Keto Macro Calculator
Calculate your ideal keto macro ratios for weight loss with this personalized calculator.
Now What?
Sticking to a Keto diet is challenging. We recommend that all beginners follow a structured meal plan until you get the hang of it.
- 🏃🏽♀️ The Keto cycle has a comprehensive set of plans.
- Diet-to-go does delivered meals with keto macros.
- The popular Factor Meals also has keto delivered meals.
- Achieving ketosis can be helped by using Keto salts.
Is a keto diet right for you?
A keto diet can be difficult to stick to, but research suggests that it can help you lose weight faster than other diets.
It’s popular for people who:
- Are training for fitness competitions.
- Are losing weight for an event but have a shorter time window.
- Are unable to lose weight eating normal levels of carbohydrates.
How does keto work?
- Keto became popular among bodybuilders to cut fat before competitions.
- When you’re on a ketogenic diet, your body will use fat as its primary source of energy.
- You achieve this by limiting carbs and eating more fat.
- In the absence of carbohydrates, the body converts food and body fat into ketones for energy.
Are calories still important with keto?
Yes. A calorie deficit is still required for weight loss.
How do I calculate macros for keto?
To calculate your keto diet macros, you must establish your estimated TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).
Your TDEE accurately measures how much energy you expend each day (at rest and when exercising).
The calculator above measures your TDEE and then creates the optimum macro ratio.
Setting a Calorie Deficit
To achieve fat loss, you need a calorie deficit.
We recommend 20% of your daily calories.
This is automatically applied when setting the Weight Goal to Lose in the above calculator.
Achieving Ketosis
Taking your body into ketosis requires very low levels of carbs.
The process can also be induced with Keto salts. However, they should be consumed in moderation.
Testing for Ketosis
You don’t have to guess whether or not your body is in ketosis.
There are several over-the-counter testing methods to determine your ketosis status.
You want to be in the range of 0.5 – 3.0 for blood ketones with the optimal fat-burning target of 2.0.
How many carbs do I eat on the Keto Diet?
The keto diet isn’t carb-free but just really low in carbs.
5% of your total daily calories should be in the form of carbs.
For most people, this is 20-30 grams of carbohydrates per day depending on your stats and exercise-adjusted TDEE.
Net carbs
Carbs that don’t produce energy like certain types of fiber do not count towards your totals.
How much protein do I eat?
No more than 0.8 grams per pound of body weight should be consumed while on a keto diet.
The calculator default is set at .7 grams per pound.
Adjust lower or higher if it’s difficult to reach your macro targets.
Some macro calculators recommend higher fat (but less protein). However, protein is essential for muscle repair and preservation.
How much fat do I eat on Keto?
After carbs and protein have been calculated, your remaining calories should come from fat.
Example: A moderately active woman, 30 years old, 5’5″, and 180 pounds, would have a weight loss TDEE of 1908 calories.
Here are her keto macros:
- Protein: 126 grams (27%)
- Fat: 145 grams (69%)
- Carbs: 24 grams (5%)
How much fiber do I need while doing keto?
Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system.
You still should consume green leafy and other low-carb veggies while on the keto diet.
Fiber supplements may be necessary. Psyllium husks are an excellent natural fiber choice if you aren’t getting enough.
The essential Keto-Friendly foods
These foods will help you reach your keto macros.
- Avocado
- Ground flax seed
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Grassfed butter
- Dark meat chicken
- Eggs
- Steak
- Pork
- Lamb
- Bacon
- Sour cream
- Hard cheeses
- Nuts (watch the carbs)
- Seeds (watch the carbs)
- Peanut Butter
- Almond butter
- Leafy greens and other low-carb veggies like cucumber, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, etc.
Symptoms you may experience with a ketogenic diet
There is an adjustment period when starting a ketogenic diet. You may experience some of the following symptoms:
- Brain fog
Your brain loves glucose and consumes a lot of it. - Lack of energy
Feeling tired and lethargic is an adjustment to using fat for energy instead of sugar. - Lack of strength during workouts
Without carbs replenishing your muscles’ glycogen supplies, your may tire more quickly. - Cravings
Your brain will not be happy and will want you to eat carbs. Be prepared for some intense cravings when you start.
Do you have to track macros on keto?
