Tracking macros — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — is one of the most effective approaches to managing your weight, building muscle, or simply eating better. But if you've never done it before, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming.
This guide covers everything from scratch: what macros are, how to calculate your personal targets, and the simplest way to log them every day.
What Are Macros?
"Macros" is short for macronutrients — the three major nutrients that make up almost every food you eat:
- Protein — 4 calories per gram. Builds and repairs muscle. Keeps you full.
- Carbohydrates — 4 calories per gram. Your body's primary energy source.
- Fat — 9 calories per gram. Supports hormones, brain function, and vitamin absorption.
Every food contains some combination of these three. Tracking macros means knowing how many grams of each you're eating daily — not just your total calorie count.
Why Track Macros Instead of Just Calories?
Calorie counting tells you how much you're eating. Macro tracking tells you what you're eating.
Two diets can both hit 2,000 calories but look completely different:
Diet A (2,000 calories):
- 150g protein · 200g carbs · 55g fat
Diet B (2,000 calories):
- 50g protein · 100g carbs · 155g fat
Diet A is optimised for muscle maintenance and satiety. Diet B is high fat with inadequate protein — you'd likely lose muscle and feel hungry despite the same calorie total.
Macro tracking helps you eat the right foods, not just the right amount of food.
Step 1: Calculate Your Calorie Target
Before setting macro targets, you need your daily calorie goal.
Find your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure):
Use a TDEE calculator based on your:
- Age, height, weight
- Activity level (sedentary / lightly active / very active)
Set your goal:
- Weight loss: Eat 300–500 calories below your TDEE (deficit)
- Muscle gain: Eat 200–300 calories above your TDEE (surplus)
- Maintenance: Eat at your TDEE
Example: If your TDEE is 2,200 calories and you want to lose weight, aim for 1,700–1,900 calories per day.
Step 2: Calculate Your Macro Targets
Once you have your calorie target, split it into macros. Here are evidence-based starting ratios:
For Weight Loss (Fat Loss While Preserving Muscle)
- Protein: 30–35% of calories (or 0.8–1g per pound of bodyweight)
- Carbohydrates: 35–40% of calories
- Fat: 25–30% of calories
Example for 1,800 calories:
- Protein: 630 calories ÷ 4 = 158g protein
- Carbs: 720 calories ÷ 4 = 180g carbs
- Fat: 450 calories ÷ 9 = 50g fat
For Muscle Gain
- Protein: 25–30% of calories (1–1.2g per pound of bodyweight)
- Carbohydrates: 45–50% of calories
- Fat: 20–25% of calories
For IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros)
IIFYM uses the same calculation but places no restrictions on which foods you eat — as long as they fit your daily macro targets. This flexibility makes it one of the most sustainable approaches to nutrition tracking.
Step 3: Choose a Macro Tracking App
The easiest way to track macros daily is with a dedicated app. You need one that:
- Shows protein, carbs, and fat (not just calories)
- Lets you set custom macro targets in grams
- Has a barcode scanner or AI scanner for packaged food
- Is fast enough to actually use every day
NutriBalance is the best free option for Android in 2026. It tracks all macros, lets you set fully custom targets, has an AI food label scanner and barcode scanner, and adds a gamification system (streaks, missions, leagues) to keep you consistent.
Setting up custom macros in NutriBalance:
- Go to Profile → Goals
- Enter your daily calorie target
- Set protein, carb, and fat targets in grams
- The app tracks your running totals throughout the day
Step 4: Log Every Meal (Even Imperfect Days)
The most important rule of macro tracking: log everything.
An imperfect day fully logged beats a perfect day partially logged. When you skip logging a meal because you "went off plan," you lose all the data about where you went over — which makes it impossible to adjust.
Tips to log faster:
- Use the barcode scanner for all packaged foods (takes 5 seconds)
- Use the AI food label scanner for restaurant and takeaway food
- Save your common meals as templates and re-log them in one tap
- Use the "copy yesterday" feature for days when you eat similarly
Step 5: Review and Adjust Weekly
After 2 weeks of tracking, look at your data:
- Not losing weight? You're likely eating more than you think. Check your protein is hitting target — protein is the most commonly under-logged macro.
- Losing too fast (>1kg/week)? Increase calories by 100-150.
- Feeling constantly hungry? Increase protein — it's the most satiating macro.
- Low energy during workouts? Increase carbohydrates slightly.
Common Macro Tracking Mistakes
Mistake 1: Not weighing food
Volume measurements (cups, tablespoons) are wildly inaccurate for calorie-dense foods like peanut butter, olive oil, and cheese. Use a food scale for anything you eat regularly.
Mistake 2: Forgetting cooking oils and condiments
A tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories and 14g fat. Forgetting to log cooking oils can account for 300–500 hidden calories per day.
Mistake 3: Logging the cooked weight of raw ingredients
Meat loses 20–30% of its weight when cooked. Always log the raw weight before cooking, or use the "cooked" version in the food database.
Mistake 4: Quitting after one bad day
One bad day doesn't break progress. What breaks progress is the all-or-nothing mindset — quitting because one day was off. Log the bad day, learn from it, and move on.
Sample Day of Eating — 1,800 Calories / 158g Protein
Breakfast:
- 3 eggs (scrambled) — 210 cal · 18g protein · 0g carbs · 15g fat
- 2 slices wholegrain toast — 160 cal · 6g protein · 30g carbs · 2g fat
- Greek yoghurt (170g) — 100 cal · 17g protein · 6g carbs · 0g fat
Lunch:
- Chicken breast (150g cooked) — 250 cal · 47g protein · 0g carbs · 5g fat
- Brown rice (150g cooked) — 165 cal · 4g protein · 35g carbs · 1g fat
- Mixed salad with olive oil (1 tsp) — 60 cal · 1g protein · 3g carbs · 5g fat
Snack:
- Cottage cheese (100g) — 98 cal · 11g protein · 3g carbs · 4g fat
- Apple — 80 cal · 0g protein · 21g carbs · 0g fat
Dinner:
- Salmon fillet (150g) — 310 cal · 30g protein · 0g carbs · 20g fat
- Sweet potato (200g) — 180 cal · 3g protein · 42g carbs · 0g fat
- Broccoli (150g) — 50 cal · 4g protein · 8g carbs · 0g fat
Daily total: 1,663 cal · 141g protein · 148g carbs · 52g fat
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does macro tracking take each day?
With a good app, 5–10 minutes. Barcode scanning packaged foods takes under 10 seconds each. Logging a meal from scratch takes 2–3 minutes.
Do I need to hit my macros exactly?
Aim to be within 5–10g of each macro target. Exact precision isn't necessary — consistency over weeks matters more than daily perfection.
Can I track macros without weighing food?
You can use visual portion guides, but accuracy suffers significantly. A food scale costs under $15 and makes tracking much more reliable, especially for calorie-dense foods.
Is tracking macros better than counting calories?
For most goals — yes. Macro tracking gives you calorie data plus information about food quality. Someone eating 2,000 calories with adequate protein will lose fat and preserve muscle far better than someone eating 2,000 calories of mostly carbs and fat.
What app is best for tracking macros for free?
NutriBalance is the best free macro tracking app for Android. It supports fully custom macro goals, has a barcode scanner and AI food label scanner, and adds streaks and gamification to keep you consistent long-term.
Track your calories, macros, and streaks for free with NutriBalance — the gamified calorie tracker for Android.
