How to set client macros
A repeatable method: estimate maintenance calories, prioritize protein, then fat, then carbs, and reassess on a schedule instead of guessing.
A single macro split applied to every client (a flat 40/30/30, say) ignores the variables that actually determine what a client needs: body weight, body composition, and goal direction. The fix isn't a better universal split, it's a repeatable per-client formula that takes those inputs and produces a number, the same way every time. As a purely hypothetical example, not a claim about any specific business: a coach doing that calculation by hand for 20 clients on a rolling 3-week reassessment cycle is spending roughly 4 hours every 3 weeks on arithmetic and write-up alone, separate from the actual coaching judgment of whether to hold or adjust. The method below is how to build that formula once instead of re-deriving it per client, per reassessment.
1. Estimate maintenance calories with a formula, not a guess
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation, derived from a study of healthy adults (Mifflin et al., 1990, see sources below), is the standard starting point: BMR = 10 x weight(kg) + 6.25 x height(cm) - 5 x age + 5 for men, and the same formula minus 161 instead of plus 5 for women. Multiply that by an activity factor (roughly 1.2 for mostly sedentary, up to 1.7-1.9 for very active) to get an estimated maintenance calorie level. It is a population-average estimate for healthy adults, not a lab measurement or a clinical prescription for any specific client, but it is a far better starting point than eyeballing a number.
2. Set the calorie target from the goal, inside a sane range
As an illustrative, common starting range rather than a rule: a moderate deficit sits around 10-20% below maintenance, a moderate surplus around 5-10% above it. Larger swings in either direction are harder for a client to sustain and make it harder to tell, a few weeks later, whether a stalled result is the plan or the compliance.
3. Set protein first, before anything else
Protein is the macro goal outcomes are most sensitive to, so set it before calories get divided up around it. The ISSN's position stand on protein and exercise (Jager et al., 2017, see sources below) puts 1.4-2.0g per kg of body weight (roughly 0.65-0.9g per pound) as sufficient for most exercising adults, adjusted down toward the lower end for clients carrying more body fat, since lean mass, not total weight, is what protein needs actually track. This is a general-population range, not a substitute for individualized guidance where a medical condition is involved.
4. Set a fat floor next, before filling in carbs
The ACSM/Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics/Dietitians of Canada joint position statement on nutrition and athletic performance (2000, see sources below) puts moderate fat intake at 20-25% of total calories, noting no established performance or health benefit below roughly 15%. As an illustrative floor, not a clinical threshold, many coaches keep fat in that 20-25% band before carbs get whatever calories remain. Any client with a diagnosed hormonal, metabolic, or eating-disorder history needs individualized medical guidance here, not this general range.
5. Fill the remainder with carbs
Total daily calories minus protein calories minus fat calories, divided by 4, gives the carb grams. This step is pure arithmetic once steps 1-4 are set: carbs are what is left over, not a target chosen independently of the other two.
6. Build one repeatable template, not a fresh calculation every time
As a purely hypothetical illustration, not a claim about any specific business: if working through steps 1-5 by hand and writing up the result takes about 12 minutes per client, and a coach reassesses 20 clients on a rolling basis every 3 weeks, that is roughly 4 hours of arithmetic and write-up every 3 weeks, separate from any actual coaching judgment. A spreadsheet with the formulas built in once removes the arithmetic from every future reassessment; only the inputs change per client.
7. Reassess on a fixed schedule, using trend data, not a guess
Adjust on a set cadence (commonly every 2-4 weeks) based on real weight, measurement, or adherence trend data, not on how a single week felt. A number that looked right on day one drifts as body weight, activity, and adherence change; treating it as fixed indefinitely is the most common way a good starting estimate goes stale.
This method works the same whether it's run from a spreadsheet or from software that automates part of it. Last verified September 5, 2026. This is general body-composition guidance for healthy adults, not individualized medical or nutrition advice.
Sources: Mifflin et al., 1990, Am J Clin Nutr, Jager et al., 2017, J Int Soc Sports Nutr, ACSM/AND/DC Joint Position Statement, 2000, Med Sci Sports Exerc.
Run steps 1-5 above for up to 12 clients at once with the free macro calculator for coaches, no signup.
Amenti drafts a starting calorie and macro target for each client straight from their intake, covering steps 1-2 and 6 above: the coach reviews the draft, adjusts anything that doesn't fit their method, and approves it before it reaches the client. AI photo meal logging (included on every plan) then closes the loop on the other side: a photographed meal becomes a logged entry against that target, so adherence shows up without either side doing manual macro math. It does not replace the judgment calls in steps 3, 4, and 7, how aggressive a deficit a specific client can sustain, or when a stalled trend means adjust versus hold. It is also not built for clinical or medical nutrition therapy, doesn't manage diagnosed medical conditions or allergies as a clinical tool, and estimates from a photo rather than looking up an exact packaged-food label from a barcode database. Named here rather than glossed over.
See it end to end on the 3-minute tour, check the full pricing breakdown, see how AI photo meal logging works in coaching software with nutrition included, or pair this with how to run a weekly review for the reassessment cadence in step 7.
What's a good starting point for client protein targets?
As an illustrative, unverified range rather than a rule: roughly 0.7-1g per pound of body weight is a common starting point, adjusted toward the lower end for clients with more body fat to lose, since lean mass drives protein needs more than total weight does. Treat this as a starting point to adjust from real trend data, not a fixed prescription.
Is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation accurate enough to use?
It is a population-average estimate, not an individual measurement, so it will be off for any specific client by some margin. That is fine as long as it is treated as a starting point: step 7's scheduled reassessment against real trend data is what corrects the estimate over time, not a more precise formula upfront.
Should every client get the same macro split?
No. A generic split applied to every client regardless of body weight, goal, or body composition ignores exactly the variables steps 1-4 are built around. Two clients at the same calorie target can need meaningfully different protein and fat floors.
How often should macro targets be adjusted?
Commonly every 2-4 weeks, tied to a real trend in weight, measurements, or adherence rather than a single week's data. See the weekly review process guide for how that reassessment fits into a coach's regular review cadence.
Do coaches need a nutrition credential to set macro targets for clients?
This method covers general body-composition macro targets, the same category most coaching software's nutrition features address. It is not a substitute for individualized medical nutrition therapy, and clients with a diagnosed medical condition, eating disorder history, or a diet requiring clinical supervision should be referred to a registered dietitian or physician rather than handled through a general macro template.
Where does software actually help with this?
Mainly steps 1, 2, and 6: generating the first-draft numbers from client intake data and removing the arithmetic from every reassessment. It does not replace the judgment calls in steps 3-4 and 7 (how aggressive a deficit a specific client can sustain, when a stalled trend means adjust versus hold). See "Where Amenti fits" below for exactly what that does and doesn't cover.
Amenti makes this guide. The method above works with or without any software. Last verified September 5, 2026. See the full Amenti pricing.
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Independent coaches and online trainers with 5–40 active clients, currently juggling WhatsApp, spreadsheets, and PDFs.