Setting Macronutrient Goals: How Many Macros Do You Need?

Your total calorie intake is important for losing and maintaining a healthy weight — yet it’s just one part of the equation. If your goal is to lose weight or change your body composition, one method that helps support this is to set macronutrient goals. 

“Most diets are calorie-controlled. Setting macros takes things one step further by adding another layer of specificity. It sets guidelines on where these calories come from — if they come from carbohydrate-, protein-, or fat-containing food,” explains New York City–based Emily Field, MPH, RD, who specializes in macronutrient tracking. Eating a balance of macronutrients is helpful for health reasons, the expert says, ensuring that you’re getting the nutrients your body needs. 

Keep reading to learn about what macronutrients are; how to set macronutrient goals to support your health, weight loss, body composition, or athletic goal; and key things to keep in mind if you choose to track your meals this way. 

What Are Macronutrients?

Macronutrients — carbohydrates, protein, and fat — are the main contributors of calories in the foods we eat and drink, and each has its own unique effect on the body, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (Water is also a macronutrient, per the USDA, but it does not contain calories.) 

Let’s take a look at each one.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, or carbs, come in the form of sugars, starches, and fiber, according to the National Library of Medicine. During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is used to provide energy for your body. Foods that contain carbohydrates include grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy, beans, and lentils, as well as processed snack foods like cookies and sugar-sweetened beverages like soda. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories, per the Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC).

Protein

Protein is derived from meat and dairy, as well as from plant-based protein sources like nuts, beans, grains, and legumes, according to the National Library of Medicine. This nutrient is essential for the health of your bones, muscles, and skin. Like carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein provides 4 calories, per the FNIC. 

Fat

Fat provides energy, is important for skin and hair health, and helps you absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, among other functions, per the National Library of Medicine. There are different types of fats. Unsaturated fat, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, is considered heart-healthy, while a high intake of saturated fats and trans fats can promote cardiovascular disease. Fat is the most “calorically expensive” of the macros: 1 gram of fat provides 9 calories, according to the FNIC.

How Much of Each Macronutrient Do You Need?

When it comes to setting a macronutrient goal, calories matter, but the composition of your calories does, too. “I do think tracking macros can be especially beneficial for people with physical or athletic goals to be aware of their optimal protein and carbohydrate intake,” says Molly Kimball, RD, director of lifestyle nutrition with Ochsner Health in Harahan, Louisiana. 

For example, Kimball says, “if you’re consuming excessive carbohydrates and not a lot of protein,” that may be the reason you’re experiencing “sharper blood sugar fluctuations and feel hungry often or generally not satisfied.” 

For that reason, many people who have weight loss as a goal may be advised to increase the amount of protein they’re eating. Protein is important for appetite regulation, as well as for athletic performance and changing your body composition to build more muscle or maintain existing muscle mass, adds Field. 

Carbohydrates and fats offer a bit more flexibility, and the recommended amounts largely depend on both your health history and goals. For example, if you have insulin resistance, you may decrease carbohydrates (which cause blood sugar to rise) and increase your intake of healthy fat, says Field. On the other hand, an endurance athlete may choose to consume more carbs to fuel long workouts, which means they’d decrease their fat intake. 

That said, there is a trap of becoming too strict or regimented when it comes to tracking, says Kimball. “We can look at landing in wider ranges but still healthy targets,” she advises. 

The current 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) advises the following macronutrient distribution for adults:

• Carbohydrates: 45 to 65 percent of total calories (130 grams per day)
• Protein: 10 to 35 percent of total calories (46 grams per day for females, 56 grams per day for males) 
• Fat: 20 to 35 percent of total calories (there is no specific recommendation in grams per day)

Keep in mind, these numbers are not set in stone, and it’s important to do what works for your body. For example, you may feel better eating a greater number of calories from fat (such as healthy plant-based fats), so you’d adjust the amount of carbohydrates you’re eating to be in line with your calorie target. 

To ensure that you’re getting a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, the DGA recommends following the MyPlate guidelines, which involve filling half your plate with fruit and vegetables, and then about one-quarter each of grains and protein. 

Macros and Weight Loss

The above numbers are general recommendations. For a plan that’s specifically designed for you, with your goals, health history, and activity level in mind, it’s helpful to consult a registered dietitian who can help you determine exactly what you need and work with you to make adjustments as you go along. 