It’s possible to go into ketosis without tracking macros, but tracking macros ensure the following three things:
- You aren’t eating too many carbs.
- You are eating the right amount of protein.
- You are eating the right amount of calories for weight loss.
How long should I keto diet?
Keto dieting is suitable for short-term fat loss but is difficult to sustain long-term.
After reaching your initial weight loss goals, you should transition to a normalized set of macros.
Don’t know where to start?
- You can get started in 60 minutes with the right app and plan.
- Keto cycle has personalized meal plans and step-by-step instructions.
References
- Yancy, W. S., Olsen, M. K., Guyton, J. R., Bakst, R. P., & Westman, E. C. (2004). A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia. A randomized, controlled trial. Annals of internal medicine, 140(10), 769-777. Ref
- 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. URL http://www.ajcn.org/content/51/2/241.abstract
- Yancy, W. S., Foy, M., Chalecki, A. M., Vernon, M. C., & Westman, E. C. (2005). A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to treat type 2 diabetes. Nutrition & Metabolism, 2(1), 34. Study link
63 Comments
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Keto Macro Calculator
I am using a cookbook on beginners keto with a meal plan. Food is great but every meal is work.not losing much. Feel like there is too much fat. Not sure of my macros
Carol, keto can be hard going, and difficult to stick to. Have you considered a simpler macro-based approach, where you don’t need to heavily restrict carbs?
Why are you keto macros for fat lower than 70% most keto diets have the protein around 25% and fat at 70?
Because protein is not set at a once-size-fits-all percentage. It is set according to body weight. Remaining energy intake is from fat. So sometimes fat will be < 70%.
Thank you for this calculator. I am using it sent a link to my sister. So far I have lost 4 lbs. I notice as my weight and bmi change so does my caloric and macros. Great tool!
Hi Shauna, So glad that you find it helpful and great job on your progress so far! Keep up the great work. 🙂
Is the keto diet good for a person that needs to lose 200 plus pounds?
Hi Tasha, thanks for your question. Will you lose weight on keto? Most likely, but is it a sustainable way to eat long-term enough to get you to your goal weight? Probably not. This is why a teach and preach the moderate approach to weight loss that allows you to eat normal macro ratios but in levels that will allow you to lose fat. The balanced approach is the way to go in my expert opinion.
215 grams of protein a day??? Isn’t that kinda high?? The last time I did this I used Chronometer and my protein macro was 110 grams….what could account for such a discrepancy?
Hi Helene, This calculator bases protein on your body weight, so if you have a lot of fat tissue weight it skews the calculation. Use the low protein setting.
I read the macros for normal diets and saw it’s different for those who are obese.
Does the calculator above work for obese people?
I’m a female, 5’6 and have about 120lbs to lose just to be in a normal range for bmi
Hi Jessi, Unfortunately, all online calculators will skew if you have more than 40-50 pounds of fat tissue. Fat tissue is low metabolic tissue and TDEE formulas can’t tell the difference between that and high metabolic tissue such as muscle. I’m more than happy to calculate everything for you and consider all factors. Use the custom macros option on my coaching page and indicate keto on your macros form you’ll be asked to complete after purchase.
Need 20lb more to lose
I should be on a Low carb and Low sugar diet. ? I was born with epilepsy. The convulsions stopped when I was 12 yrs. I am now 52 yrs. I am 5 ft 6 inches. Women. 127 lbs. I don’t need to lose weight. I am actively. Working 12 to 24 hours a week. It varies. My diet has been frozen veggies or fresh. Beef fish no skin sweet potato nuts jello almond milk. I ride a bike 3 times a week 2 hrs each trip
Im a massage therapist. Is that considered moderately active? I also workout 2xs per week. When the gym was open. Haven’t been in since 11/18/20 but they just opened up again so im going to start again.
Hi Neifa, It probably depends on how many massages you do per day?
Hello, my doctor told me that my body was starting to posture too much insulin and told me that I needed to loose weight for help this, is keto good for me to do? Everything else like sugar, cholesterol, and etc is fine it’s just the insulin part. I’m 16 going on to 17 in July, about 5’4 at a weight of 199.
Hi Roxanna, I think you should do a more balanced approach by calculating your energy needs, your optimal macro levels, and then reducing your consumption by about 20%. Here’s my calculator that can help you get started. Flexible Dieting Macro Calculator