Macro Calculator for Daily Protein, Carbs and Fat โ
Enter your age, weight, height, activity level and goal. The calculator returns a daily calorie number and the grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat that sit inside it, with a split you can change if your coach or doctor gave you different ratios.
Fill out the form to see your personalized results
Your macro and water intake recommendations will appear here
How the numbers are worked out โ
The first step is your resting burn, the calories your body uses lying still. The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which takes weight, height, age and sex. A 30 year old man at 80 kg and 178 cm rests at about 1,760 calories a day.
That figure is then multiplied by an activity factor, from 1.2 for a desk job with no training up to 1.9 for hard physical work or twice daily sessions. Three or four gym sessions a week puts most people near 1.55, so the same man lands around 2,730 calories of maintenance.
Your goal shifts the total. Fat loss subtracts 15 to 20 percent, muscle gain adds 10 to 15 percent, maintenance leaves it alone. The calories are then divided into grams. Protein comes first at 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, because that range holds muscle whether you are cutting or gaining. Fat takes at least 20 percent of calories to keep hormones and vitamin absorption working. Carbohydrate takes whatever is left, which is why it swings the most between plans. Protein and carbs carry 4 calories per gram, fat carries 9.
Who this calculator is for โ
Anyone who has a calorie number and wants to know how to fill it. Two people eating 2,200 calories can end up in very different places, one holding muscle through a cut and one losing it, and the difference is usually protein.
It also suits people whose ratios were handed to them. If a dietitian said 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fat, type those in and you get grams you can shop and cook against.
Macros for weight loss โ
On a cut, protein goes up, not down. Set it near 2 grams per kilogram of body weight and keep fat at roughly a quarter of your calories. That combination keeps you full and keeps the weight you lose coming from fat rather than muscle.
For a 70 kg person eating 1,800 calories, that works out to about 140 g of protein, 50 g of fat and 175 g of carbs. Recheck the numbers after every 4 or 5 kg, because a lighter body burns less and the old target quietly becomes maintenance.
Macros for muscle gain โ
A surplus of 10 to 15 percent over maintenance is enough. Bigger surpluses add fat faster than muscle, and the muscle does not arrive any quicker. Protein sits at 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg, and most of the extra calories should come from carbohydrate, since that is what fuels the training that causes the growth.
The same 70 kg person eating 3,000 calories would hold protein near 140 g, take fat around 80 g, and let carbs run to about 385 g. Weigh yourself weekly and expect 0.25 to 0.5 percent of body weight gained per week.
Macros for keto and low carb โ
Keto pins carbs at 20 to 50 g a day, so the split inverts. Fat takes 65 to 75 percent of calories, protein stays moderate, and carbs get what little is left. Set the carb field to 20 g and the calculator distributes the rest for you.
Low carb without ketosis is a wider band, usually 75 to 150 g a day. Both work when the calories are right.
Track it in NutriScan โ
A macro target is only useful if you can see the running total. NutriScan logs a meal from a photo, your voice, a barcode or a typed line, then puts protein, carbs and fat against the targets you set here. Most people find the protein number is the one that needs watching, and it is easier to fix at lunch than at 10pm.
The free plan includes 5 photo scans a week, unlimited manual logging, water tracking and the fasting timer. Premium removes the scan cap and costs about $59 a year. NutriScan has passed 150k downloads and holds a 4.6 star rating.
Frequently asked questions โ
What macro split should I use? โ
For most people a split near 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbs and 30 percent fat works for both fat loss and maintenance. Set protein by body weight first, keep fat above 20 percent of calories, and let carbs take the remainder.
How much protein do I actually need? โ
Between 1.6 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight if you train. Sedentary adults do fine near 1.2 g per kg. Going above 2.2 g per kg has not been shown to add anything beyond appetite control.
Do I have to hit every macro exactly? โ
No. Land within about 10 grams of protein and inside 100 calories of the total most days. Carbs and fat can trade against each other freely as long as the calorie total holds.
Should I recalculate my macros? โ
Yes, after every 4 to 5 kg of weight change, or when your training volume changes. Your maintenance moves with your body weight and activity, so a target set three months ago is usually wrong now.
Are macro needs different for women? โ
The equation already accounts for sex through the resting burn calculation, so the calorie number differs. The gram per kilogram protein and fat guidance is the same. Some women feel better with fat above 25 percent of calories.
Related calculators โ
- Calorie calculator for a daily calorie number and meal logging
- TDEE calculator for maintenance calories at each activity level
- Protein intake calculator for daily grams and a per meal split
- Weight loss calculator for the deficit and finish date of a cut
- NutriScan for muscle gain for how the app handles a surplus