Free tool
Grams of protein, fat and carbs for your day, and what that looks like per meal. Nothing to sign up for — the numbers update as you type.
Sex
Activity level
Goal
Macro preference
Protein / fat / carbs, as a share of calories.
Daily calories · Maintain
BalancedProtein
203g
Fat
90g
Carbs
272g
Per meal
Protein
51g
Fat
23g
Carbs
68g
Each
678
4 meals a day · kcal per meal
Rounded to whole grams. Hitting protein and total calories matters most; fat and carbs can drift by a few grams.
Once your daily calories are set, the split decides where they come from. All three presets keep the calories identical and only move them between fat and carbohydrate, so a balanced 30 / 30 / 40 and a lower carb 35 / 30 / 35 give the same total energy in a different shape. Fat carries 9 kcal per gram against 4 for protein and carbohydrate, which is why a smaller fat percentage still looks like a reasonable number of grams.
Protein is the one macro worth guarding. Resistance training raises the amount your body needs to repair and build muscle, and the research consensus lands at roughly 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram of bodyweight per day, with little extra benefit above that. Below 1.6 g/kg, gains tend to suffer, especially in a deficit where protein also helps you hold on to muscle and stay full. That is why the protein figure here never drops under 1.6 g/kg, whatever percentage you choose.
Fat has a practical floor too: around 0.8 g per kilogram supports hormone production and vitamin absorption. Everything left over goes to carbohydrate, the fuel that keeps hard training sessions and recovery going. Pick the preset that matches how you like to eat, hold it for a few weeks, and judge it by your weight trend and gym performance rather than by the ratio itself.
Is 2 g of protein per kilogram enough?
For almost everyone who lifts, yes. Trials in trained lifters put the benefit plateau around 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram of bodyweight, so 2 g/kg sits comfortably inside the useful range. More than that is not harmful for healthy kidneys, it just leaves less room for fats and carbs.
Does the macro split matter for fat loss?
Far less than total calories. Weight loss comes from the calorie deficit, and a split that keeps protein high protects muscle while you are in one. Pick whichever ratio you can eat every day for months, because adherence beats any optimised percentage.
Can I swap carbs for fat?
Yes. Fat and carbs both work as fuel, so moving calories between them keeps the total the same and only changes the grams. Keep fat above roughly 0.8 g per kilogram for hormones and vitamin absorption, and switch the rest according to how you prefer to eat and train.
How do I count macros in practice?
Log the foods you actually eat in grams or standard servings, read the protein, fat and carbohydrate lines on the label or database entry, and add them up per day. Weigh food raw and consistently, allow about ten percent either side, and judge the week by your weight trend rather than a single day.
TDEE & calorie calculator
Maintenance calories, BMR, and a cutting, holding or bulking target
Apex is a training and nutrition tool, not medical advice. Speak to a professional before making large changes to how you eat.