Personalized starting point

Find your daily targets

Use these as a starting range for a healthy adult who is resistance training. Your 2–4 week trend is more informative than any equation.

Daily calories2,565Maintenance estimate: 2,375 kcal
Protein135 gRange: 120–165 g
Carbs350 gPerformance fuel
Fat70 gPractical floor
How to adjust

Track your morning-weight average for 2–4 weeks. Aim for 0.1–0.25% of body weight per week. If the trend is off target, change calories by 100–200 kcal and reassess.

The evidence, in plain language

Useful numbers,
honest uncertainty.

There is no single macro split that wins for everyone. This tool prioritizes the parts of the evidence that are most consistent: adequate protein, enough energy to support the goal, resistance training, and a rate of change you can recover from.

For people dieting while lifting, higher protein and a slower rate of loss can help preserve lean mass. For muscle gain, a modest surplus is a reasonable starting point; larger surpluses can add fat without guaranteeing faster growth. Carbohydrate is flexible, but very low availability may make high-volume training harder.

Sources & method

What informs
the model.

  1. 01Morton et al., 2018 · BJSMProtein supplementation meta-analysis; gains plateaued around 1.62 g/kg/day in non-energy-restricted resistance training.
  2. 02Nunes et al., 2022 · J Cachexia Sarcopenia MuscleSystematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake and lean mass in healthy adults.
  3. 03Aragon et al., 2017 · ISSN position standEnergy balance, body-composition goals, and higher protein during calorie restriction.
  4. 04Henselmans et al., 2025 · systematic review and meta-analysisCurrent evidence on carbohydrate intake and resistance-training hypertrophy; certainty remains low and context matters.
  5. 05Ramos-Campo et al., 2025 · NutrientsProtein timing did not meaningfully change lean-mass gains when total intake was adequate.