How to Calculate Your Macros for Fat Loss (The No-BS Guide for Busy Men)

You’ve probably heard that tracking macros is the key to fat loss. And you’ve probably also tried it, got confused by the numbers, and given up within a week.

You’re not the problem. The way most people explain macros is the problem.

This guide cuts through it. By the end, you’ll know exactly how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you need to start losing body fat — and you’ll be able to calculate it in under five minutes.

What Are Macros (And Why They Actually Matter)

Macros — short for macronutrients — are the three categories that make up every calorie you eat:

• Protein: Builds and preserves muscle. Keeps you full. Critical for fat loss.
• Carbohydrates: Your body’s primary energy source. Not the enemy.
• Fat: Hormone production, brain function, joint health. Also not the enemy.

Total calories determine whether you lose, maintain, or gain weight. Macros determine what you lose or gain — muscle, fat, or both.

Step 1: Calculate Your Maintenance Calories

Use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula — the most accurate for most men:

BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age) + 5

Then multiply by your activity level:

• Sedentary (desk job, minimal exercise): BMR x 1.2
• Lightly active (1-3 workouts per week): BMR x 1.375
• Moderately active (3-5 workouts per week): BMR x 1.55
• Very active (6-7 workouts per week): BMR x 1.725

This gives you your TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure. The number of calories you burn each day.

Step 2: Set Your Calorie Deficit

For sustainable fat loss without losing muscle, aim for a 20% deficit.

Fat loss calories = TDEE x 0.8

Avoid going below 1,500 calories as a man. Extreme deficits accelerate muscle loss and tank your energy, testosterone, and performance in the gym.

Step 3: Set Your Protein Target First

Protein is the most important macro when you’re in a deficit. It preserves muscle, keeps you full, and has a high thermic effect.

Target: 2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight

Each gram of protein = 4 calories.

Step 4: Set Your Fat Target

Fat is essential. Don’t cut it too low or you’ll tank your hormones.

Target: 25-30% of total calories from fat

Step 5: Fill the Rest with Carbohydrates

Whatever calories remain after protein and fat go to carbs. Divide remaining calories by 4 to get grams.

Real Example

38-year-old man, 85kg, 180cm, training 4x per week — 2,220 calorie target:

The Part Most Guides Skip

Calculating your macros is the easy part. The hard part is hitting those numbers consistently when you’re busy, tired, and surrounded by easy food choices. That’s where most people fall off — not because the maths was wrong, but because they had no system to follow.

The NewU app was built for exactly this. It tracks your macros, adjusts your targets as your weight changes, and gives you a structure that works around a real life — not a perfect one.

Calculate your exact macros now with the NewU Macro Calculator