What are macronutrients?

Macronutrients (macros) are the three major nutrients your body needs in large amounts: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

Should I weigh my food raw or cooked?

Weighing food raw is more accurate because cooking changes water content significantly without altering the macro content.

How do I choose between Balanced, Low Carb, and Keto?

Choose the diet plan that matches your personal taste and adherence preference. Total calorie and protein intake matter most for body composition.

Macro Calculator

Enter your age, sex, height, weight, activity level, goal, and diet preference to calculate your optimal daily calorie target and macronutrient distribution (grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fats).

How to use this calculator

Select your unit system (metric or imperial), biological sex, age, height, and body weight.
Choose your daily activity level (accounting for exercise frequency).
Select your primary fitness goal: maintenance, weight loss, fast loss, or muscle gain.
Pick your preferred macronutrient diet plan (Balanced, Low Carb, High Protein, or Keto).
Read your daily calorie target and recommended grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Formula & method

Mifflin-St Jeor TDEE + Macro Ratio Allocation

Target Calories = TDEE + Goal Adjustment · Protein (g) = (kcal×P%) ÷ 4 · Carbs (g) = (kcal×C%) ÷ 4 · Fats (g) = (kcal×F%) ÷ 9

TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor. BMR calculated via Mifflin-St Jeor equation. P%, C%, F% are determined by selected diet plan ratios.

Example

Male 30y, 175cm, 70kg, moderately active (TDEE ≈ 2,556 kcal), maintenance goal, Balanced diet → 2,556 kcal total: 192g Protein, 256g Carbs, 85g Fats.

Key insights

Protein yields 4 kcal/g, Carbohydrates 4 kcal/g, and Fats 9 kcal/g.
Consuming adequate protein (1.6–2.2g per kg of body weight) during a calorie deficit prevents muscle breakdown.
Fats are essential for hormone production; dietary fat should rarely drop below 15–20% of total energy intake.
Carbohydrates provide fuel for high-intensity training; adjusting carb intake is the primary way to manage overall calories.
Tracking food weights in raw/uncooked form yields the most consistent macro counting results.

How to interpret your result

Macronutrient Energy Density

Protein and carbs provide 4 calories per gram, whereas dietary fat is more energy-dense at 9 calories per gram.

Adherence Over Perfection

Hit your protein target consistently within ±5–10g and keep total calories on target; minor shifts between carbs and fats will not hinder progress.

Re-evaluating Targets

As your weight changes by 3–5 kg, re-run the calculator to adjust calorie targets and macro distributions to prevent plateaus.

Frequently asked questions

What are macronutrients?: Macronutrients (macros) are the three major nutrients your body needs in large amounts: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
Should I weigh my food raw or cooked?: Weighing food raw is more accurate because cooking changes water content significantly without altering the macro content.
How do I choose between Balanced, Low Carb, and Keto?: Choose the diet plan that matches your personal taste and adherence preference. Total calorie and protein intake matter most for body composition.

Related calculators

Calorie Calculator — Estimate your daily calorie needs (BMR & TDEE) for maintenance, loss or gain.
BMI Calculator — Compute your Body Mass Index and see where you stand, in metric or imperial units.
Body Fat Calculator — Estimate your body fat percentage, fat mass, and lean mass using the US Navy method.

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