What Are Macros? Macros & TDEE Explained
Everyone in the gym talks about "hitting your macros". Here's what that actually means, what TDEE is, and how to set your own numbers to build muscle, in plain English.
Skip the maths
The free Fit Gorillas Macro Calculator works out your TDEE and your daily protein, carbs and fats in 30 seconds, for bulking, lean bulking, recomp or cutting.
What are macros?
"Macros" is short for macronutrients. These are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts, and they're where all your calories come from.
Protein
The building blocks of muscle. Repairs and grows muscle after training. Found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes and protein powder.
Carbs
Your main training fuel. Powers hard sets and helps recovery. Found in rice, oats, potatoes, pasta, bread and fruit.
Fat
Needed for hormones (including testosterone) and overall health. Found in oils, nuts, avocado, eggs and fatty meat.
Because every gram has a set number of calories, your macros add up to your total calories. For example, 150 g protein + 350 g carbs + 80 g fat = 600 + 1,400 + 720 = 2,720 calories.
What is TDEE?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure: the total calories you burn in a day. It's made up of four parts:
- BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): the calories your body burns just keeping you alive. This is the biggest chunk, usually 60–70%.
- Exercise: the calories burned training.
- Daily movement (NEAT): walking, standing, fidgeting, chores. This varies a lot between people.
- Digesting food: roughly 10% of what you eat, and a bit higher for protein.
Eat at your TDEE and your weight stays about the same. Eat above it and you gain. Eat below it and you lose. That's the basis of every bulk and cut.
How to work out your TDEE
The most common method has two steps.
Step 1: Estimate your BMR
A widely used formula for men is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) + 5
Step 2: Multiply by your activity level
| Activity level | What it looks like | Multiply BMR by |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, little exercise | 1.2 |
| Lightly active | Training 1–3 days a week | 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Training 3–5 days a week | 1.55 |
| Very active | Training 6–7 days a week | 1.725 |
| Extremely active | Hard training plus a physical job | 1.9 |
Example: 25-year-old guy, 80 kg, 180 cm, trains 4 days a week
- BMR: (10 × 80) + (6.25 × 180) − (5 × 25) + 5 = 800 + 1,125 − 125 + 5 = 1,805 calories
- TDEE: 1,805 × 1.55 = about 2,800 calories a day
Remember: any TDEE formula is an estimate. Use it as your starting point, then adjust based on what the scales actually do over 2–3 weeks.
Set your calories for your goal
| Goal | Daily calories | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Lean bulk | TDEE + 200–300 | Building muscle while keeping fat gain low |
| Bulk | TDEE + 300–500 | Skinny guys who struggle to gain weight |
| Recomp | Around TDEE | Beginners or guys with some fat to lose, building muscle and losing fat slowly |
| Cut | TDEE − 300–500 | Losing fat while keeping your muscle |
Split your calories into macros
Once you know your calories, set your macros in this order:
- Protein first: at least 1.6 g per kg of body weight. More is fine, and 2 g/kg or higher is a great target. (See how much protein you need to build muscle.)
- Fat next: about 0.8–1 g per kg of body weight, which is usually 20–35% of your calories. Don't go much lower, because fat supports your hormones.
- Carbs fill the rest. Take the calories left over and divide by 4 to get your grams of carbs.
Example: our 80 kg guy on a lean bulk
- Calories: 2,800 TDEE + 300 = 3,100 a day
- Protein: 2 g × 80 kg = 160 g (640 calories)
- Fat: 0.9 g × 80 kg = 72 g (648 calories)
- Carbs: 3,100 − 640 − 648 = 1,812 calories ÷ 4 = 453 g
Daily macros: 160 g protein · 453 g carbs · 72 g fat ✔
How to track your macros
Knowing your numbers only helps if you hit them. The easiest way for beginners:
- Weigh your food in grams for the first few weeks. Guessing portions is where most guys go wrong.
- Plan your day ahead instead of logging after you eat. That way you can fix a shortfall before the day is over.
- Repeat meals that work. Most guys eat the same 10–15 foods. Once those are set up, tracking takes a couple of minutes a day.
- Weigh yourself and check in weekly. On a lean bulk, aim to gain about 0.25–0.5% of your body weight per week (0.2–0.4 kg for an 80 kg guy). Gaining slower? Add 100–200 calories. Gaining faster? Take 100–200 off.
The Fit Gorillas Macro Tracker is built for exactly this: type in your grams, see your macros against your targets instantly, and get weekly check-ins that tell you when to adjust.
4 beginner macro mistakes
- Treating the calculator as exact. Your TDEE is an estimate. Your weight trend over 2–3 weeks tells you the truth.
- Forgetting the extras. Cooking oil, sauces, drinks and snacks add up fast and are the usual reason "the numbers don't work".
- Chasing perfect. Landing within about 5–10 g of each target is plenty. Consistency beats precision.
- Changing things too often. Day-to-day weight jumps around with water and food. Judge your progress on weekly averages, not single weigh-ins.
Quick FAQ
Do I have to track macros to build muscle?
No, but tracking for even a few weeks shows you what you're really eating. Most guys find they're eating less protein and fewer calories than they thought.
Do macros matter more than calories?
Calories decide whether you gain or lose weight. Macros, especially protein, decide how much of that weight is muscle. You need both.
Should my macros be the same on rest days?
Keeping them the same every day is simplest and works well. Some guys eat a few more carbs on training days, but it's optional.
Know your numbers. Hit them every day.
Two steps to stop guessing and start growing.
Macro Calculator
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This article is general information for healthy adults and isn't medical advice. TDEE formulas give estimates; individual needs vary. BMR formula: Mifflin et al. (1990), American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Related reading: How much protein do you need to build muscle?