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Calculators Macro Calculator By Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach)Updated September 24, 2025

The Healthy Eater macro calculator gives you your optimal macronutrients and calories. It’s a weight loss or muscle gain calculator for both women and men.

Combine with macro counting or flexible dieting to reach your goals faster.

Age

Biological Sex

Male Female

Current Weight

Pounds Kilos

Height

feet cm

Formula ?

Normal Lean Mass

Body Fat %

Activity Level ?

Sedentary Light Activity Moderate Activity Very Active

Goal Customize

Choose calorie deficit or surplus. — 20% (Maximum Fat Loss) — 15% (Fat Loss) — 10% (Some fat loss) + 10% (Steady Gain) + 20% (Gain) Fat Loss Maintenance Muscle Gain Calculate Macros Your Macro Breakdown Your recommended daily macros and calories for your goal.

Carbohydrate

Protein

Fat

Get Faster Results!Lose 5-10 pounds the first month with Expert Macro Calculations – Eliminate the guesswork and dial in your unique macros for optimal results. Start Now

View macros per day or per meal

DAILY TOTAL 2 3 4 5

Adjust Protein ?

Tap to see how your macros change Moderate Protein High Protein Maximum Protein

Which Formula?

Normal

Use the default formula based on body weight.

Lean Mass 💪

If you know your body fat percentage, choose this formula. This will give more accurate results by using your lean mass in the calculation.

Assess your weekly activity level

Sedentary

No purposeful exercise.

Light

1-3 hours exercise per week.

Moderate

3-7 hours exercise per week.

Heavy

7+ hours intense exercise per week.

Adjust Protein

⚖️ Moderate: If you don’t exercise much.

🔥 High: For active individuals.

🏋️ Maximum: For bodybuilders or athletes.

How do macros work?

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.

Basic steps for macro counting

1. Enter details into the calculatorChoose the correct goal (your email is not needed for the macro calculator – get your results instantly).
2. Take note of your calories and macrosThese will be the targets you are aiming for each day.
3. Track your macrosUse an app, pre-plan your meals, (or use Factor meals ready-to-eat meals – choose Protein Plus).
4. Measure resultsDon’t use basic weight scales. Use proper body composition scales (we recommend Renpho) to measure fat and muscle mass changes.

What is a good macro ratio for fat loss or muscle gain?

Your macros should be based on your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and goals.

The calculator defaults to the best macro ratio proven to work for most people – note we don’t use a fixed ratio (like 40/40/20).

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 with a bit of math. See how to adjust your macros.

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.
• 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.

Eating more protein can be challenging – see the list of the best protein foods.

Fat ratio

Fat is set at 30% of daily energy expenditure.

Most people do very well with this amount of fat.

It helps to choose the best quality fats.

Carbohydrate 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 come 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 prevent fat loss is incorrect.

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.

Underweight people can also use it.

TIP: Try starting with the maintenance goal and gradually increasing calories 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:

• Select Normal if you only have body weight.
• Select Lean Mass if you know your body 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.

Although it seems counterintuitive, more energy is required to fuel workouts. More workouts lead to an increasing metabolism, which in turn burns more fat!

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 such as a Fitbit or Apple Watch (note that they can overestimate calorie burn).

Why should I eat more when I exercise more?

High physical activity that is 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 a diet tracking app to help them stick to macro targets.

For more specifics on what to eat – see a sample macro meal plan or a list of macros for familiar foods.

Ted Kallmyer (ISSA-certified nutrition coach)

Coach Ted is a successful nutrition coach, having helped thousands of clients reach their body transformation goals.

View article sources

Sources

• Mifflin, M. D., St Jeor, S. T., Hill, L. A., Scott, B. J., Daugherty, S. A., & Koh, Y. O. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 51 (2), 241-247. Link
• McArdle, W. D., Katch, F. I., & Katch, V. L. (2010). Exercise physiology: nutrition, energy, and human performance. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Link
• Jequier, E. (1994). Carbohydrates as a source of energy. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 59(3), 682S-685S.
• Lemon, P. W., Tarnopolsky, M. A., MacDougall, J. D., & Atkinson, S. A. (1992). Protein requirements and muscle mass/strength changes during intensive training in novice bodybuilders. Journal of Applied Physiology, 73(2), 767-775. study abstract link
• Grundy, S. M. (1999). The optimal ratio of fat-to-carbohydrate in the diet. Annual review of nutrition, 19(1), 325-341. abstract
• Conlin, L.A., Aguilar, D.T., Rogers, G.E. et al. Flexible vs. rigid dieting in resistance-trained individuals seeking to optimize their physiques: A randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 52 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00452-2

2,128 Comments

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• Juliet 5 months ago

  Hi. Please help. I’m overweight. I’m 5’3″ and I’m 55 years old. I weigh 167 pounds. Is like to get to 150 ASAP! Help!! I have started walking 2 weeks ago 4x a week. Each walk is one hour of regular walking speed…steady, not slow. It says I should have 3 meals a day at 485 calories per meal. Is that a lot ?? I’m wanting to lose weight 😔… And I’m also not sure how much water I should be drinking every day! Can you offer me advice please 🙏

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach) 5 months ago

    Hi Juliet, Thanks for stopping by. The recommendation from the calculator seem like a good starting point, but I can calculate things more specifically if you need it. Consistency with the nutrition and exercise is key. Your weight will fluctuate down and up but will drop little by little each week. Focus on slow and steady as that teaches you the best long-term habits. For water try to drink at least 64 fl.oz. per day and more if it’s hot. Does that help?

