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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Hey Guys! I’m a female currently 5’4 170.6lbs 25% body fat. I did a fitness competition last year and was at my leanest ever 127lbs 10%. I didn’t reverse diet and binged until December. I started all over this year and since January I’ve lost 7lbs. My diet has been as follows. Currently carb cycling 3x High day 3x low day. H 150g carbs 45g Fat 140g protein low is 125g carbs 40g fat 140g protein. I lift heavy and train 6x a week I inlude HIIT everyday 20 min post training and an additional 10 min in the stair master. Total 30 min. I’ve been stuck at 170.6 and noticed that when its high carb day I weigh less. Idk if I should truly go by the calculator which says I should be eating way more carbs or keep my diet and increase cardio? I need help. I’ve been playing around w the calculator. I put that I’m 145lbs because this is my ideal weight. I want to drop to 18% body fat by April. Any suggestions please would greatly be appreciated!!
Hi Mayra, I would recommend using the calculator numbers and stop carb cycling. It doesn’t seem like it’s working and this could be due to a number of factors. Muscle gain could also be a factor. Is your body fat percentage changing?
Hey ted thanks for responding! And yes it’s dropped since January I was def closer to 30%. Do you think I should just jump up to what calculator says with the “very active” option? I train 6x a week. I’ve been debating on increasing cardio as well….it’s all trial and error but I’m afraid of going from 150g carbs to 210g like the calculator is saying in one shot ? I’m afraid of doing such a large increase
It can be scary to eat more carbs when we’ve been ingrained to believe carbs are bad. I used to be in that camp too. Perhaps increase them gradually over the next couple weeks and see how your body responds. If you could keep us posted too that would be great. Good luck!
Hi! Thanks for the great info! I have one question…. I have read in the past that when you calculate your protein totals, you should only include protein from meat/dairy/supplements, and not include protein in breads/vegetables etc. Is this correct? Or my protein total really is protein from all sources? Thanks!
Thanks 🙂 Protein should be counted from all sources. Their theory is that only complete proteins should count but plant proteins are valuable and do contribute to overall nutrition and building and repairing bodily tissues.
Hey Ted, a little lost in flexible dieting. Idk where to get my macros from. In Iifym my numbers are 2659cal P:143g C:393g F:57 and here my numbers are 2941cal P:143g C:408g F:82g and some other one with completely different numbers. Not really sure where to go. Any advice would be great. Thanks!
Hey Hector, Each calculator around the internet uses slightly different calculations. I’ve done a lot of looking around (And have been practicing Flexible Dieting for the last year) and this calculator seems the most accurate to me – The best thing for you to do is start with macros that seem reasonable for you and tweak from there 🙂
Hey. I workout 4 days a week, heavy lifting plus cardio 3 times a week (HIIT). Also I walk like 25 mins 5-6 a week to work.. Sometimes i walk the way back home too. I put moderately active but i am not sure, was wondering maybe to put very active, bot sure. What do you think? Thanks!
It seems like you may be on the borderline, but I would say stick with moderate and see how it goes. If you start losing weight to quickly or feel hungry all the time then switch to extremely active.
I thought the grams of protein was the same as your body weight? for example, i weight 183, I was told I needed 183 grams of protein for the day. Can someone verify this? thanks.
That’s basically a simple way to do it, but if you aren’t engaged in any weight training/ body building then it’s a bit too much. . 83 grams is usually sufficient or even .65 for those that don’t exercise much.
Hi I’ve used the calculator to work out my macros is the amount what my body requires to maintain weight so I should eat less than that to lose weight or should I stick to the macros given on the calculator – thanks
once results are displayed you simply click “lose” to the left of “maintain” and it calculates this for you.
Hey! I am a moderate crossfitter who is really trying to learn a ton about nutrition and the flexible diet, are there any books you could recommend for me to read? Thank you so much!
Great! Our book list is found here.
http://healthyeater.com/resources
I am new to the counting macros thing! I’ve always counted calories. Back when I had a trainer 20 years ago.. He wanted me to have tons of protein and hardly carbs. Now if I do my own equation my protein is still higher than carbs, but if I use the Calcalculator my carbs are significantly higher. So I have no clue which one to follow. Please help. I’m 5’6, 144lbs and a stay at home mom with sedentary to light activity.. Other than chasing her around. My calculations show I should have 1228 calories a day, 144g P, 34g F, and 86g C. Thanks in advance.
I would go with what the calculator says. It is more individually tailored than the equation. Usually with Flexible Dieting your carbs should be more than your protein.
What’re your current goals?
