Macros for cutting start with a calorie goal and enough protein; a bulking phase changes the energy goal, not the need to fuel training. Choose one phase based on your current goal and health. Use maintenance if you are unsure or poorly recovered. Do not switch between a cut and a bulk after each scale reading.
A new training phase needs a written goal
Starting a strength programme can leave you choosing between losing fat and gaining weight to support muscle growth. Write which outcome matters for the next training block. The decision should also account for whether you can complete sessions and recover between them.
Choose a cut only if intentional weight loss is suitable for you. Choose a bulk when gaining weight is an agreed part of a muscle-building plan. Maintenance is a valid option while you learn the programme or gather a reliable food record. This page is for adults; it does not set targets for children or pregnancy.
Pick the phase before adjusting macros
| Phase | Reason to consider it | Energy direction | Reason to review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut | Fat loss is the current appropriate goal | Modest deficit from estimated maintenance | Persistent hunger or reduced training capacity |
| Bulk | Muscle gain with planned weight gain is the goal | Small surplus from estimated maintenance | Weight rising without useful training progress |
| Maintenance | Goal is unclear or recovery needs attention | Start near estimated maintenance | Use the record to reassess after several weeks |
A calculator cannot choose the phase from a photograph or a body-fat estimate. Speak to a qualified coach about the training plan and a sports dietitian about intake if you need personal advice. Avoid an arbitrary rule that everyone above one body-fat percentage must cut.
The bulking calorie calculator estimates a surplus, while the calorie deficit calculator estimates a reduction. Neither result is a measured maintenance intake. Use the same starting assumptions when comparing the two so the difference comes from the phase choice.
Set protein in grams, then check the split
NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements summarises sports-nutrition guidance of 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram per day for athletes. For an 80 kg adult, that is 96 to 160 grams. This is general athletic guidance, not a personal target or a rule that everyone needs the top end.
The same NIH source gives fat at 20% to 35% of total energy and notes that carbohydrate needs depend on activity. Do not reduce training fuel simply to make a macro pie chart look balanced. A sports dietitian can help if your sessions have high energy demands or you have a medical condition.
For an illustrative 2,200-calorie day, 140 grams of protein provides about 560 calories. Fat at 70 grams provides about 630. The remaining 1,010 calories equate to roughly 253 grams of carbohydrate. That is about 25% protein and 29% fat, with about 46% carbohydrate. Rounding creates small differences.
This example uses the standard approximate energy values of 4 calories per gram for protein or carbohydrate and 9 for fat. It is a worked calculation, not a tested meal plan. Different food labels may also use rounding, so exact agreement between totals is not always possible.
Cutting and bulking do not need opposite food lists
A phase change can often use the same meals with different portions. For arithmetic only, estimated maintenance at 2,500 calories gives 2,250 after a 250-calorie reduction, or 2,650 after a 150-calorie addition. Those are examples of changes to discuss, not recommended targets for every reader.
Use the food record to see where a portion change fits. Adding food to an existing meal may be simpler than creating another meal during work. On a cut, avoid removing the meal before training just because it is easy to skip. The training schedule is part of the intake decision.
The NHS healthy-eating guidance includes protein in meals and higher-fibre starches. Those foods can remain in either phase. A surplus is not a reason to stop checking food quality, and a deficit is not a reason to exclude an entire food group.
Your first week in the chosen phase
- Day 1: Write the phase and the reason for it. Save the calculator assumptions if you use one. Note your normal training schedule separately so the first food log has context.
- Days 2 and 3: Record ordinary portions before making several changes. Check whether rice or pasta entries refer to cooked or dry weight. The same number of grams means different amounts of food in those states.
- Days 4 and 5: Try the planned portion change in one repeat meal. Keep the agreed protein amount in view. Record the actual meal even if it differs from the plan, and keep training details in your usual workout log.
- Days 6 and 7: Review how the plan fits sessions and work. Do not infer muscle gain or fat loss from one week. Set the next review date before changing the calorie goal again.
Log food and training separately
Log eaten portions and the daily protein total. Include cooking fats or drinks that are easy to miss. For shared meals, mark estimates and use the same portion method each time. A consistent estimate still has uncertainty; it does not become a laboratory measurement through repetition.
Keep workout performance in a training log. If an exercise becomes harder across several sessions, review sleep and food with a qualified professional before assuming you need more restriction. A calorie app does not know why a lift changed.
Ignore day-to-day scale changes as a verdict on the phase. Extra food and fluid can change weight without showing how much muscle or fat changed. Do not automatically eat a watch's reported exercise calories on top of a maintenance estimate that already includes activity.
When to stop changing targets and seek advice
Ask a sports dietitian or clinician for review if you feel persistently exhausted or cannot recover between normal sessions. New menstrual disruption or recurrent injuries also warrants medical review. Increasing protein alone cannot establish that an energy deficit is safe.
Seek help if cutting leads to fear of meals or compulsive exercise. A period at maintenance may fit the training goal better, but a clinician should assess symptoms. This page cannot diagnose low energy availability or determine whether an injury is related to food intake.
Where MacroLog fits
MacroLog can record the meals in either phase through free manual search and unlimited barcode scanning, with basic stats and local storage. It reads steps and active energy as information only; those values never change the calorie budget. Pro photo and voice logging need internet and their estimates need review. Pro costs $5.99 a month or $49 a year in the US, with a $2 paid first week and prices varying by store or country. CSV/JSON export is included in Pro. The food record does not choose your training phase.
What this is based on
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: exercise and athletic performance, read 10 September 2026. Supports the athlete protein range and fat range; the gram and calorie examples are our arithmetic.
- NHS: healthy eating when trying to lose weight, read 10 September 2026. Supports general food choices in meals, not a bodybuilding prescription.
Written and maintained by the MacroLog editorial team. Reviewed 10 September 2026. The week plans are practical examples, not tested treatment programmes.
What this does not solve
This page cannot predict muscle gain or certify that a deficit suits your training load. MacroLog does not provide a measured body-composition assessment here. Multi-device sync is planned and photo or voice logging needs internet. If your priority is a shared live diary across devices, that remains a product limitation.