What are your macros? This free macro calculator turns your calorie needs into daily protein, carb and fat targets in grams, with balanced, higher-protein, low-carb and high-carb splits.
Estimates for general guidance. Maintenance is your starting point; goal targets use gentle, capped changes. For a plan tailored to your health and goals, a registered dietitian is the best guide.
How the Macro Calculator Works
This calculator turns your daily calorie needs into gram targets for protein, carbs and fat. It first estimates your maintenance calories from your stats and activity level, adjusts that for your goal, then splits the result using the macro ratio you choose.
Formula: BMR = 10 × Weight (kg) + 6.25 × Height (cm) − 5 × Age + (5 for male, −161 for female). TDEE = BMR × Activity multiplier. Daily calorie target = TDEE (maintain), TDEE − 500 (lose), or TDEE + 300 (gain) — losing calories are never taken below a safe-minimum floor (1,500 kcal for men, 1,200 kcal for women). Protein (g) = Calories × Protein % ÷ 100 ÷ 4. Carbs (g) = Calories × Carb % ÷ 100 ÷ 4. Fat (g) = Calories × Fat % ÷ 100 ÷ 9.
- Sex — male or female, used in the BMR formula’s constant term.
- Age, height and weight — entered in metric or imperial units, the core inputs to the BMR formula.
- Activity level — from sedentary (×1.2) to extra active (×1.9), multiplies BMR to estimate total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
- Goal — lose, maintain or gain, which shifts the calorie target below or above TDEE.
- Macro split — a preset carb/protein/fat percentage combination, such as Balanced (50/20/30) or Lower carb (25/35/40), applied to the calorie target.
Example Scenarios
| Weight | Activity | Goal | Calories/day | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 kg | Moderately active | Maintain | 2,662 kcal | 133 g | 333 g | 89 g |
| 90 kg | Lightly active | Lose | 2,033 kcal | 102 g | 254 g | 68 g |
| 60 kg | Sedentary | Gain | 2,211 kcal | 111 g | 276 g | 74 g |
| 80 kg | Very active | Maintain | 3,049 kcal | 152 g | 381 g | 102 g |
| 55 kg | Sedentary | Lose | 1,500 kcal* | 75 g | 188 g | 50 g |
All rows use a 30-year-old male, 178 cm, with the Balanced (50C/20P/30F) split. *The last row hit the 1,500 kcal safe-minimum floor, so the calculator shows that floor instead of a lower deficit figure.
Macro Calculator FAQ
What macro split should I choose?
It depends on your preference and goals — Balanced (50/20/30) suits most general goals, Higher protein (40/30/30) supports muscle building or fullness, Lower carb (25/35/40) suits those minimizing carbs, and High carb (60/20/20) suits endurance training. There’s no single correct split for everyone.Why does my calorie target stop dropping at a certain point?
The calculator won’t set a lose target below a safe-minimum floor of 1,500 kcal for men or 1,200 kcal for women, even if your calculated deficit would go lower. Very low intakes aren’t appropriate without medical supervision.What’s the difference between this and a plain calorie calculator?
A calorie calculator stops at a single daily calorie number. This macro calculator takes that same calorie estimate a step further, breaking it into specific protein, carb and fat gram targets based on your chosen split.How does the calculator estimate my maintenance calories?
It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a widely used formula that estimates basal metabolic rate (BMR) from weight, height, age and sex, then multiplies by an activity factor to estimate total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).Why do carbs and protein use divide by 4 but fat uses divide by 9?
Protein and carbohydrates each provide about 4 kcal per gram, while fat provides about 9 kcal per gram. Dividing each macro’s calorie share by its respective energy density converts the calorie target into grams.Should I recalculate my macros as my weight changes?
Since the whole calculation starts from your current weight, height and age, it’s reasonable to revisit the numbers periodically as your weight or activity level changes meaningfully, rather than using one static target indefinitely.Related Calculators
For a closer look at any single piece of this result, the TDEE calculator breaks down the maintenance-calorie estimate on its own, and the protein calculator offers an activity-based protein range as a sanity check. If you’re following a low-carb approach specifically, the keto macro calculator applies a stricter carb cap.