Hello everyone. I need a bit of help. I am 6’4″, 420 lbs, 40 years old, male. I am a type 2 Diabetic. I am unemployed. I lift weights for about 1.5 hours per day (pretty heavy), followed immediately by 16 minutes of HIIT (1 minute fast, 1 minute slower), followed by a 5 minute light cool down. I do this 5 days per week, sometimes 6 days. I do not do much of anything else. My goal is to lose fat while gaining muscle. My approximate goal weight is 275 lbs. I am just learning about my macros. I have accurately figured my current macros to 3300 calories per day, 320g of protein per day, 244g of carbs per day, 121g of fat per day, 37g of fibre per day. This is the lowest calories, carbs, and fat I have ever eaten per day. This is the highest protein and fibre I have eaten per day. I have eaten these way since approx. January 1, 2015. In that time I have gained 25 lbs, but I feel better then ever (slight headache each morning – maybe not enough carbs?). I don’t feel hungry during the day, my sugar levels are lower then they have been in years. I have been so on point with my macros (just didn’t know that’s what they were called until a few days ago). I started this weight loss journey in mid September 2014, ate clean each day until supper (then had moderately unhealthy suppers). I cut out all pop, I drank approximately 4L of water daily. I was probably eating 1000 calories or more per day then I am now. Probably 150g less protein per day then now. Probably 200g more carbs per day then now. Maybe 80g more fat per day then now. I ate that way from Mid September 2014 – October 30, 2014 and lost a total of 34 lbs, doing slightly less weightlifting per day then I am now. Then from November 1, 2014 – December 30, 2014 I battled Phnemonia. I didn’t workout at all. I still ate the same way that I had been and lost an additional 17 lbs. So basically I feel I am eating healthier, eating less calories, eating more protein, drinking approximately 6L of water per day, doing more weightlifting, doing the same amount of HIIT cardio, but my weight is going up? I have gained 25 lbs in the month of January 2015. Any ideas why? Any tweaks you suggest I make to my macros and/or training? Could it really be 25 lbs of muscle? My clothing was getting loose in September – October but now in the month of January feels tighter again. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
I just weighed myself this morning, up another 9 lbs. I have now gained 34 lbs since January 1, 2015. This is stressing me out, which I am sure doesn’t help.
If you have a scale that gives you body fat %, try using the calculator on IIFYM.com to see if your number come out differently. They have two different options – one for lean athletes, and one for people who are overweight – and they calculate macros differently for each. It also allows you to change the amount of protein and fat you are taking in (mine is set at 1.2g protein for every pound of lean mass and I have had to alter my numbers because I was losing weight too fast).
Thanks for your reply. I don’t have a scale that gives me body fat %. It only does weight. I will still check out the site. Thanks again.
Hey Jason, Can you give us an update on your current macros, activity levels and goals? I know how stressful something like this can be, and would love to help you out!
Thanks for the interest Dan. Well I upped my macros, all 3. I worked out about 2 more days after these messages. Shortened my rest time inbetween sets to 30 seconds. Dropped from 5 exercises per day to 4. Upped my first 2 sets of reps of each exercise, I now do reps of 16-12-8-4. My total gym time is down from approx. 2 hours to just over 1 hour now. Did all this for 2 workouts, then had my 40th birthday, went on vacation, returned with the flu. I have just started back at the gym this week. I am fluctuating between 413-415lbs currently. I wil add up my exact macro numbers this week and update this. You are correct, this has been the most frustrating time in my life. I enjoyed weight training again. Loved the attention I got at my gym. Loved watching that scale creep down only to have all that end and skyrocket back up. Well here I go for round 3. Round 1 I lost 50lbs, Round 2 I gained 33lbs back. I will keep you all informed as to how this round goes. Thanks.
Dan, thanks again for the interest and help. Here is my current program;
Calories = 3850
Fats = 135
Carbs = 290
Protein = 376
Weightlifting Time Per Day = 1 hour 5 mins
Cardio Time (HIIT) = 20-30 mins per day
# Of Weightlifting Exercises Per Day = 4
Reps/Sets = 15 rep warm up then 8-4-16-12.
Weightlifting Days per week = 5-6
Cardio Days per week = 5-6
My Weight = 415lbs
My Height = 6’4″
My Age = 40
My overall goals are to be as muscular as possible, with 5-12% body fat. About 260-280lbs. No time limit. it will take as long as it takes. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I’ve spent some time thinking about your situation and I think that there are a couple things to consider.
First, since you are engaged in heavy weight training, your body may be conserving resources in order to build muscle, thus the reason for your weight gain. Most experts say that is very difficult to lose fat and build muscle at the same time, while some people seem to be able to, others cannot.
Second, I would recommend going easier on the weights and add in more cardio a few days a week, perhaps alternate between lifting an cardio days.
