Macros for Cutting: How to Set Your Targets to Lose Fat and Keep Muscle

Last updated: May 2026

Cutting is harder than bulking from a nutrition standpoint. In a surplus, the priority is simple: eat enough to support growth. In a deficit, you’re trying to lose fat while keeping as much muscle as possible — and those two goals pull in different directions unless your macros are set correctly.

Here’s how to set your cutting macros to lose fat without sacrificing the muscle you’ve built.

Start With Your Calorie Deficit

A cutting phase requires a calorie deficit — eating below your TDEE. The size of the deficit determines how fast you lose weight, with a direct tradeoff between speed and muscle retention.

Recommended deficit by goal:

Deficit Size	Weekly Fat Loss	Best For
10% below TDEE	~0.5% body weight/week	Preserving muscle, slow cut
15–20% below TDEE	~0.75–1% body weight/week	Standard cut for most people
25%+ below TDEE	Faster, but high muscle loss risk	Not recommended for trained athletes

The most practical rule: aim to lose 0.5–1% of your body weight per week. For a 180 lb person, that’s 0.9–1.8 lbs per week. Faster than that and the lost weight increasingly includes muscle, not just fat.

Macro Targets for a Cut

Once your calorie target is set, split it across macros in an order of priority: protein first, fat floor second, carbs fill the rest.

Protein: The Most Critical Macro During a Cut

Target: 0.8–1.2g per lb of body weight (1.8–2.6g/kg)

Protein is the most muscle-protective macro in a deficit. When calories are restricted, your body becomes more likely to break down muscle tissue for energy — high protein intake suppresses this. Research consistently supports intakes at the higher end of this range for individuals in a calorie deficit who are resistance training.

Keeping protein high also increases satiety, which makes the deficit easier to stick to day after day.

Fat: Set a Floor, Not a Ceiling

Target: 20–40% of total calories

Fat supports testosterone production and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Going below 20% of calories from fat can suppress hormones and impair recovery. On the other end, keeping fat too high leaves fewer calories for carbs, which can hurt training performance.

For most people, 25–30% of cutting calories from fat is the practical range. If you train at high intensity with lots of volume, lean toward the lower end so carbs can be higher.

Carbohydrates: Fill the Remaining Calories

After hitting protein and fat targets, carbs take up whatever calories remain. Carbs fuel resistance training and high-intensity cardio. Cutting carbs aggressively compromises session quality, which accelerates muscle loss indirectly through reduced training stimulus.

Example Cutting Macro Targets

Scenario: 180 lb male, TDEE of 2,800 cal, cutting at 2,300 cal/day

Macro	Target	Calories	Grams
Protein (40%)	0.9g/lb = 162g	648 cal	162g
Fat (25%)	25% of 2,300	575 cal	64g
Carbs (remaining)	2,300 − 648 − 575	1,077 cal	269g

Phased Approach to a Long Cut

For cuts lasting more than 8 weeks, a phased approach can help prevent adaptation and metabolic slowdown:

• Weeks 1–4: 10% deficit below TDEE
• Weeks 5–8: 15% deficit
• Weeks 9–12: 20% deficit

Starting conservative also gives you room to increase the deficit if fat loss stalls. Starting too aggressive has nowhere to go but more extreme deficits or diet breaks.

Carb Cycling on a Cut

Some lifters adjust fat and carbs based on training day type:

• Training days: Higher carbs (fuel for performance), lower fat
• Rest days: Lower carbs, higher fat — fat is a better fuel source when there’s no high-intensity demand

Keep protein constant every day. Shift calories primarily between fat and carbs based on activity demand. Total weekly calories stay the same — you’re just timing them to better match training output.

What to Prioritize on a Cut

In order of importance:

1. Calorie deficit: Fat loss doesn’t happen without it
2. High protein: The biggest lever for muscle preservation
3. Resistance training: The training stimulus tells your body to keep the muscle
4. Macro distribution: Optimizes the above but is less impactful than the first three

Calculate Your Cutting Macros

The bulk calculator works for cutting too — it can set a deficit-based calorie target and generate your macro breakdown based on your body stats, activity level, and goal rate of fat loss.