Macros refers to carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Each provides a different amount of energy per gram: carbs 4 kcal, protein 4 kcal, fat 9 kcal.
Here's the typical order for setting up macros.
- 1. Target calories — Adjust from your TDEE based on your goal (cut −20%, maintain 0%, bulk +10–15%).
- 2. Protein — Fix this first, at roughly 1.6–2.2g per kg of body weight.
- 3. Fat — Allocate about 20–30% of total calories (or 0.8–1g per kg of body weight).
- 4. Carbs — Fill in the remaining calories entirely with carbohydrates.
Protein and fat are set first because preserving muscle (protein) and supporting hormones and essential fatty acids (fat) take priority. GymCalc's nutrition calculator applies this exact order and shows you both the grams and the percentages.