Carnivore Diet Macros: How Much Protein and Fat to Eat

On the carnivore diet, aim for 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight and get 60 to 70 percent of your total calories from fat. Carbohydrates are essentially zero and do not need to be tracked. The beauty of carnivore macros is their simplicity — when you eat fatty cuts of meat, the ratios largely take care of themselves. This guide covers the specific numbers for different goals and explains when tracking matters versus when intuitive eating is the better approach.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

Protein is the most important macronutrient on the carnivore diet. It builds and repairs muscle, supports immune function, produces enzymes and hormones, and provides satiety. Here are the targets based on your situation:

Protein by Goal

General health and maintenance:

• 1 gram per pound of lean body mass (or ideal body weight)
• Example: 180-pound person at healthy weight = 180g protein/day
• This is approximately 1.5 to 2 pounds of meat per day

Muscle building and athletic performance:

• 1.2 to 1.5 grams per pound of lean body mass
• Example: 180-pound lean person = 216 to 270g protein/day
• This is approximately 2 to 2.5 pounds of meat per day
• Higher protein intake supports muscle protein synthesis during training

Weight loss:

• 1 to 1.2 grams per pound of ideal body weight (not current weight)
• Example: 250-pound person targeting 180 pounds = 180 to 216g protein/day
• Protein is the most satiating macronutrient and preserves muscle during fat loss
• Do not reduce protein to cut calories — reduce fat slightly instead

Older adults (50+):

• 1.2 to 1.5 grams per pound of lean body mass
• Protein requirements increase with age due to anabolic resistance
• Higher protein intake helps prevent age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia)

Protein Content of Common Carnivore Foods

These numbers show why ground beef and ribeye are carnivore staples — they deliver strong protein with adequate fat in a single food. Compare that to chicken breast (31g protein, 3.6g fat per 4 oz), which requires added fat to reach appropriate ratios.

How Much Fat Do You Need?

Fat is your primary energy source on the carnivore diet. Without carbohydrates, fat provides the fuel your body runs on through ketone production and direct fatty acid oxidation. Getting enough fat is critical.

Fat Targets by Calorie Percentage

• During adaptation (first 30 days): 65 to 75% of calories from fat
• Weight maintenance: 60 to 70% of calories from fat
• Muscle building: 55 to 65% of calories from fat (slightly higher protein)
• Weight loss: 55 to 65% of calories from fat (the deficit comes from reduced fat, not eliminated fat)

Why Fat Matters So Much

Energy production. Fat contains 9 calories per gram compared to protein’s 4 calories per gram. On a 2,500-calorie carnivore diet with 65% fat, that is about 180 grams of fat providing 1,625 calories — the majority of your fuel.

Hormone production. Cholesterol from dietary fat is the building block for testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, and vitamin D. Insufficient fat intake can suppress hormone production.

Satiety. Dietary fat triggers CCK and other satiety hormones that tell your brain you are full. Meals without enough fat leave you unsatisfied and searching for more food.

Avoiding protein poisoning. Eating too much protein without adequate fat overloads your liver’s ability to process nitrogen waste. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue. This is one of the most common carnivore diet mistakes.

How to Increase Fat Intake

If you are eating too lean, here are practical ways to add fat:

• Choose ribeye over sirloin, 80/20 ground beef over 90/10
• Cook with butter, tallow, or lard (add a tablespoon per meal)
• Eat chicken with skin, not skinless
• Include pork belly, bacon, and fatty roasts
• Add bone marrow to meals
• Eat the fat trim on steaks — do not cut it off
• Choose fattier meat options from our ranked list

Why You Do Not Count Carbs on Carnivore

This is one of the key differences between carnivore and keto. On keto, you meticulously track carbohydrates to stay under 20 to 50 grams per day. On carnivore, carb tracking is unnecessary because animal foods contain negligible carbohydrates:

• Beef: 0g carbs
• Pork: 0g carbs
• Chicken: 0g carbs
• Fish: 0g carbs
• Eggs: 0.6g carbs per egg (trace amount)
• Butter: 0g carbs
• Cheese: 0.5-1g carbs per ounce (from residual lactose)
• Liver: 3-4g carbs per 4 oz (from stored glycogen)

Even if you eat eggs, cheese, and liver in the same day, your total carbohydrate intake is unlikely to exceed 10 to 15 grams. Ketosis is automatic and requires zero tracking.

