What is a macro calculator?
A macro calculator tells you how many calories to eat each day and how to split them between the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fat. This free online tool first estimates your maintenance calories (your TDEE), adjusts them for your goal – fat loss, maintenance or muscle gain – and then converts your chosen macro percentages into grams you can track in any food app. Women and men can use it alike, for weight loss or muscle gain.
What are macros?
"Macros" is short for macronutrients – the nutrients you eat in large amounts that supply energy:
- Protein – 4 kcal per gram. Builds and repairs muscle and keeps you full.
- Carbohydrates – 4 kcal per gram. The main fuel for the brain and hard training.
- Fat – 9 kcal per gram. Needed for hormones and absorbing vitamins A, D, E and K.
Alcohol (7 kcal per gram) is sometimes called the fourth macro. Fibre is a carbohydrate but provides only about 2 kcal per gram; aim for around 14 g per 1,000 kcal.
How to use this macro calculator
- Enter your sex, age, height in cm and weight in kg.
- Choose the activity level that matches a normal week, including your job.
- Pick a goal: fat loss, maintain, lean bulk or weight gain.
- Choose a macro split – balanced, high protein, low carb, keto or high carb.
You instantly see your daily calories, grams of each macro, protein per kg of body weight, and a per-meal breakdown for 3, 4 or 5 meals a day.
How to calculate macros: the formula
This macro calculator formula works in three steps.
1. BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate everyday equation:
Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
2. TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 sedentary to 1.9 athlete), then add or subtract calories for your goal (−500 kcal for fat loss, +300 kcal for a lean bulk).
3. Macros in grams:
Protein g = calories × protein% ÷ 4 · Carbs g = calories × carb% ÷ 4 · Fat g = calories × fat% ÷ 9
Worked example
A 30-year-old man, 175 cm, 75 kg, moderately active, wants fat loss with a balanced split. BMR = 750 + 1,093.75 − 150 + 5 = 1,698.75 kcal. TDEE = 1,698.75 × 1.55 = 2,633 kcal. Fat-loss target = 2,633 − 500 = 2,133 kcal. Protein = 2,133 × 0.30 ÷ 4 = 160 g; carbs = 2,133 × 0.40 ÷ 4 = 213 g; fat = 2,133 × 0.30 ÷ 9 = 71 g. That is about 2.1 g of protein per kg – ideal for keeping muscle in a calorie deficit.
Best macro split for your goal
| Goal / diet | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced (general health) | 30% | 40% | 30% |
| High protein (fat loss, recomposition) | 40% | 35% | 25% |
| Low carb (insulin resistance, appetite control) | 35% | 25% | 40% |
| Keto | 25% | 5% | 70% |
| High carb (endurance, bodybuilding bulk) | 20% | 55% | 25% |
How to calculate macros for fat loss and weight loss
For a calorie deficit, keep protein high (1.6–2.2 g per kg) so the weight you lose comes from fat, not muscle. A 500 kcal daily deficit loses about 0.5 kg a week. The high-protein split is usually the easiest to stick to because protein is the most filling macro.
How to calculate macros for muscle gain and lean bulk
Muscle gain needs a small surplus of 250–350 kcal, 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg and plenty of carbohydrate to fuel training. A bigger surplus mostly adds fat. For body recomposition (losing fat and gaining muscle at once), eat at maintenance with a high-protein split and train with weights.
Macro calculator for keto and low carb
Keto keeps carbohydrate under about 20–50 g of net carbs a day. Pick the keto split and check that the carb grams fall in that range; lower the calories if they do not.
Macro calculator for Indian food
Typical Indian meals are high in carbohydrate (rice, roti, potatoes) and low in protein. To hit your macro targets on an Indian or vegetarian diet, build each meal around a protein source – paneer, tofu, soya chunks, dal, rajma, chana, curd, eggs, chicken or fish – then add roti or rice to fill your carbs. Our protein calculator lists the protein in common Indian foods. For vegan diets, soya, tofu, lentils and seitan cover most needs.
How to calculate macros in food
Read the nutrition label for grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat per 100 g, multiply by the grams you actually eat and divide by 100. For home-cooked recipes, add up each ingredient and divide by the number of servings. A kitchen scale makes tracking far more accurate than guessing cup sizes.
Which macro calculator is most accurate?
Every macro calculator is an estimate, because activity multipliers are averages. Treat the result as a starting point: track your weight for two to three weeks, and if it is not moving in the right direction, adjust calories by 100–200 kcal. If you know your body fat percentage, the BMR calculator and TDEE calculator can refine your numbers further.
Goals, diets and meal planning: what to enter
Macro calculator with calories and TDEE
The tool works out your TDEE first, so you get calories and macros in one place. If you already know your calorie goal, you can use the macro calculator based on calories alone: compare the grams it shows with that target.
Macro calculator with percentages
Just like a macro calculator app, each split shows protein, carbs and fat both as a percentage and in grams. Choose a different split to change the percentages.
Macro calculator for weight gain and bodybuilding
Choose "Weight gain" for a bulk, and the high-carb split suits bodybuilding training. For a cut, the high-protein split is the best option.
