What is the most effective macro split for weight loss?

The pattern the research supports is high protein at 2.0 to 2.2 grams per kilogram, moderate fat at 0.5 to 1 gram per kilogram, and carbs filling the rest of a 15 to 25 percent calorie deficit. There is no magic ratio; the protein level is what protects muscle while you lose.

Is 1200 to 1500 calories a day good for weight loss?

It produces fast loss, but it is very low for most adults: hunger, muscle loss, low energy, and burnout are common. Most people do better on a 20 percent deficit, often 1,700 to 2,200 calories, that they can sustain for months. Very low targets deserve a doctor or dietitian's input before you commit to them.

Is it better to count calories or macros when cutting?

For cutting, count macros. The calorie target drives the fat loss, but the protein target decides how much of the lost weight is fat rather than muscle. Counting only calories risks losing muscle along with the fat, which is exactly what a good cut avoids.

Should I do cardio or just lift while cutting?

Lift first. Resistance training is what signals your body to keep muscle in a deficit. Use cardio as a tool to deepen the deficit when further food cuts get uncomfortable, not as the main driver of the cut.

Macros for Cutting: Keep Muscle While You Lose Fat

Q: How much protein should I eat while cutting?

Eat 2.0 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, the top of the normal range. In a deficit your body is more inclined to burn muscle for energy, and the extra protein, combined with resistance training, counters that.

Cutting is a controlled calorie deficit with one non-negotiable: keep the muscle. This guide sets each macro for a fat-loss phase, with a fully worked example for a 90 kg lifter.

To set cutting macros, take 20 percent off your maintenance calories, set protein at 2.0 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, keep fat at 0.5 to 1 gram per kilogram, and fill the remaining calories with carbs. Example: a 90 kg lifter cutting on 2,331 calories eats 198 grams of protein, 72 grams of fat, and 223 grams of carbs. If fat loss stalls for two to three weeks, trim 100 to 200 calories from carbs.

Step 1: Set cut calories, 20 percent below maintenance

A cut lives in a moderate deficit: enough to lose 0.5 to 1 percent of bodyweight per week, small enough to train hard and keep muscle. Our example: a 30-year-old man, 90 kg, 180 cm, moderately active. His maintenance (TDEE) is about 2,914 calories. Twenty percent off gives a cut target of 2,331 calories a day. That 583-calorie deficit should produce roughly half a kilo of fat loss per week.

Step 2: Push protein to the top of the range

In a deficit, your body is more inclined to burn muscle for energy, so protein goes to the top of the range: 2.2 grams per kilogram. At 90 kg, that is 198 grams of protein, which is 792 calories. Combined with hard resistance training, this is the main thing separating a cut that reveals muscle from one that just makes you smaller.

Step 3: Protect a fat minimum

Fat stays at 0.5 to 1 gram per kilogram to protect hormones and hunger signaling. For our lifter, 0.8 grams per kilogram gives 72 grams of fat, which is 648 calories. Never drop below 0.5 grams per kilogram for long: 45 grams is the floor for a 90 kg person, and going under it is where cuts start causing hormonal problems and rebound hunger.

Step 4: Carbs take the cut

Subtract protein and fat calories from the target: 2,331 minus 792 minus 648 leaves 891 calories. Divide by 4: 891 divided by 4 is 222.75, so 223 grams of carbs. His complete cutting plan is 2,331 calories: 198 grams of protein, 72 grams of fat, 223 grams of carbs. Carbs are the lever from here: when the cut needs to deepen, carbs move first.

The calculator baseline versus the cutting tweak

The free macro calculator on this site uses 2 grams of protein per kilogram as its baseline, which would give our lifter 180 grams of protein, 65 grams of fat, and 257 grams of carbs at 2,331 calories. The cutting tweak above simply raises protein to 2.2 grams per kilogram and lets carbs absorb the difference. Run the calculator, then bump protein up by about 20 grams and drop carbs by the same calories.

When fat loss stalls

Stalls are normal: water retention masks fat loss for a week or two at a time. Only adjust after two to three weeks with no trend change. When it is real, trim 100 to 200 calories from carbs (25 to 50 grams) and hold protein, fat, and training steady. One adjustment, then another two to three weeks of data. People who change everything every Monday never learn what actually works.

Mistakes that kill cuts

The three classic errors: cutting protein along with calories, which guarantees muscle loss; dropping fat below the 0.5 gram per kilogram floor, which wrecks hormones and hunger; and changing the plan weekly, which makes the data meaningless. Pick the numbers above, train hard, sleep seven-plus hours, and let the two-to-three-week trend be the judge.

This guide gives general information for meal planning. It is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before making major changes to your diet.

Macros for Cutting