Macro Calculator
Macros start from calories. This calculator finds your TDEE, applies your goal, then splits the calories into protein, fat and carbs, with the rule for each one written next to it.
Example result for a 35-year-old woman, 5 ft 5 in, 160 lb, lightly active. Enter your numbers to replace it.
Example TDEE (maintenance calories)
1,955 kcal/day
Estimated range 1,759 to 2,150 (±10%; the real gap can be larger) · about 13,683 kcal a week
116 gProtein
54 gFat
251 gCarbs
| Macro | Grams | % of calories | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 116 g | 24% | 1.6 g per kg (0.73 g per lb) |
| Fat | 54 g | 25% | 25% of calories |
| Carbs | 251 g | 51% | the rest |
| Meals a day | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 39 g | 18 g | 84 g |
| 4 | 29 g | 14 g | 63 g |
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10 × 72.6 kg + 6.25 × 165.1 cm − 5 × 35 − 161 = 1,422 kcal
TDEE = BMR × Lightly active (× 1.375): 1,422 × 1.375 = 1,955 kcal/day
To maintain your weight, eat about 1,955 kcal/day.
| Level | Multiplier | TDEE |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | × 1.2 | 1,706 kcal |
| ▸ Lightly active | × 1.375 | 1,955 kcal |
| Moderately active | × 1.55 | 2,204 kcal |
| Very active | × 1.725 | 2,452 kcal |
| Extra active | × 1.9 | 2,701 kcal |
Each step is worth about 249 kcal a day. Picking one level too high is the most common reason a deficit does not work. How to choose.
Different number on another calculator? Here is why
| Formula | BMR | TDEE (× 1.375) |
|---|---|---|
| Mifflin-St Jeor (this site) | 1,422 | 1,955 |
| Harris-Benedict (revised 1984) | 1,479 | 2,033 |
| Katch-McArdle | needs your body fat % (enter it above) | |
- Activity step. One level down gives 1,706, one level up gives 2,204. Some sites use in-between multipliers (1.465) or a different scale (1.4 to 2.4), which moves the result by 100 to 300 kcal on its own.
- Units and rounding. 160.0 lb is 72.6 kg and 5 ft 5 in is 165.1 cm. A site that rounds to 80 kg and 175 cm shifts BMR by a few kcal; a site that rounds the multiplier shifts more.
- Body fat. Formulas that use lean mass give lower numbers for people with more body fat and higher numbers for lean, muscular people.
Differences of 100 to 200 kcal between calculators are normal and smaller than the error of the formula itself, which is at least ±10%. Why calculators disagree.
BMI 26.6 (overweight, CDC categories). BMI is not used in the calculation.
The split is built in a fixed order. Protein comes first and is set per kilogram of body weight. Fat is a share of calories. Carbohydrate takes whatever calories are left. For the example above, a 35-year-old woman at 160 lb eating her maintenance of 1,955 kcal, that gives 116 g protein, 54 g fat and 251 g carbs a day.
Protein is set by body weight rather than as a percentage because your need for it follows your body, not your calories. A "30% protein" plan gives the same woman 147 g at maintenance but only 109 g on a 500 kcal deficit, exactly when keeping muscle matters more. Setting it per kilogram keeps it steady at 116 g whatever the calorie target.
How much protein to choose
- 1.4 g/kg (0.6 g per lb): low end of the ISSN range for people who exercise.
- 1.6 g/kg (0.7 g per lb): where extra protein stopped adding muscle in Morton 2018.
- 2.2 g/kg (1.0 g per lb): upper bound in Morton 2018, often used while cutting.
In the Morton 2018 meta-analysis of resistance-training studies, gains in lean mass stopped rising at about 1.6 g per kg a day, with the upper end of the estimate near 2.2 g. The International Society of Sports Nutrition puts the range for most people who exercise at 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg. Going higher mostly crowds out carbs and fat.
Macros for weight loss
Pick "Lose weight" in the form. Calories fall, protein stays where it was, and fat and carbs shrink. For the example woman at 1 lb a week:
| Split | Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance, 1.6 g/kg, 25% fat | 1,955 | 116 g | 54 g | 251 g |
| −500 kcal, 1.6 g/kg, 25% fat | 1,455 | 116 g | 40 g | 158 g |
| −500 kcal, 2.2 g/kg, 25% fat | 1,455 | 160 g | 40 g | 114 g |
Which split loses more fat matters less than people expect. In the DIETFITS trial, 609 adults on a healthy low-fat or a healthy low-carb diet for 12 months lost about the same weight. The calorie deficit drives the loss; protein helps keep muscle while it happens. The deficit itself is explained on the calorie deficit calculator.
Choosing the fat share
The Dietary Reference Intakes give adults an acceptable range of 20 to 35% of calories from fat, 45 to 65% from carbohydrate and 10 to 35% from protein. The calculator offers fat from 20 to 35%, so it never goes below the bottom of that range. A higher-protein split often pushes carbs under 45%; the results say so when it happens. That is a deliberate choice many lifters make, not an error.
How to calculate macros by hand
- Calories: TDEE plus or minus your goal. Example: 1,955 kcal.
- Protein: body weight in kg × grams per kg. 72.6 kg × 1.6 = 116 g, which is 464 kcal at 4 kcal per gram.
- Fat: calories × share ÷ 9. 1,955 × 0.25 ÷ 9 = 54 g.
- Carbs: what is left ÷ 4. (1,955 − 464 − 486) ÷ 4 = 251 g.
To convert pounds to kilograms, divide by 2.2046. The calculator rounds every macro to the nearest gram, so the three may add up to a few kcal more or less than the target.
Macros for gaining muscle
Choose "Gain weight". A surplus of 250 to 500 kcal is enough for most people who train; more mostly adds fat. For a 30-year-old man at 176 lb, moderately active, gaining 0.5 lb a week means about 2,960 kcal with 128 g protein, 82 g fat and 428 g carbs. Carbs rise the most, which suits hard training.
Questions
How many grams of protein do I need a day?
For people who exercise, 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg of body weight (ISSN), with muscle gains levelling off around 1.6 g per kg (Morton 2018). For a 160 lb person that is about 102 to 145 g. The calculator uses your weight and the setting you pick.
What is the best macro ratio for weight loss?
There is no single best ratio. A calorie deficit causes the loss, and in a year-long trial low-fat and low-carb diets ended about even. Keep protein high (1.6 to 2.2 g per kg), keep fat at 20% of calories or more, and choose the carb and fat balance you can stick to.
Should I use my current weight or goal weight for protein?
Current weight works for most people. If you carry a lot of body fat, grams per kg of current weight can come out very high; using your goal weight, or entering body fat so you can judge lean mass, gives a more practical number.
Do I need to hit my macros exactly?
No. Calories and protein matter most. Small daily misses on fat and carbs even out over a week, and weekly averages count more than any single day.
By Alton Vieira · Updated . Estimates for healthy adults; not medical advice. How every number is calculated.
- Morton RW et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018.
- Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017.
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. National Academies Press, 2005 (acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges).
- Gardner CD et al. Effect of low-fat vs low-carbohydrate diet on 12-month weight loss in overweight adults (DIETFITS randomized clinical trial). JAMA. 2018.
- Mifflin MD et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990.