Macro Calculator
This free, easy-to-use macro calculator gives you your optimal macronutrients and calories. It serves as a weight loss or muscle gain calculator for both women and men.
Combine with macro counting, flexible dieting, or IIFYM to reach your goals faster.
How to calculate your macros for fat loss
The foods we eat are made up of three macros (macronutrients). These are carbohydrates (carbs), protein, and fat.
Chicken is high in protein but has no carbs; rice is high in carbs but has very little fat or protein.
The three macronutrients provide the body with energy and raw materials for growth and repair.
By calculating the appropriate daily calorie amount for you, we can then break this down into the best macronutrient ratios to achieve weight loss.
The calculator is based on sound science, combined with data from years of coaching hundreds of successful clients.
What is a good macro ratio for fat loss or muscle gain?
Your macros should be based on your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and your goals.
The calculator defaults at the best macro ratio proven to work for most people.
This ratio is:
- 30% fat
- Protein is 0.65 grams per pound of body weight,
- The remainder is carbs.
Depending on your goal, this will be either a calorie deficit or a surplus.
You can go further and make more adjustments: Perhaps you’re an extreme endomorph and do better with fewer carbs. Or perhaps you have one kidney and need to eat less protein.
You can fine-tune your results for you with a bit of math. See how to change your macros here.
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What is a good protein ratio?
Rather than a percentage, proteins are based on your body weight.
Our calculator has three settings:
- Moderate adjusts the ratio to 0.65 grams per pound of body weight.
This is appropriate for sedentary individuals or people with higher body fat percentages. - High is for active people with moderate strength training and an average body fat percentage.
- Maximum will set the ratio to 1 gram per pound.
This amount is good for bodybuilding and gaining muscle mass. You must be doing intense training.
Find out how to fine-tune your protein ratios when counting macros
Fat macro ratio
Set fat at 30% of daily energy expenditure.
Most people do very well with this amount of fat. See more about choosing the best macro fats. Because of high-fat diets like keto, many people are now eating more fat than they need to.
Carbohydrate macro ratio
Once you’ve calculated protein and fat, the remainder of your daily calories should be from carbohydrates.
Carbs fuel your body and workouts and are the body’s preferred energy source.
If you are coming from a low-carb background, this may seem high. However, according to respected nutritional research, this is a moderate amount of carbs.
If you are eating according to your TDEE, the notion that carbs cause weight gain or stop fat loss is incorrect.
Using as a Calorie Deficit Calculator
As a weight loss calculator, this tool establishes a safe calorie deficit only.
The Lose option puts you in a 20% calorie deficit, promoting safe, steady weight loss.
The best macro ratio for body recomposition
If you want to recompose your body (lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously), then use the body recomposition calculator.
Macro ratio for maintenance
The Maintain button shows you the macro levels to maintain your current weight.
This is great if you have lost weight and don’t want to gain it back.
Macro ratio for muscle gain
The Gain button puts you in a 20% calorie surplus.
The macro breakdown is designed to build muscle fast in conjunction and must be combined with a comprehensive weight training program.
It can also be used by people who are underweight.
TIP: Try starting with the maintenance goal and then gradually increase calories from there if you want lean muscle gains.
Calculating macros using your body fat percentage
The calculator uses your body weight to determine calories and macros.
However, you can obtain superior results by using your body fat percentage. The calculator allows you to choose which method; Normal for body weight, Lean Mass for fat percentage.
When to choose the Lean Mass Formula
If you are lean (have a low body fat percentage), choose the Lean Mass formula, and enter your body fat %.
If you are classified as obese and have a lot of weight to lose, the lean mass formula is superior. You can read more about macro counting and obesity.
Help? Calculate your ideal body weight or get an assessment of your body fat percentage.
Why the difference? Muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells, so the more accurately we measure this, the better your results will be.
How to calculate macros per meal
Once you’ve calculated your daily macros in the calculator, you can break this down into meals.
