CALCULATORS

Macro Calculator
By Ted Kallmyer Updated May 11, 2023

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.

Age

14

Biological Sex

Male Female

Current Weight

Pounds Kilos 55

Height

feet cm 161.5

Formula ?

Normal Lean Mass

Activity Level ?

Sedentary

Light Activity

Moderate Activity

Very Active

Goal Customize

Lose Weight Maintain Gain Weight

Calculate Macros

1458 Calories Per

Day

Carbohydrate 155 g 42.6%

Protein 100 g 27.4%
Fat 49 g 30.0%

Get Faster Results!

Lose 5-10 pounds the first month
using The Macro Solution –
trusted by 14,000+ users -or- for
expert help and accountability
consider macros coaching.

Adjust Meals Per Day

ALL 2 3 4 5

Adjust Protein Amount

Moderate High Maximum

A D V E RT I S E M E N T

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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.

You can learn everything in about 60 minutes

with the macro solution video course.

The calculator is based on sound science

and data from years of coaching hundreds of
successful clients.

What is a good macro ratio for

fat loss or muscle gain?

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Your macros should be based on your Total

Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and your
goals.

The calculator defaults to 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.

Not sure of the best path to

achieving your health and
fitness goals?

Take a quiz

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.

A D V E RT I S E M E N T

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.

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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 underweight people.

TIP: Try starting with the maintenance goal

and gradually increasing 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
You can break this down into meals once
you’ve calculated your daily macros in the
calculator.

Choose from 2 to 6 meals daily 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 200-400

calories (females) or 250-500 calories
(males) over your sedentary amount.

Moderate: Any activity that burns 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 your foods.

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.

By Ted Kallmyer - an ISSA-certified

Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, author, and
macros coach.

With my help, 14,000+ clients have

conquered their body
transformation goals.

Pick my tried-and-true self-

guided program or enjoy my
individualized coaching.

View article sources

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Ben 17 hours ago

Hi, I’m a 32 year old male. I’m 5’7 160 lbs, and
trying to get into weightlifting but I’m fairly
confused on how many calories I should
consume, and how to ratio my macros. I’d say
I’m in the “lightly active” range since I’ve begun
lifting. I have a little bit of a belly, so I’m a bit
torn cause I’m afraid to add onto the belly fat,
but hear that just comes with lifting, and that
you need to be at a calorie surplus to build
muscle, and that you can just lose the belly fat
later on. That being said, what calories/macro
ratio should I use? I heard protein should be the
highest category, then carbs then fat, is that
correct? Thanks!
Reply

Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach)

46 seconds ago
Hey Ben, You can gain muscle and get
leaner at the same time with the right
calorie and macro balance. Customize
the deficit to 10% and set the protein to
max. Evaluate every two weeks and
make small changes if needed based on
your results. If you need more guidance
consider coaching with me or my Macro
Solution program.
Reply

Melissa 1 week ago

Hi I’m a 33 year old female, 5′ 6, 210 pounds and
I’m 6 weeks pregnant. I’m wondering how to
calculate my macros for each trimester.
Reply

Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach)

1 week ago
Hi Melissa, Congratulations! I’ve written
a guide about that here: TDEE and Macro
Calculations for Pregnant or
Breastfeeding Women
Reply

Lorenzo 3 weeks ago