Macro Calculator
Calculate your daily protein, carb, and fat targets in grams, based on your calorie needs, your weight goal, and the macro split that fits how you want to eat.
Units
Sex
Goal
Target calories
2,760 cal/day
TDEE (maintenance)
2,760 cal/day
Protein
207 g
Carbs
276 g
Fat
92 g
How it's calculated
First, your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the same formula used by the BMR & TDEE calculator, from your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level.
Your calorie target then adjusts TDEE for your goal: a 500-calorie daily deficit to lose weight (roughly 1 lb/week), no change to maintain, or a 300-calorie surplus to gain weight while limiting fat gain.
Your target calories are split into protein, carbs, and fat by percentage, based on the diet style you pick — Balanced (30/40/30), High protein (40/30/30), or Low carb (40/20/40). Each macro's grams come from its calories divided by its energy density: protein and carbs are 4 calories per gram, fat is 9 calories per gram.
Worked example
A 30-year-old man weighing 80 kg (176 lb) at 180 cm (5'11") tall, moderately active, has a TDEE of about 2,759 calories. Aiming to lose weight brings his target to 2,259 calories.
With a high-protein split (40% protein / 30% carbs / 30% fat), that's about 226g protein, 169g carbs, and 75g fat per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which diet style should I pick?
- Balanced works well for most people. High protein can help preserve muscle during a calorie deficit or support muscle gain. Low carb suits people who find they do better eating fewer carbohydrates. None is objectively correct — pick the one that matches how you actually like to eat, since you'll stick to it longer.
- Why does gaining weight only add 300 calories instead of more?
- A smaller surplus favors gaining lean mass over fat, since muscle can only be built so fast regardless of how much extra you eat. If you want to gain faster and don't mind more fat gain along with it, you can eat above this target.
- How are grams calculated from percentages?
- Protein and carbs each provide 4 calories per gram, while fat provides 9 calories per gram. Each macro's calorie share (your target calories times its percentage) is divided by its calories-per-gram to get the gram target.