“Counting macros” intimidates people, but the setup is straightforward. You only need four decisions, in order. Here’s the method, with an example you can copy.

Step 1: Find your calorie target

Estimate your maintenance (TDEE), then subtract 15–20% for fat loss. Say your maintenance is 2,400 calories — a 20% cut gives a target of about 1,920 calories.

Step 2: Set protein first

Protein is the priority. Use 1.6–2.2g per kg of bodyweight. For a 70kg person at 2.0g/kg, that’s 140g of protein — which is 560 calories (140 × 4).

Step 3: Set fat

Give fat roughly 25–30% of total calories. At 1,920 calories, 27% is about 520 calories, or roughly 58g of fat (520 ÷ 9).

Step 4: Carbs fill the rest

Subtract protein and fat calories from your total, and the remainder goes to carbs. Here: 1,920 − 560 − 520 = 840 calories, which is 210g of carbs (840 ÷ 4).

Your example targets

  • Calories: 1,920
  • Protein: 140g
  • Fat: 58g
  • Carbs: 210g

Adjust with real data

These are starting points. Track for two to three weeks and watch the scale trend. If you’re not losing, trim calories slightly (usually from carbs or fat, keeping protein high). Hit protein most consistently; carbs and fat can flex to taste. A tracker like Fotocal keeps your daily totals visible so adjusting is easy.

Key takeaways

  • Calories first: maintenance minus 15–20%.
  • Protein next (1.6–2.2g/kg), then fat (~25–30%).
  • Carbs fill whatever calories remain.
  • Adjust based on 2–3 weeks of real scale data.