Choose from 2 to 6 meals per day to see the macro ratio you can track for each meal. For some people, this is easier, but for others, this is too much detail.
Do what works for you.
Meal Plans
See a 5-day macro-based meal plan. It includes three meals and two snacks per day.
Macro calculator activity level settings
A higher activity level means a higher daily calorie goal.
For example – if you maintain your weight at 2,000 calories per day, adding vigorous daily exercise means you need more calories to maintain your weight.
If you are sedentary and trying to lose weight, adding exercise will increase your daily calorie goal.
The idea seems counter-intuitive, but more energy is required to fuel your workouts. More workouts lead to increasing metabolism; therefore, more fat is burned!
Undereating is one of the leading causes of the weight loss plateau.
So many of our clients previously “hit the wall” with dieting. They would continually reduce calories, stop losing fat and gain weight when they eat a little more.
Macro counting defeats this by prescribing the right food and calorie levels.
Which activity level do I choose?
- Sedentary: Just regular everyday activity like a bit of walking, a couple of flights of stairs, eating, etc.
- Light: Any activity that burns an additional 200-400 calories (females) or 250-500 calories (males) over your sedentary amount.
- Moderate: Any activity that burns an additional 400-650 calories (females) or 500-800 calories (males) more than your sedentary amount.
- Extreme: Any activity that burns more than 650 calories (females) or more than 800 calories (males) in addition to your sedentary amount.
Other options for determining your calorie burn
- Use our calories burned calculator – it accurately assesses over 380 activities.
- Use a fitness tracker – like a Fitbit or Apple Watch (note that they can overestimate calorie burn).
- Use a suitable app – like MapMyFitness
Why should I eat more when I exercise more?
High physical activity not fueled with enough calories will lead to muscle catabolism (breakdown of muscle fiber).
This lack of nutrition could stall your weight loss, so eat up if you love to exercise!
I’ve got my macros – now what?
Once you’ve identified your target daily macros, you must determine the macros in all the foods you eat.
By tracking them daily, you can reach your recommended macro targets that encourage fat loss, muscle gain, or whatever your goal may be.
You can learn more about the macro counting system and the flexible dieting philosophy. Many people use an app like Myfitnesspal to track macros.
For more specifics on what to eat – see a sample macro meal plan or a list of macros for familiar foods.
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References
- Mifflin, M. D., St Jeor, S. T., Hill, L. A., Scott, B. J., Daugherty, S. A., & Koh, Y. O. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 51 (2), 241-247. Link
- McArdle, W. D., Katch, F. I., & Katch, V. L. (2010). Exercise physiology: nutrition, energy, and human performance. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Link
- Jequier, E. (1994). Carbohydrates as a source of energy. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 59(3), 682S-685S.
- Lemon, P. W., Tarnopolsky, M. A., MacDougall, J. D., & Atkinson, S. A. (1992). Protein requirements and muscle mass/strength changes during intensive training in novice bodybuilders. Journal of Applied Physiology, 73(2), 767-775. study abstract link
- Grundy, S. M. (1999). The optimal ratio of fat-to-carbohydrate in the diet. Annual review of nutrition, 19(1), 325-341. abstract
- Conlin, L.A., Aguilar, D.T., Rogers, G.E. et al. Flexible vs. rigid dieting in resistance-trained individuals seeking to optimize their physiques: A randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 52 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00452-2
2,067 Comments
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Hello. Can you tell me if all 3 macros need to be consumed together at all meals/snacks? Or is it just important that I stay within the set range for each macro by the end of the day? I have followed a PFC approach in the past, eating all 3 macros together every 3-4 hours, and while I did have great fat % loss, it completely messed with my gut and I had to stop. I love the idea of macros, but not sure my body likes having to combine all 3 together. I’d love your feedback. Thx!
Hi Angi, You really just need to keep it simple and make sure you are close to your targets by the end of the day. They only timing issues are eating some protein after a workout as well as having some carbs later in that day to help replenish muscle glycogen.
