How your macros are calculated
- Calories. Your maintenance calories are estimated with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation and your activity level, as in the calorie calculator. “Lose” subtracts 500 kcal a day and “Gain” adds 250 kcal. You can enter your own target instead.
- Protein is set from your body weight, in grams per kilogram.
- Fat is set as a percentage of your calories, then converted to grams at 9 kcal per gram.
- Carbohydrate fills the remaining calories at 4 kcal per gram.
Choosing a protein setting
The slider runs from 1.2 to 2.2 g per kilogram. The UK reference nutrient intake for adults is 0.75 g per kilogram, a level intended to meet the needs of most people. Sports nutrition guidance for people who exercise regularly often suggests around 1.4 to 2.0 g per kilogram. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, check with your doctor before increasing protein.
Choosing a fat setting
Many dietary guidelines place fat at roughly 20 to 35% of daily energy, which is the range the slider covers. Fat is calorie dense, so small changes in oils, butter, nuts and cheese make a noticeable difference to your total.
Hitting your macros day to day
Aim to be close on average across the week rather than exact every day. Our guide on how to count macros walks through a full example. In CutWise, every meal you log shows protein, carbs and fat with its calories, and you can ask Ember Coach “What could I eat with the protein and calories I have left today?” for ideas grounded in your logged day.
