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Macro Calculator

Calculate daily protein, carbohydrate, and fat targets based on your TDEE, goal (cut/bulk/maintain), and diet preference.

About Macro Calculator

The Macro Calculator takes your TDEE (or a target calorie input), your goal (fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain), and your preferred diet style — standard, high-protein, ketogenic, or low-carb — and calculates your optimal daily grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Protein targets are based on per-kg body weight recommendations from sports nutrition research (1.6-2.4 g/kg for muscle preservation and growth). Carbohydrate and fat allocations fill the remaining calorie budget according to the selected ratio. Results are shown as grams per day, percentage of total calories, and a calorie breakdown so you can track macros in any food app.

Why use Macro Calculator

  • Evidence-based protein targets from current sports nutrition research.
  • Four diet style presets covering most common approaches.
  • Shows macros in grams, percentage, and calories for flexible tracking.
  • Integrates with TDEE Calculator on this site for a complete workflow.
  • Prioritizes protein in absolute grams per kg rather than as a calorie percentage, which is what current sports nutrition research supports.
  • Privacy-first: your weight and calorie targets are processed in-browser, never sent or stored on any server.

How to use Macro Calculator

  1. Enter your body weight and total calorie target (or use the TDEE calculator first).
  2. Select your goal: fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
  3. Choose a diet style: standard, high-protein, keto, or low-carb.
  4. Review the daily grams and calorie breakdown for protein, carbs, and fat.
  5. Verify the gram totals × kcal/g add up to your input calorie target — small rounding may produce ±20 kcal variance.
  6. Copy the gram values into your favorite food tracker (MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, Lose It) as your daily macro goals.

When to use Macro Calculator

  • Setting up macros for a new diet or cutting/bulking phase.
  • Transitioning to a ketogenic or low-carb diet and needing gram targets.
  • Tracking macros in a food app and needing specific daily targets.
  • Comparing macro distributions across different diet approaches.
  • Switching diet style (e.g., standard to keto) and needing fresh gram targets that match the new ratio.
  • Coaching others and needing to quickly produce macro plans for different goal/weight combinations.

Examples

75 kg male, 2500 kcal, muscle gain (high-protein)

Input: Weight 75 kg, Calories 2500, Goal: bulk, Diet: high-protein

Output: Protein: 188 g (752 kcal, 30%); Carbs: 281 g (1125 kcal, 45%); Fat: 69 g (623 kcal, 25%)

60 kg female, 1600 kcal, fat loss (standard)

Input: Weight 60 kg, Calories 1600, Goal: cut, Diet: standard

Output: Protein: 132 g (528 kcal, 33%); Carbs: 160 g (640 kcal, 40%); Fat: 48 g (432 kcal, 27%)

70 kg male, 2000 kcal, ketogenic

Input: Weight 70 kg, Calories 2000, Goal: maintain, Diet: keto

Output: Protein: 125 g (500 kcal, 25%); Carbs: 25 g (100 kcal, 5%); Fat: 156 g (1400 kcal, 70%)

Tips

  • Hit your protein target first every day — it is the most important macro for muscle retention during fat loss and growth during a bulk.
  • Distribute protein into 3-5 meals of 30-50 g each rather than front-loading or back-loading the day for better muscle protein synthesis.
  • Allow ±5% daily variance in carbs and fat without stressing — weekly macro consistency drives results, not perfect daily numbers.
  • If you train fasted or do endurance work, shift more carbs to the meal immediately after training rather than spreading them evenly.
  • Switch from grams to percentages mentally when eating out — most cuisines do not give you precise macro labels.
  • Track for 2-3 weeks, then take a maintenance week at TDEE every 8-12 weeks to reset hunger hormones during a long cut.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much protein should I eat per day?
For most people with fitness goals, 1.6-2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight is well-supported by research for muscle preservation and growth.
What are macros?
Macronutrients (macros) are the three main categories of nutrients: protein (4 kcal/g), carbohydrates (4 kcal/g), and fat (9 kcal/g). They make up total calorie intake.
How is the keto macro split calculated?
Ketogenic diet targets are approximately: protein 25%, fat 70%, carbohydrates 5% of total calories, with carbohydrates capped at 20-50g/day.
Does fiber count as carbohydrates?
In most food tracking, total carbs include fiber. Net carbs = total carbs − fiber. The calculator uses total carbs.
What is the difference between fat loss and cutting macros?
In this calculator, 'fat loss' applies a calorie deficit of 20% below TDEE and emphasizes higher protein to preserve muscle. 'Maintenance' equals TDEE with a balanced split.
How does this compare to a registered dietitian's macro plan?
An RD will use the same calorie and protein-per-kg framework but layer in food preferences, allergies, and clinical context. The macro numbers themselves are typically within 5-10% of what this calculator produces.
What if I have very low or high body fat?
For very lean individuals (under 12% men, under 18% women), use lean body mass instead of total weight when setting protein. For higher body fat, the standard total-body weight target may overshoot — cap protein at around 175 g/day for most cases.
Why does the keto split show 25% protein instead of 20%?
Modern targeted/cyclical keto and athlete keto protocols use 25-30% protein because excessive protein restriction is a common error that leads to muscle loss. Strict therapeutic keto for medical conditions does use 15-20% protein under medical supervision.

Explore the category

Glossary

Macro
Short for macronutrient — protein, carbohydrate, or fat. The three classes of nutrients that supply calories.
Protein (4 kcal/g)
Amino-acid-based macro essential for muscle repair, immune function, and enzyme production. Recommended 1.6-2.4 g/kg for active adults.
Carbohydrate (4 kcal/g)
Primary fuel for high-intensity exercise and brain function; stored as glycogen in muscles and liver.
Fat (9 kcal/g)
Most calorie-dense macro; required for hormone production, fat-soluble vitamin absorption, and cell membrane integrity. Minimum 0.5 g/kg for hormonal health.
Net carbs
Total carbohydrate minus fiber (and in some definitions sugar alcohols); used in keto and low-carb tracking.
Cut / Bulk / Maintain
Bodybuilding terms for fat-loss phase, muscle-gain phase, and weight-stable phase — each has different calorie and macro targets.
Ketosis
Metabolic state where the body burns ketones (from fat) as primary fuel instead of glucose; typically requires <50 g carbs/day for 3-5 days to enter.