Macro Calculator - Protein, Carbs & Fat Split
Split daily calories into protein, carbohydrate, and fat grams using body-weight ratios or percent splits, with meal-by-meal targets for cut, maintain, and bulk goals.
Macro Calculator — interactive calculator, computed instantly in your browser.
Macronutrient Splitting: Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat Targets from Calories
2,200 kcal Split Three Ways
Key Takeaway: Protein and fat are locked in grams first (4 and 9 kcal per gram); carbohydrates absorb whatever calories remain.
Calories set the destination; macros decide the route. Splitting a daily calorie target into protein, carbohydrate, and fat grams turns an abstract TDEE number into meals you can actually weigh and cook — protein protects muscle, carbs fuel training, and fats sustain hormones.
1. Gram Conversion Essentials
- Protein and carbs carry 4 kcal/g; fat is energy-dense at 9 kcal/g (alcohol adds a fourth 7 kcal/g)
- A 2,200 kcal day at 30% protein = 660 kcal ÷ 4 = 165 g protein
- Remaining calories after protein and fat fill carbs: 2,200 − 660 − 660 = 880 → 220 g carbs
- Percentages must total 100% — otherwise the grams won't reproduce your calorie target
2. Goal-Based Splits
- Cut: 40/30/30 — elevated protein (1.6–2.2 g/kg) defends lean mass while in a deficit
- Maintain: 30/30/40 (or 30/30/30 with fat flexible) — balanced for recomposition
- Bulk: 30/25/45 — extra carbs replenish glycogen for higher training volume
- Ratio method alternative: fix protein at 1.6–2.2 g/kg of body weight, fat at 0.6–1 g/kg, let carbs take the rest
3. Putting Macros on a Plate
Divide the daily totals across 3–5 eating occasions so muscle protein synthesis stays stimulated: at 4 meals, 165 g protein becomes ~41 g per meal. Distribute carbs around training — the largest portion in the pre- and post-workout meals — and keep fats away from that window since they slow digestion. Track for two weeks, compare the scale and performance trend rather than a single day, then adjust calories by 100–200 kcal while holding protein constant.
🔗 Nutrition & Body Metric Cross-References
Macros are the practical layer under calories — once TDEE sets the total, protein protects muscle while carbs and fats fuel training and hormones. Explore our 💪 Health Hub for the complete body-metric suite.
Start with the calorie target from your TDEE, then split it here into grams.
Frequently Asked Questions (Macro Calculator)
Pick a split (e.g. 30/35/35), multiply calories by each percentage, then divide protein and carbs by 4 and fat by 9. Example: 2,000 kcal at 30/35/35 → 150 g protein, 175 g carbs, 78 g fat.
For most lifters and active people, 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight preserves and builds muscle; during a cut aim for the higher end (up to 2.4 g/kg). Sedentary individuals do fine at 0.8 g/kg, the RDA baseline.
If carbs drop below ~100 g, raise fat to fill the gap — fats provide the essential fatty acids and calorie density a low-carb plan needs. Protein stays high either way; shifting it instead offers no further benefit.
For weight change, no — the calorie deficit or surplus rules. For body composition and performance, yes: adequate protein protects muscle, and carb timing around training affects power output, so athletes tune the split deliberately.
Change calories first (−150 to −250 on a stall), keep protein at target, and pull the reduction mostly from carbs and fats proportionally. Re-check after 2 weeks — daily scale noise can hide a genuine 0.5 kg/week trend.