Macros for Cutting: 4 Steps to Success

Whether you’re just trying to lose body fat or getting ready for competition, cutting your macros doesn’t have to be difficult.

It takes some math and calculations to determine how to adjust your macros for cutting success. Doing some prep work before your cutting phase will help you lose body fat while preserving lean muscle mass.

Today, we will discuss how to adjust your macros for cutting in four steps.

Macros for Cutting in Four Steps

To determine your macro ratios for cutting, all you need is four basic steps. First, you must figure out your caloric intake to help you meet your weight loss or body fat goal. Then you’ll determine your protein macros, then fat and carbs.

Once you have your macro ratios figured out, it’s time to put your plan into action.

Macros for Cutting Step 1: Calories

The first thing you’ll need to figure out is how many calories you can eat each day to meet your goal. You’ll also calculate your total daily energy expenditure as a baseline for how many calories you burn in a day.

Each pound of fat is roughly 3,500 calories. The general rule: for every pound of fat you want to lose, reduce each daily calorie allotment by 500.

You don’t want to get too calorie-restrictive here. To get lasting results, it’s recommended to not lose over two pounds each week. The more body fat you have to lose, the faster it’ll come off in the beginning.

If you don’t want to do the calculations yourself, you can use a macros calculator to do it for you. The macros in this calculator aren’t adjusted for cutting, so we recommend using a calorie calculator instead. Then you can figure out your macros yourself.

Once you’ve got your calories figured out, you’re ready to get started on your first macronutrient: protein.

Macros for Cutting Step 2: Protein

One reason most cutting diets have higher limits of protein compared to carbs and fats is its energy burning capabilities. Food containing high amounts of protein requires the most energy in the body to break down and digest.

Keeping protein high will help with burning fat while also preserving lean muscle mass. The recommended daily amount of protein is generally too low, even when cutting. Expect to consume between 1.5 and 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

When restricting calories and doing more cardio during the cutting phase, protein amounts should be higher. Protein reduces hunger and helps you feel fuller longer. Keep this in mind when adjusting your macros for cutting, whether male or female. 

The typical protein ratio for cutting should be in the 30 to 50 percent range. To calculate the amount of calories for protein, multiply your daily calories by the percentage. For example:

• 2000 calories per day x 40% protein ratio = 800 calories from protein daily
• 800 calories / 4 calories per gram of protein = 200 grams of protein daily

Calculating your protein macros can seem like a lot of calories to eat in a day. Consider including protein in each meal throughout the day to meet your goal. This will also ensure that your body is constantly burning the maximum amount of calories.

Adding a protein shake can also help meet your protein for the day. However, don’t ignore your other macros if you decide to use protein shake recipes to meet your requirements.

Macros for Cutting Step 3: Fat

Though you may think it’s counterintuitive to eat fat when trying to lose weight, your body can’t live without it. Eating healthy fats promotes hormone production, creates energy, and supports cell growth. 

The best way to determine how much fat you need is to base it on activity level. The more active you are, the higher your carb ratio should be and the less fat you need.

Fat calories can take anywhere from 15 to 40 percent of your daily macros. Your needs will change with your activity level and as you reduce your body fat percentage. 

Macros for Cutting Step 4: Carbs

Once you’ve calculated your protein and fat macros, you’re left with carbs for the rest. Just like fat, you should adjust your carbs as your body and activity levels change. Carbohydrates and fat both have four calories per gram.

If you have more muscle mass, higher energy expenditures and insulin sensitivity, you can tolerate higher carb ranges. You’ll need more carbs on days you workout. Some find carb cycling to be an effective way to deal with macro fluctuations.

If you’ve never calculated your macros and calories before, you’ll have to make adjustments to find what works best for you. Using your activity level to determine fat macros should provide enough carb calories to meet your needs.

Tips on Cutting Macros

There are a few things to keep in mind when getting your macros for cutting figured out.

It Will Take Time

Don’t go in expecting to see results in a week or two, unless you have a lot of cutting to do. Once you’ve got your macro percentages, stick with it for at least three weeks before making changes. 

If you’re not losing a pound a week by then, try adjusting your calories. Fewer calories in will create a larger deficit which will help with weight loss.

Expect to Make Adjustments

Once you’ve figured out your macros for cutting based on your bodybuilding goal, adjustments will be needed. Some people adjust their macros daily, which is why an online calculator comes in handy. 