I’m 5’2” and 150 lbs. I am also 2 weeks postpartum. When I calculate my macros, do I then add the 500 calories into the results of the macro calculator? Also, I’m technically “overweight” so should I set my proteins to moderate rather than high?
Hi Kayla, Since you have a bit of fat to lose you can use the low end of the breastfeeding adjustment and add 400 calories to the weight loss TDEE the calculator gives you. Yes, set the protein to moderate which will be plenty. Divide up the 400 calories by the same percentages.
This calculator does not work for petite women.
Hi Karen, It has a pretty big range height-wise. What are your stats and what settings did you use?
Hi! I’m 19 years old (162cm and my weight is 53kg) Im trying to lose fat and build muscle (so on the macro count i chose for the lose 10% option) I am just not sure which activity level i should chose and which protein level (high?) I work out 2-3 times in a week with weights and no weights (no cardio) for 2 hours. Which activity level and protein level should i choose?
And i also wonder why people dont understand the macro counting, it makes me unsure about whether i get it or not. So for example if I buy a cookie which has 10g protein 30g carbs and 5g fat, i should deduct these numbers from the daily macros im allowed, right? for example from the 1600 calories i deduct those per category(carb/protein/fat)
Activity level should be light, and protein level can be left at moderate. You are exactly right with your example and understanding.
Im sorry I meant for Ted to answer to my comments/questions..
another question I have:is it better for me to lose fat first and then build muscle, instead of choosing the lose 10% option/doing it at the same time? or does it not matter?
Hi Ella, If you’re working out for two hours on a given day, your activity level would be moderate on those days. On the days you don’t workout you should use your sedentary macros. I think 10% would be appropriate. You are already at the lower range of the recommended weight for a woman of your height.
thank you so much!
Hello! So this is the only thing that is holding me back from changing my entire life from counting calories to IFYM. I am 15 years old , 5 feet 4 inches , 116 pounds and I have lost 14 pounds in 6 weeks. I started at 130 but now I just want to be able to lose that last little bit of belly and get my abs to start being visible and grow muscle mass , the thing is i was eating very low calories 1200-1400 everyday and now my macros are telling me for me to achieve my goals I will need to be eating 284g of carbs , 117g of protein , and 77g of fat and I totally understand everything i’ve studied it for the last 4 hours just the only thing that I have is that isn’t that a lot more food than I was originally eating i’m jus scared that if i eat those macros i’m just going to get fat and go back to 130. I did it today and i ate healthy and good and i enjoyed it a lot i just don’t want this flexible dieting to be good to be true considering i was at very low calorie intake before and now i added 700-800 calories but follow my macros. I also weight train 5 days a week , HIIT 7 days a week and regular cardio 7 days a week. This is long but please reply when you have the chance ! THANK YOU
Hi Alexander, Since your body is growing and developing, you don’t want a severe deficit especially since you are training heavily. You do need to eat more. You can end up stunting your growth and you don’t want that.
Hi Ted
I’ve started to do a meal plan but I get very confused with how much calories I should be eating. Currently I weigh 133lbs and i’m a 5’7 female w. a sedentary job . I want to gain a few more lbs but with muscle weight. I’m doing toning exercises at home 3x a week. I use resistance bands. So I assume I should be eating 1500-1600 calories the day I work out?? And 1300-1400 calories the days I dont?? Im just worried I’m eating too much for the exercises i’m doing that I’m going to gain fat weight rather than muscle.
