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. I am a 50yo female. I started this plan 8 months ago. I followed the “lose” numbers and lost 25 pounds. I then reset my macros for “lose 10%”, and lost another 10 pounds. This put me at my goal weight of 135lbs. I set the macros to high protein throughout the program. Currently I am at approx 24% body fat, and weigh 135lbs, and I am 5′ 7″. I workout at CrossFit 3-4 days a week. I’m currently happy with the number on the scale. I would like to stay at this current weight but drop the body fat % and gain muscle mass. I’m not sure what I should set my macros for at this point. Also, as a nurse anesthetist, I work 24 hour shifts and I try to set my macros for “sedentary” on those days(even though I average 7-9K steps during a shift). On days I workout at CrossFit I set my macros for “light” activity. I’ve worked so hard to lose the 35 pounds, and I’m nervous to switch up my macros. How can I maintain this weight loss and add more muscle mass?? Thank you.
Hi Jen. I did reply to your comment on the other post https://healthyeater.com/flexible-dieting
However you have more info here. Congrats again. What an outstanding achievement! I would suggest tweaking your macros to the “maintain” setting. Carry on with the “light activity” macros for your CF days, and sedentary for your other days. It is very challenging to lose fat at the same time as building muscle but it can be done. 24 hour shifts is challenging, as sleep is a very important factor when it comes to muscle building.
One more thing. You should probably now be using the “Lean Mass” formula above — where you input your body fat percentage.
Thanks so much! I couldn’t find my original post. Sorry. I will give the “maintain” setting a try for a few weeks and see what happens. I will also enter my body fat percentage, although it is an estimate from the scale I use to weigh myself. Thanks so much for the response, and the great calculators and information on your site. I truly feel I have changed my entire outlook on eating and nutrition!!
That’s great to hear. Check out our Body Fat Percentage calculator – it shows you how to accurately measure body fat using fat calipers.
There are a few options, one of the most successful that bodybuilders use to drop body fat % whilst maintaining muscle is getting yourself into a caloric defecit (meaning your intake of calories is LESS than what you use). By doing so you need to up your protein intake so that muscle inst burned up in the search for energy.
Personally i like to hit just under my required caloric intake for maintaining, then hit 300 cals of cardio. i also use a thermogenic fat burner and train whilst fasted to shred that fat quickly. it is important to maintain your lifting program to keep the muscles wanting to grow. a good starting point is 250 calories less than recommended for maintaining, this way you shouldnt feel too depleted.
Hi
I am a flight attendant and do a lot of long haul flights meaning I have to eat at strange times and I really struggle with meal prep. It’s not so bad for my first flight out but there are restrictions on what I can take into some destinations. I do Crossfit around 4 times a week and want to pair that with a good diet that I can maintain when I am away with work. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Katie, being a flight attendant would certainly present a lot of challenges. However I think a macros-based approach would work for you (obviously I’m biased as I’m one of the editors on this site).
For you, rather than having each meal planned/prepared in advance, you would track your macros as you go (using a phone app). If possible you would bring with you some prepackaged snacks etc, to help you reach your macros toward the end of the day. We often find it’s easy to go over on carbs and fats, but not hit your protein goals. Please let us know if you have anymore questions.
Hi Guys, i work and office job and do crossfit 3-4 times per week, i plan on using my fitnesspal and will turn excercise tracking OFF so i can eat the same macros each day while i’m starting out.
What excersice level would this be? Light?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Nay, Yes, if you are going to eat the same each day regardless of if you exercise of not then it would average out as light exercise.
what are we supposed to do?
You simply enter your stats above, select exercise level and your goal. It will calculate your TDEE and macros for you.
Hi ! I’m new to this and I want to lose body fat. I was on low carb for 2 months and lost 5 pounds but I stopped losing weight now and my body fat it’s still high… I can’t go to the gym at the moment… I try to eat 800kcal/day and I’m scared of carbs and this calculator suggested a very high percent of carbs… I know that being sedentary makes it slower but I’ll have a hard time with the suggested 1217 kcal… it’s way more than I’m used to I’m scared of gaining weight if I do it 😔 (I also do intermittent fasting 18-24 hours every single day)
I forgot to mention I weight now 119 pounds and my goal is 98/99
Hi Jessica, Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it looks like you’ve slowed down your metabolism, thus resulting in your weight loss stall. Please read this article.
