting all three macros perfectly some of the time.

Recalculate after 10-15 lb of loss. Your maintenance falls as you get smaller, so a target set at your starting weight will eventually stop producing a deficit at all.

Methodology

Maintenance is derived from the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR multiplied by your activity factor. The chosen deficit is subtracted, subject to intake floors of 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 for men. Protein is set to the greater of the split percentage or 1.6 g/kg, with the remaining calories divided between carbohydrate and fat according to your selected ratio.

Worked Example

A 30-year-old woman, 5 ft 6 in and 160 lb (72.6 kg), moderately active, has a maintenance level near 2,180 calories. At a 500-calorie deficit she eats 1,680.

On a high-protein split that works out at roughly 168 g protein, 126 g carbohydrate and 56 g fat. The protein figure is 2.3 g per kilogram - deliberately generous, because protein is the macro that most reliably protects lean mass and satiety while dieting.

Important Limitations

Macro splits are far less important than hitting the calorie target and the protein floor; obsessing over the carb-to-fat ratio produces little return. Individual responses to carbohydrate levels vary, particularly for endurance athletes who may need more. Gram targets assume reasonably accurate food tracking, which most people overestimate their skill at. Not suitable during pregnancy, for under-18s, or alongside a history of disordered eating without professional support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good macros for weight loss?: Protein at 1.6-2.2 g per kilogram of body weight is the part that matters. After that, a 40/30/30 or 30/40/30 protein-carb-fat split both work well - pick the one you can actually eat consistently.
How much protein should I eat while cutting?: At least 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight, and up to 2.4 g/kg if you are lean or in an aggressive deficit. Higher protein preserves muscle and helps with hunger, which is the practical reason most diets fail.
Do macros matter more than calories for fat loss?: No. Calories determine whether you lose weight; macros influence what that weight is made of and how manageable the process feels. Get the calorie target right first.
Should I eat low carb to lose fat?: Only if you prefer it. At matched calories and protein, low-carb and higher-carb diets produce similar fat loss. Lower carb intake does reduce water weight quickly, which can look dramatic on the scale without being fat loss.
How low can I set my fat intake?: Keep fat at or above about 0.6 g per kilogram of body weight. Very low fat intakes over long periods can affect hormone production and make food considerably less satisfying.