Hi Jay, I would really have to look at your stats, your workout program before I could give you advice concerning your goal. Adding lean muscle weight can be tricky because you don’t want to also add fat tissue. It seems like you’ll still be eating in a calorie deficit most days based on those numbers. Also, you may have to beef up your workout. Perhaps consider one of our coaching options? Personalized Macros Coaching
Hi Ted,
I am new to this and I have an idea of the grams that I should be consuming on daily basis for carbs, protein, & fats. Could you point me to an article to determine how many grams are in my meals that I prepare and how I can count them without a digital scale. That would be of great help. thanks
Hi Sergio, It’s gonna be tough to count macros without a digital scale unless you are eating all packaged foods. Fresh Meat is almost always calculated by weight. I suggest you download our book which takes you through the whole system step-by-step. However, we do offer free articles on the site too. For food measuring, this one is good: How To Find Macro Amounts in Foods
Hi Ted. So I am 18 years old. I am 6’5 and weigh 165 pounds. So I still have some lower belly fat. But it’s most from the front, not much from the sides. Like it still pops out a little. My goal is to try to lose that and try to look leaner. I know the workouts for it, but I want to know with the food that I eat, how much should be fat, how much should be protein, and how much should be carbs.
Hi Luis, It seems like the calculator should give you a good estimation. You’re underweight for your height so you probably don’t want to be in too much of a deficit. Set the calculator to “lose 10” and max protein. I can calculate things for you but only if you become a coaching client.
Hi Ted!
Just to clarify, since I workout 4x a week – I’d follow the moderate macro count on the days I workout and then sedentary macro count for the days that I don’t?
Good question.
That’s correct and would be the most accurate according to the energy needs of your body on a given day.
Hi Ted,
Can we manipulate with these numbers? For instance, per your calculator C40%, P30%, F30% with Total calories=1412. Now, I was wondering if I could change this to C and P 35% and F 30% or other ways that suits my lifestyle but yet maintain my total calories. Also, have you heard of zig zag diet to track calories. If so, do we have something similar for macros?
Hi Naina, Yes, you are more than welcome to adjust the ratio some if you feel there’s a better one suited to your goals or lifestyle. Zig Zag is supposed to keep your body guessing by having lower and normal calorie days. I don’t think that’s needed in most cases, but you should be eating less on rest days or eating more in tune with how your body needs energy. Eating the same amount day in and day out regardless of how much activity you do isn’t optimal.
How much is less though? Is there a general rule?
Use the calculator and enter “sedentary” for your rest day TDEE and macros.
How does exclusively breastfeeding impact recommended macros?
Hi Amy, Please read this article: TDEE and Macro Calculations for Pregnant or BreastFeeding Women
Hi,
For my activity level, do I only add in the calories I burned in exercise or for the entire day? For example, I burned 300 cals during my workout, but burned 620 cals for the entire day so I wasn’t sure to go with light or moderate activity.
Thank you!
Also, I wanted to mention I’m about 178 lbs right now with 12% body fat. I’m wanting to get down to around 8-9% body fat then focus on building more muscle. Would you recommend high or maximum protein?
Thanks again!
Hi Jeremy, You would only look at your workout/exercise since the equation already has general movement factored in. The only exception to this is if you have a physical job. Since your body fat is already pretty low, you can go with max protein.
Thank you!
HI! so i am 5’3, 152 pounds and fit into the moderate activity category, my job is half sedentary half just standing around on my feet, when i track my food and exercise should i allow for my calories i burned during exercise to go into my food and allow me to eat more considering i am already at a caloric deficit according to the calculations? Because then i would be in a almost 800-900 calorie deficit is that too much?Thanks so much!
Hi Courtney, If you selected “moderate activity” on the calculator then it has already added in your exercise calories. You simply eat what it tells you and workout without making additional calculations.
Great! Thanks! Thats what i figured I just wanted to make sure i had understood
Hi. I am 153lbs I aim to be around 130lbs over the next few months, losing 1lb a week. I’m lightly active and my calorie intake for the day works out at 1,450 and my macros are 127g carbs, 127g protein and 48g fat for the day. I was just wondering if these numbers seem correct to you? I want to take it slowly and not overdo it reaching my goal. Thank you.
Hi Emma, They seem pretty accurate but since I don’t know all your stats or lifestyle factors, I wouldn’t know for sure.