Thank you so much, it cleared a lot of things ! I’m not sure if I’ll be able to eat all of that but I’ll try… should I eat more proteins ? It’s hard for me to eat that but if it’s going to help me lose body fat I’ll do it
Glad to hear that. Try adding 100 extra calories every few days until you get to your recommended TDEE. This will help you not be overwhelmed. You should consume 80-100 g of protein a day.
Recently I’ve been dieting to lose weight as I weighed 199 pounds and was very unhappy with myself and my body. I am now around 154 and have lost 46 pounds 🙂 although I’ve been struggling after a recent move with my father, we eat out a lot, fast food, restaurants, etc and I’ve found my self developing disordered eating habits such as not eating all day to make up for that dinner meal, I know it’s not good but I’m afraid if I eat through out the day I will gradually gain all the weight I’ve tried so hard to lose back. I don’t want to be a burden on my parents and I enjoy these meals and I opt for the healthier choice whenever I have them. Please tell me what I should do, I’m 15
Hi Haley
Have you ever thought about doing mealprep for the whole weak? It takes only a fewh hours ( most of the time up to 2 hours). So you can take them everywhere with you.
I’ve been under eating with as little carbs as possible for about 3 years and have lost a decent amount of weight . However now it seems I only lose if I practically eat nothing. So, I’ve been counting macros and calories and been eating the recommended amount to lose and instead I’ve only gained a few lbs (been doing it 2 weeks ). I feel like my body is freaking out with all the new carbs And calories it’s getting but I’m freaking out because I’m not at all losing , I’m gaining . Just side note – I do crossfit and Zumba And have since the beginning of my weight loss, I’m only trying macros now because my coach insists I’m ruining my metabolism. I am getting stronger in our workouts but I’m also getting FAT, not just in the scale , I can see it in my clothes that are getting tighter . Anyway my question is – how common is it to first gain weight in a situation like mine before losing ? And how long will it take to start going back down ? I’m getting to a point that I want to diet again because I’m terrified of continuing to gain And getting to far that I’ll never lose it again.
Hi Kristin. Your story is (unfortunately) all too common. Your coach is probably correct – constantly undereating has lead to your body having a reduced metabolism. Our coach Ted has worked with many clients like yourself, and often finds that after a period of time, things can start to get better. Also the combination of going from very low carb, back to moderate carb may lead to increased muscle glycogen, and your muscles storing more fluid.
You are doing the right thing. Just this week a new large meta-analysis of low-carb diets has shown that low-carb high animal protein diets lead to an earlier death, and that moderate carbohydrate (what we advocate with a macros approach) is the best for the health (see source).
i’m well below the threshold the calculator says i should be in for losing fat with my diet, which is clean, with 5-7 rather heavy training sessions/week + cardio. Still getting fat.
Hi Dan, Usually in that case, you are overestimating how many calories you are burning during your workouts or you have a slow metabolism which can result from heavy workouts coupled with a long period of too strict of a calorie deficit. Not sure which applies to your situation. How much are you eating and how long has that been the case? There can also be medical issues that cause this but this is rarer.
Hi Ted,
I am 5foot 10 and weigh usually between 175 and 178 on any given day. I due a combination of resistance training and crossfit..But i find it really hard to see much gains i have notice a slighltly better physique but just not quite the gains i want…What would be the macro ratio you would recommend. I am hard gainer as well so …Currently eating around 40g fat/ 150-160g Protein/ 250-300 carbs daily…
Hi Ernie, Thanks for stopping by. I can’t give you specific macro guidance without you signing up for macros coaching but it does look like you could eat more fat and a little more protein with fewer carbs. But, as part of macros coaching I would look at many factors and come up with a plan that’s tailored for you.
How often should i recalculate macros using the calculator for weight loss ?
Thanks in advance James
You should recalculate after every 10 pounds. All the best!
Hello, i am 5ft5 female who weighs 69kg. I find it really difficult to plan my meals around my macros. can you suggest anything?
Sarah, there are lots of helpful resources on this site. There’s some example meal plans here. Also with the Macro Solution premium, there is a load of meal plans for different macros.
If you are tracking your macros as you go, you will be able to get a sense of what sort meals are going to hit your targes.
Hello, I’m trying to work out my daily intake but getting a little bit confused. Say I have 100g of chicken which contains 27.6g of protein, do I use the 100g or 27.6g towards my daily protein I take ?
Hi Danny, Great to hear that. You would use the amount of protein that’s in the chicken which is 27.6 g.