You can choose to adjust them on days you work out and days you rest or create an average. To create an average, determine your macros for rest days and exercise days, and then average them over seven days. This can be easier because then you’re eating the same macro ratios each day.

As you get closer to your cutting goals, make more adjustments so you don’t gain body fat. If you start lifting heavier and reducing cardio days, more adjustments may be needed.

There is No One Size Fits All Approach

What works for one person may not work for another. Sure, it’s easy to just let someone else do the work, but copying someone else’s macro splits may not work for you.

There are several factors that go into creating the right macro ratios for cutting that works best for the individual:

• Body type
• Age
• Activity level
• Weight loss goals
• Diet
• Workout routine
• Time needed to reach goal

This is where patience and adjustments come into play. Some people swear by a 40 protein/30 fat/30 carbs split while others need different ratios.  

Try not to get frustrated if your macros split isn’t giving you the results you want. Go back over your fitness and diet trackers to see where you might need to make adjustments. It can take time to determine what works best for your body.

Here are some ways to measure success to determine if your macro cutting is working to meet your goals.

Measuring Macro Cutting Success

You’ve done all the hard work by running the numbers and making adjustments to your daily calories. You’ve got your macros dialed in knowing adjustments may be needed, like days you hit the gym.

You’re eating right, getting in your cardio without forgetting weight sessions, and you’re ready for the weight to come off. But how are you going to measure your success to know you’re on the right track?

There are a few ways you can do this.

Use an App to Keep Track

You may still want to do everything on paper when tracking your food and exercise. However, there’s no shame in taking the easy route and using an app to do the work for you.

There are many apps to choose from to track your macros and make sure you’re making progress. Make sure it’s one that offers:

• Calorie tracking
• A way to manually enter food information 
• Ability to input workout data
• An option for including macronutrient ratios and make adjustments as needed

Be diligent in entering your daily food intake and exercise routine. This way, it’s easy to reflect back to see what works and what doesn’t so you can fix it going forward.

Take Progress Pictures

Another way to track success is by taking progress photos. If you’re gearing up for a competition, this should be something you’re already doing. 

If you’re just using macros for cutting to lose weight, progress pics can also help. Especially if the numbers on the scale aren’t moving in the right direction fast enough for you. Progress pics can show you what you aren’t seeing when looking in the mirror.

Before you start on your cutting journey, take a few pictures from the front, back, and side. Continue to do so every few weeks to see how you’re progressing. You can also use them as motivation to keep going, since you’ve done the hard work of getting your numbers right.

Measure Your Body Fat

Another way to determine if cutting by adjusting your macros is working is to measure your body fat. There are several ways to do this, including using specific calibers to pinch the skin in certain places.

Some use body-fat scales for this, but they can be unreliable and not accurate, even the more expensive models. Calipers to measure body fat may also be unreliable, considering they require some knowledge to use them correctly.

To measure your body fat at home, Dr. Woolcott from the Cedars-Sinai Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute suggests a simple calculation. Finding your relative fat mass (RFM) can help determine how much body fat you have.

You’ll need to know your height and waist circumference. You can measure your waist using a measuring tape right at the top of your hip bone. Once you have your height and waist circumference, you’ll use this formula to get your RFM:

• Men: 64 – (20 x height/waist circumference) = RFM
• Women: 76 – (20 x height/waist circumference) = RFM

Using one or a combination of these three methods can help you track your macros to ensure you meet your cutting goal.

Wrapping Up

When calculating your macros for cutting, the numbers won’t always stay the same. You’ll have to keep adjusting as your body fat reduces and your activity levels change.

What works for one person doesn’t always work for another, so you may need to make further adjustments. This is where taking progress pics and using a macros tracker helps. You can more easily see what is working and what isn’t so you can make tweaks to your ratios for better results.

And remember, cutting takes time, especially when you don’t have as much body fat to lose. Eat clean, nutrient-dense foods and save the empty calorie foods for cheat days or special occasions.

Cutting takes dedication, just like bulking and adding muscle. If you need a protein powder to help meet your protein macros, Vintage Brawn™ is one of the best. It tastes great and has three forms of protein, packing 24 grams in each serving.

Have you gone through the bulking and cutting phases? Which did you find more difficult? Any tips to share to help others in their cutting journey?