How to Calculate Your Macros for Meal Prep

Macronutrients - protein, carbohydrates, and fat - are the three components that make up all food calories. Understanding how much of each you need daily allows you to structure your meal prep to precisely support your goals, whether that's building muscle, losing fat, or maintaining performance.

Step 1: Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Use an online TDEE calculator (search "TDEE calculator") and input your height, weight, age, sex, and activity level. This gives your maintenance calories. For fat loss, subtract 300-500 calories. For muscle building, add 200-300 calories.

Step 2: Set protein. This is the most important macro. Set protein at 1.8-2.2g per kilogram of body weight. At 80kg, that's 144-176g of protein daily. Step 3: Set fat. A baseline of 0.8-1.2g per kilogram of body weight supports hormonal health. For an 80kg person, that's 64-96g of fat daily. Step 4: Fill remaining calories with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy for training and support performance. Each gram of protein and carbohydrate contains 4 calories; each gram of fat contains 9 calories. Use these numbers to calculate your carbohydrate target from your remaining calorie budget. Apps like MyFitnessPal automate this calculation. Track your food intake for 2-3 weeks to understand your current patterns before attempting changes.