Macro Calculator

Use this macro calculator to get personalized daily gram targets for carbohydrates, protein, and fats based on your goals — whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain your current mass. A macro calculator estimates how many calories and macronutrients your body needs and converts those targets into practical gram goals you can track each day.

Macronutrients (macros) are the three energy-providing nutrients your body uses for fuel and repair: carbohydrates and protein provide about 4 kcal per gram, and fat provides about 9 kcal per gram (sources: USDA / nutrition references). Tracking macros helps you control calorie intake and prioritize the right balance of protein, carbs, and fats for your training and health goals.

Who this is for:

  • People new to tracking who want straightforward calorie and macro targets.
  • Athletes and fitness enthusiasts aiming to support training, recovery, and muscle gain.
  • Anyone seeking a structured approach to weight loss, maintenance, or changing body composition.

Next step: enter your details in the calculator to receive daily calorie and macro targets (grams) you can use to plan meals and track intake for measurable results.

Role of macronutrients

A macro calculator’s job is to suggest the right balance of carbs, protein, and fats so your daily calorie target supports your goals — fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance. Below are what each macronutrient does and when you might increase or decrease it.

  • Carbohydrates: Carbs are the body’s primary source of energy, especially during moderate to intense exercise. Common sources include grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Increase carbs when training frequently or doing high-intensity sessions; reduce them when you need a calorie deficit for weight loss. (Carbs provide ~4 kcal per gram.)
  • Proteins: Protein supports muscle repair, growth, and overall recovery — essential when your goal is muscle gain or preserving lean mass during a calorie deficit. Good sources include meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, and plant proteins. Aim for higher protein on training days or when trying to lose weight to protect body weight and mass. (Protein provides ~4 kcal per gram.)
  • Fats: Dietary fats support hormone production, vitamin absorption, and provide long-lasting energy. Healthy options include nuts, avocados, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish. Keep fats moderate — lower them to make room for extra carbs or protein when calories are limited, or increase them for satiety on lower-carb plans. (Fat provides ~9 kcal per gram.)

Factor affecting macro calculator

A reliable macro calculator combines personal and lifestyle data to estimate calorie needs and convert those calories into macro gram targets. Below are the primary inputs the calculator uses and how each one changes your recommended macros.

  • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): An estimate of the calories your body needs at rest to maintain basic functions. BMR is calculated from age, gender, height, and weight (common formulas include Mifflin–St Jeor). Higher BMR means a higher starting calorie and macro target.
  • Activity Level: This reflects daily movement and exercise (sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, very active, extra active). The calculator applies an activity multiplier to BMR to get total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). More activity raises calorie needs and usually increases carbohydrate and protein targets to support training.
  • Goals: Your goal — lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain — determines whether the calculator recommends a calorie deficit, surplus, or maintenance. A deficit reduces calorie and often carb/fat targets; a surplus increases calories and supports higher protein and carb intake for muscle gain.
  • Body Composition: If you provide body fat percentage or lean body mass, the calculator can tailor protein targets by lean mass rather than total body weight, which improves accuracy for people trying to lose fat while preserving muscle or building mass.

How these inputs affect your macros: increasing training frequency or intensity typically raises carbohydrate and protein needs; a lower activity level lowers overall calorie and carb requirements. Advanced users should be able to view the formulas (e.g., BMR equation and activity multipliers) and override defaults if they know their maintenance calories.

After you enter your details, the macro calculator will return calorie and macronutrient targets either as percentages or as gram targets. For example, a common starting ratio is 40% carbohydrates / 30% protein / 30% fat — but this is only an example. Your calculator result will be personalized based on your calorie goal (maintenance, mild deficit for weight loss, or moderate surplus for muscle gain).

Quick conversion reminder: carbohydrates and protein each provide ~4 kcal per gram, and fat provides ~9 kcal per gram. To convert a percentage into grams, multiply your daily calorie target by the macro percentage, then divide by the kcal-per-gram value. For example, on a 2,200-calorie day with a 40/30/30 split: carbs = (0.40 × 2200) / 4 ≈ 220 g; protein = (0.30 × 2200) / 4 ≈ 165 g; fat = (0.30 × 2200) / 9 ≈ 73 g.

Sample daily splits (starting points):

  • Maintenance (balanced): ~40–50% carbs / 25–35% protein / 20–30% fat.
  • Weight loss (preserve muscle): higher protein (30–35%), moderate carbs (30–40%), lower fat (25–30%), with a modest calorie deficit.
  • Muscle gain (support training): higher calories with increased carbs and protein (e.g., 40–55% carbs, 25–35% protein, 20–30% fat) to fuel workouts and recovery.

Worked example for a 75 kg person (illustrative): estimate BMR → apply activity multiplier to get TDEE → choose a goal (e.g., +250 kcal for lean mass gain) → convert calories to grams using the method above. Use the calculator to automate this process and get precise gram targets you can track in a food log for accurate intake and better results.

Below are convenient, commonly eaten foods with their typical macronutrient amounts and portions so you can add realistic options to your macro targets. Values are approximate — verify with package labels or a database like USDA FoodData Central if you need exact calories and grams for tracking.

Brown Rice (cooked, 1 cup):

  • Protein: 5 g
  • Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 45 g

Salmon (100 g, cooked):

  • Protein: 22 g — a solid choice for supporting muscle repair and growth on training days.
  • Fat: 13 g — includes heart-healthy omega-3 fats useful for overall health.
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g

Quinoa (cooked, 1 cup):

  • Protein: 8 g — a higher-protein grain alternative useful for vegetarian plans.
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 39 g

Eggs (large, 1 egg):

  • Protein: 6 g — high-quality protein for post-workout recovery or keeping intake consistent across the day.
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 0.6 g

Avocado (medium-sized):

  • Protein: 2 g
  • Fat: 15 g — excellent for satiety and healthy fats on lower-carb days.
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g

Oatmeal (cooked, 1 cup):

  • Protein: 6 g — a filling breakfast carb that supports training-day energy.
  • Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 27 g

Greek Yogurt (plain, non-fat, 1 cup):

  • Protein: 23 g — one of the best single-food protein sources for hitting daily protein targets.
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g

Almonds (1 oz, about 23 almonds):

  • Protein: 6 g — a convenient snack to add protein and healthy fat between meals.
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6 g

Banana (medium-sized):

  • Protein: 1 g
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 27 g — ideal pre-workout carb for quick energy.

Quick tips and swaps:

  • Swap brown rice for quinoa to boost protein slightly without large calorie changes.
  • Choose Greek yogurt over regular yogurt to increase protein and support muscle gain or loss goals.
  • Use avocado or almonds for healthy fats when you need satiety on lower-carb days.

If you want, use the macro calculator to convert these food portions into grams and calories for your daily targets — add items to your plan and track intake to measure results reliably.

Disclaimer: The results from this macro calculator are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical or dietary advice. Macronutrient and calorie targets are estimates — individual needs vary based on age, gender, activity level, health status, and personal goals such as weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance. Use these targets as a starting point, track your intake and results for at least 1–2 weeks, and adjust as needed. If you have a medical condition, take prescription medications, are pregnant, nursing, or have special dietary needs, consult a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian before changing your diet or training plan.