How to Adjust Macros for Specific Goals

For Weight Loss

The carnivore approach to weight loss is simple: prioritize protein, eat fat to satiety (not to excess), and let your appetite guide portions.

• Protein: 1 to 1.2g per pound of ideal body weight (this is non-negotiable)
• Fat: enough for satiety and hormone production, but you do not need to add extra butter to everything
• Calorie deficit: Created naturally by the strong satiety signals of animal protein and fat
• Do not deliberately restrict: eat full meals, but choose slightly leaner cuts if weight loss stalls (e.g., 85/15 ground beef instead of 73/27)

Most people lose weight on carnivore without counting anything. The combination of high protein, zero processed food, and no hyper-palatable food combinations creates a natural caloric deficit for those with excess body fat.

For Muscle Gain

Building muscle on carnivore requires a caloric surplus with emphasis on protein:

• Protein: 1.2 to 1.5g per pound of body weight
• Fat: 55 to 65% of calories (enough for energy and hormones)
• Total calories: 300 to 500 above maintenance
• Timing: eating a protein-rich meal within 2 hours of training helps, but total daily protein matters more than timing
• Practical approach: add one extra meal or increase portion sizes by 25 to 30 percent

For Maintenance

Once you reach your desired body composition:

• Protein: 1g per pound of body weight
• Fat: 60 to 70% of calories
• Eat to satiety — your appetite becomes a reliable guide after full adaptation
• Weight should stabilize naturally without tracking

Should You Track or Eat Intuitively?

This is one of the most common questions from people starting carnivore. The answer depends on where you are in your journey:

Track During the First 2-4 Weeks

Tracking during the initial period serves one purpose: confirming you are eating enough. Under-eating is the most common carnivore mistake, and new dieters often discover they are eating 30 to 50 percent less than they need. A food tracking app helps you see the numbers objectively.

During this phase, track total food intake, protein, and fat. You do not need to track carbs, micronutrients, or meal timing. The goal is not restriction — it is verification.

Learn more about how to track the carnivore diet effectively.

Transition to Intuitive Eating After Adaptation

After your body has adapted (typically by week 4 to 6), your hunger and satiety signals become remarkably accurate on a whole-animal-food diet. This is because:

• No hyper-palatable food combinations override satiety signals
• Protein and fat trigger strong fullness hormones (CCK, PYY, GLP-1)
• No blood sugar swings create false hunger
• Food reward is moderate and consistent

At this point, most people eat when hungry, stop when full, and maintain or improve their body composition without tracking anything. This is one of the greatest benefits of the carnivore approach — freedom from the constant food math that defines most diets.

Continue Tracking If You Have Specific Goals

Competitive athletes, bodybuilders preparing for shows, or people with medical conditions that require precise nutritional management may benefit from continued tracking. But for the average person pursuing health and reasonable body composition, intuitive eating on carnivore is effective and sustainable.

Sample Macro Days

Maintenance Example (180-pound person)

Macro split: 30% protein, 69% fat, 1% carb

Muscle Building Example (200-pound person)

Macro split: 30% protein, 69% fat, 1% carb

Weight Loss Example (200-pound person targeting 170)

Macro split: 37% protein, 61% fat, 2% carb

These are examples, not prescriptions. Your ideal intake depends on your body, activity level, and goals. Use them as starting points and adjust based on how you feel, how you perform, and what the scale and mirror tell you.

For a practical daily eating plan, see our carnivore diet meal plan. And for the specific cuts of meat that deliver the best macro profiles, check our best meats for carnivore ranking.

For a comprehensive nutrition reference on the carnivore diet, visit our carnivore diet nutrition hub.