For instance, if you’re looking to set macros with a weight loss, body composition, or athletic performance goal in mind, you might aim for the following, suggests Kimball:

• Carbohydrates: 1 gram per pound of healthy or goal body weight. This can be adjusted up or down depending on your health concerns or activity level. 
• Protein: 1 gram per pound of healthy or goal body weight. 
• Fat: How much you eat will depend on your carbohydrate and protein intake, as well as your calorie goal. 

It can get complicated to track everything and make the math work, especially if you’re trying to do this on your own. That’s where tracking macros via an app, like Lose It!, may be valuable. 

Aiming to enjoy a range of foods that supply each of these three macronutrients in each meal or snack can help you reach these targets, suggests Kimball. This especially applies to protein, because one of the common mistakes made by people who are looking to lose weight is cutting protein first to save calories — e.g., adding only one slice of turkey to a sandwich, Kimball says. Again, doing that may mean you miss out on the satiating and muscle-building benefits of this macro.

Benefits of Macronutrient Tracking

Tracking your macronutrients and adjusting your intake of carbohydrates, protein, and fat adds another layer that some people find helps them reach their health goals. “When you track calories only, you can only control your weight. Macro tracking gives you flexibility in where that weight comes from. So, if your goal is to build muscle, you can have more control by following macros,” says Field. 

For brand-new macro trackers, a great place to start is to track your food without changing anything about your diet, says Field. This exercise will give you an objective view of what types of food you’re eating, and even shed light on why you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, she says. If you notice you’re short on your protein goal, for example, then you may focus on adding more high-protein foods to your diet, like cottage cheese or fish. If you find that a lot of your calories are coming from fat, you might decrease your portions of higher-fat foods, like nut butter or desserts. “By manipulating the components of your meals, you can better hit those targets,” Field explains. 

Another consideration: If you’re on a weight loss drug, such as a GLP-1, it’s also useful to track your calorie and macronutrient intake, since these medications are known to decrease your appetite. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider or registered dietitian to make sure that your diet on a weight loss drug is in line with what your body needs.

Limitations of Macronutrient Tracking

At its heart, macro distribution or macro tracking doesn’t “care” what types of foods you’re getting each macro from, as long as the numbers fit. (You could lose weight eating anything, as long as you’re controlling your calories.) “A high-sugar dessert can fit your macros, so foods can get this sort of health halo as long as you’re meeting those numbers,” says Kimball. But registered dietitians will tell you that to feel your best, the quality of your food counts. Opt for mostly whole foods like whole grains, fruit, veggies, lean proteins, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Many people approach macro tracking with a diet mindset, says Field. Here’s what that means: You feel as if you have to do everything perfectly. You must hit your macros by the end of the day or you’re not succeeding.

That can become stressful — and feel impossible! Instead, use macro tracking as a way to help guide you, not to make you feel miserable.

“Even trying to form meals with more balanced macronutrients will help you. You have to play in the sandbox a bit first,” says Field. You have time to learn how to build meals that fit your macros and make adjustments as you go. It’s all progress that, if you keep going, can ultimately help move you forward to your goals. 

Keeping an eye on your macronutrient intake can feel as if you’re juggling a lot of balls in the air. Not only are you being mindful of calories, but you also have three other components (carbs, protein, fat) to fit in like puzzle pieces. But Field says that after you get used to learning new ways to shop and put meals together, you’ll fall into a good routine where macro tracking sort of falls into the background of your day. 

The Bottom Line

Macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. These are the major components of food that make up calories, which provide your body with its nutrition needs, allowing you to function and thrive. Along with calorie tracking, many people track their macronutrients and aim to hit the daily goal they’ve set for each one. 

However, it may not be necessary for you to get this detailed, and it’s certainly not absolutely needed for losing weight. “I will never say macro tracking works for everyone. It works best for someone who is data-driven, likes technology, wants to engage with an app most days of the week, and is willing to learn about the components in food,” says Field.

 

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

• Macronutrients. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
• Carbohydrates. National Library of Medicine. March 25, 2024.
• Frequently Asked Questions. Food and Nutrition Information Center.
• Dietary Proteins. National Library of Medicine. June 13, 2016.
• Dietary Fats Explained. National Library of Medicine. July 30, 2022.
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2020.