Also you may want to lower your carbs and increase your protein and fat. BUT only as your condition allows. You really need to get your body to start burning stored fat for energy.
The bottom line is that flexible dieting isn’t for everyone and our calculator isn’t a solution for all, so you may need to diverge from what it says if it isn’t working even cutting calories down to say 2000/day if you can safely do this with your type 2 diabetes.
Thanks for the reply. I feel I am going to play around with my carbs-protein-fat ratios first. I enjoy weightlifting a lot and it did work for me at the beginning. I’m thinking I may play around with the reps/sets and number of exercises as well. I will also get in more cardio. This is just so frustrating because I started at 447 lbs in mid September. Living about 80% healthy and got all the way down to 396 lbs in 3.5 months. Then I am so happy with the results I start living even more healthy, clean up my diet even more, up my intensity in the gym, and suddenly week by week I climb back to 429 lbs. I will keep playing around with everything. Thanks again.
I am currently using Macros given to me by my trainer which are as follows, 130P, 169C and 47F.. The calculator here says I should be doing 139P, 171C, and 46F… I have been sticking to the first set of numbers with little discrepancies for three full weeks now and I feel like I am gaining weight more than anything. I lift heavy 5-6 days a week for about 1-1.5 hours and have been doing 2-3 HIIT sessions after for 20min..I need to know what is going on and why this isn’t working. I am eating nutrient dense food, not crap all the time and yet I am seeing the numbers on the scale go up without seeing the inches come off (I know muscle weighs more than fat), I just want to know 1. if I should add more protein in like the calculator is telling me and 2. should I be doing some low intensity cardio, instead of HIIT, 4-5 days a week for about 30min? I am feeling very discouraged and need some good advice
Your trainer’s numbers and ours are within 5 grams so that won’t make any difference. It seems to me that you have placed your body in a “building state” and not a “losing state”. All of the heavy weight training is causing your body to conserve resources and build muscle instead of allowing fat loss. Plus you probably are changing your body composition and adding more muscle mass. Most experts say that it is very difficult to build and lose at the same time. I would recommend cutting back on the weight training and adding in more cardio.
Thanks for the advice! You’re always so quick to answer. I really appreciate it! 🙂
28 year old Female 5’4 ,117lbs, 30 min weight training 2-3 times a week 30-50 min of interval cardio 3-5 times a week and my calories max out at about 1300 max to maintain. I would like to loose about 5 lbs of fat and build more muscle and the only I am ever able to burn more fat is if I eat extremely ‘clean’ and mainly protein and max at 1200 cals and even then I don’t get the results Id like. I would really like to increase my calories but have been stuck with this horrible diet for 10 years already and can’t seem to fix my metabolism weather its increasing workouts or decreasing calories. How can I fix this without gaining weight! Im sick of ppl telling me to just eat more and not worry about it.
And I have tried increasing my calories only to gain weight and have to decrease calories again!
You do need to fix your metabolism and this will take some time and you may gain weight in the process of doing this. If you have been eating a certain way for 10 years, it will take some time for your body to respond to eating what would be considered a normal amount of calories for your body’s height/ weight. According to this tool you are actually below your ideal body weight already. https://www.freedieting.com/tools/ideal_body_weight.htm
I have a small body frame and tend to carry most my weight in my lower body. I just wish there was a way to gain more muscle and still slim or lower my body fat % in a healthy manner. Have you heard of “reverse dieting” ? I’m assuming that ship has sailed in regards to my situation.
That may work and you may want to try something different fitness wise such as Crossfit. Bottom line is the IIFYM doesn’t work for everyone and you’ll have to find what works for you. But I would strive to get to a place where you are eating a healthy amount of calories each day.
How drastically did you increase calories?
Reverse dieting may still be a very viable option!
It helped me a lot, when I was once in a similar situation.
I know macros are big with the body building community but is it best for those who don’t do much lifting? Each week I currently do HIIT for 1 hour, kickboxing for an hour, cardio for 45mins & only lift about 45 mins. I’m 5’7, 193 & my short term goal is to lose 25 lbs. I’m concerned with my diet having too much protein because I dont lift that much.
Are you losing weight at the moment with your current macros? Have you set your macros?
I literally started 4 days ago so its too early to tell. I’ve already lost 75 lbs counting calories with not as much emphasis on macros so I think it will take some time for my metabolism to adjust.
IIFYM isn’t just for body builders and works for all kinds of goals. Just make sure your protein is set at the “low” level. Good luck!
Thanks Ted! Couple more questions, am I considered lightly active? I have a desk job. And when using the calculator how much weight is it set to have you lose each week?
So if I understand it correctly, you are doing a total of 3 1/2 hours of exercise a week? If that is the case I would enter lightly active.