Women and men
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation has separate versions for women and men, and the macro calculator uses the right one. Women usually need fewer calories at the same weight.
Macro calculator with fiber and net carbs
A fiber target is included: aim for about 14 g of fibre per 1,000 kcal. Keto dieters can use the macro calculator including fiber to work out net carbs (total carbs minus fibre).
Macro calculator with body fat
If you are very lean or carry a lot of fat, knowing your body fat makes the result more precise. Measure yours with the body fat calculator and use the Katch-McArdle BMR in the BMR calculator.
Vegetarian, vegan and diabetes diets
A vegetarian or vegan plan uses the same macro calculator numbers; you simply choose plant proteins. With diabetes or insulin resistance, the low-carb split in the macro calculator is often a better starting point – confirm with your doctor.
Food, meals and recipes
Divide your daily grams by the number of meals (the macro calculator's per-meal table does it for you), then fill each meal or recipe from food labels.
Macro calculator equation
The full equation is the macronutrient calculator formula shown above: calories × % ÷ 4 or ÷ 9. That is how to calculate macros in food and in your diet, and how to calculate macros for body recomposition at maintenance calories.
Is this the best macro calculator?
What is a good macro calculator? It should use a validated BMR equation, let you pick a goal and a split, and show grams. This macro calculator online free version does all three, works for users in India and elsewhere, and handles losing weight as easily as bulking.
Use it to calculate macros for weight loss, for a lean bulk or for a daily cut, then check how much you should eat with our calorie calculator.
Macro calculator for restaurant meals: Chipotle, Subway and Qdoba
Chains such as Chipotle, Subway and Qdoba publish nutrition data for each ingredient, and their own online nutrition tools add up a meal as you build it. Use them to get the protein, carbs and fat of your order, then compare the totals with your daily targets from this macro calculator. A burrito bowl with double protein can easily supply half a day's protein.
Macro calculator of a meal from ingredients
To find the macros of a home-cooked meal, list the ingredients with their weights, look up protein, carbs and fat per 100 g on the pack or in a nutrition table, and add them up. Example: 100 g raw chicken breast (about 23 g protein), 75 g dry rice (about 60 g carbs, 5 g protein) and 10 g oil (10 g fat). Calories = 28 × 4 + 60 × 4 + 10 × 9 = 442 kcal. Divide by the number of servings for a recipe.
IIFYM macro calculator: "if it fits your macros"
IIFYM is a flexible way of eating: any food is allowed as long as your daily protein, carbs and fat hit the targets. This macro calculator gives you those targets. It works best when most of your food is whole and high in fibre, with room left for treats.
Macro calculator for the Zone diet (40/30/30)
The Zone diet splits calories into 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. On 2,000 kcal that is 200 g carbs, 150 g protein and about 67 g fat. It is the same as this calculator's balanced split (30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fat), so choose the balanced diet type to get Zone targets.
Macro calculator for diabetes, high protein and men
For diabetes, many people are advised to reduce carbs and spread them evenly across meals; the low-carb setting (25% carbs) is a common starting point, but agree your carb target with your doctor or dietitian. The high-protein setting (40% protein) suits people who lift weights or want to feel full on fewer calories. As a macro calculator for men, the default settings (male, 30, 175 cm, 75 kg, moderate activity, fat loss) give about 2,130 kcal a day, with about 160 g protein, 213 g carbs and 71 g fat.
Macro calculator quiz: check your understanding
- How many calories are in 150 g of protein? 150 × 4 = 600 kcal.
- On 1,800 kcal with 30% fat, how many grams of fat? 1,800 × 0.30 ÷ 9 = 60 g.
- Which macro has the most calories per gram? Fat, at 9 kcal per gram.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my macros?
Work out your maintenance calories (BMR × activity factor), adjust for your goal, then multiply calories by each macro percentage and divide by 4 for protein and carbs or by 9 for fat. This macro calculator does all three steps for you.
What are good macros for weight loss?
A high-protein split such as 40% protein, 35% carbs and 25% fat in a 300–500 kcal deficit works well for most people because it preserves muscle and controls hunger.
How do I calculate macros for muscle gain?
Eat 250–350 kcal above maintenance, get 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight, keep fat around 25% and fill the rest with carbohydrates.
Should I count net carbs or total carbs?
For keto, count net carbs (total carbs minus fibre). For other diets, total carbs are fine; the calculator gives total carbohydrate grams.
Can I use this macro calculator with Indian food?
Yes. The grams work with any cuisine. Build meals around dal, paneer, curd, soya, eggs or chicken to reach the protein target, and use rice and roti for carbs.
Is this macro calculator free?
Yes, it is completely free, needs no app or sign-up and works on mobile.
How often should I recalculate my macros?
Recalculate after every 4–5 kg of weight change or when your activity level changes.
What does IIFYM mean?
If It Fits Your Macros: you can eat any food as long as your daily protein, carbs and fat stay within your targets.
What are the Zone diet macros?
40% of calories from carbs, 30% from protein and 30% from fat.
Last updated 2026-09-18