    Reply
• Becky 6 months ago

  Hi Ted, I’m 47, 5’7, 255-257lbs. I’m looking to lose 95-100lbs to start. Will tweak if I can ever get close to that. I live a pretty sedentary lifestyle with a 40+ hour desk job at a cpa firm so you can imagine two tax seasons out of the year I live, breathe, sleep and eat work. I’m diving into this weight loss journey and trying to better everything about myself and get healthy. I find all of this information very overwhelming and am so confused what I should do and where to start with the calculations, food, etc. I’d be forever grateful if you could please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance! Oh and I do want to begin making sure I’m at least getting 8,000 steps in a day as well as maybe the gym with weights 3x/week at some point once I wrap my head around this piece.

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach) 6 months ago

    Hi Becky! I think it’s great that you’re taking some steps to get healthier and I totally get the work stuff but the great thing about macros is it teaches you to lose fat regardless of exercise. So with your calculations you would need to do a fat tissue adjustment since you have more than 40 pounds to lose. This basically means subtracting some calories form what the calculator gives you. Secondly you need a sedentary macro set to follow and then another set for days you get the 8k steps in or do the weight training. This way you’ll maintain a safe calorie deficit regardless of exercise. Would you be willing to let me calculate everything for you? This can make the whole process a lot less overwhelming and get things started on the best foot possible.

    Reply
• Lexy 7 months ago

  Hello ! I just started my journey to losing weight and I am confused on how the macros are calculated and how I apply them to my daily eating. Are the macros that are calculated what I should targeting everyday or is that what im currently eating already? And if it the first option then my next question is are the macros calculations what I should be eating altogether in each MEAL everyday or is that just the calculations of how much I should be eating altogether in a day??

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach) 7 months ago

    Hi Lexy, Glad you’re getting started and thanks for visiting. 1. If you have the calculator set to “lose” then it shows you what you should be eating each day. if you have it set to maintain, it shoes you what you could eat right now to stay as you are. 2. The calories and macros shown are your totals for a given day. You can break those into as many meals or meals and snack as makes sense for your schedule. Just try to get close to your targets by the end of the day. You do not have to be perfect. Does that help?

    Reply
• Carlie 7 months ago

  Hello,

  Ive calculated my macros and have started working towards a better lifestyle. However I am wondering when Im calculating meals do I use Total Carbs or Net Carbs with this calculator?

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach) 7 months ago

    Hi Carlie, So great to hear that! The calculator shows you total carbs and I recommend focussing on this in your tracking. Unfortunately most of the net carb info on food labels is inaccurate and you can end up consuming more calories than you think you are.

    Reply
• Jamie 10 months ago

  Hello- I’m 45, 5ft 3in & weigh 197. I work a desk job 10+ hours a day for 5 years after leaving a restaurant job that kept me in shape. I’ve gained 5olbs and I’m flat out miserable. I have no clue how the macros stuff works. I never had an issue losing weight until this job. How many calories I need to burn a day to lose weight after doing your macro test of 1446 calories/163g protein. I’m jumping back into working out and want to get this weight back down as it’s taking a toll on me. Walking 10k steps, weight training and macros? Can you please lead me in the right direction? Thanks a bunch!

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach) 10 months ago

    Hi Jamie, sorry for the delay. If you’re getting 10k steps in then set the calculator for light activity and do moderate protein since you have 50 pounds to lose and that will skew the calculation. I have a lot of free resources on tracking here and I offer person help as well. All the best getting started and the simple act of tracking your food makes such a big difference. -Coach Ted

    Reply
• Izz 11 months ago

  Hi! I’m 5’1, 165lbs, 34%BF approx. I work a standing job (retail/ service industry) 5x a week and work out 3x week, 20/30 minutes calisthenics and then 30 minutes on treadmill at 12 incline 2/2.5mph. I do yoga on most of my off days. Is this moderate?

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach) 11 months ago

    Hi Izz, perhaps some days of the week but probably not everyday. Your work/yoga days would be light while the days you workout would be moderate.

    Reply
• Derek 11 months ago

  Hi, I’m 46, weigh 210lbs at 5’ 10” and weight train for 45 minutes every morning following a push, pull, legs routine. My biggest issue is my job is extremely sedentary 10-12hrs a day, 6 days a week. I push hard during my morning workouts. What would I call my lifestyle? It’s not entirely sedentary. I’ve been shooting for Daily Totals Calories: ~2200 kcal Protein: ~248g (45%) Carbs: ~ 193g (35%) Fats: ~49g (20%) I went for a higher protein intake to try to build a lot of muscle. Is my sedentary job derailing my muscle gain and weight loss hopes and do you think these daily totals are good for my lifestyle? Thank you

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach) 11 months ago

    Hey Derek, Great job on your efforts to get fit! I think you’re eating a tad too much given your sedentary job, amount of fat tissue weight, and training level. Also you’re eating way more protein than can be incorporated and thus extra will be used/converted to energy. Max your protein at 180g and and eat more fat at around 25-30%. Probably need to cut back by 200 calories per day. If you want me to dial everything super precise, you have that option. I would love to help you get back to feeling fit and self confident.

    Reply
• Rebecca

  Hi, this is for my dad – he is 68, about 5’10 and weighs about 88kg, he wants to lose about 10 kgs, but really struggles to do this. He isn’t also very active, but aims to go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week to do mainly strength training. He has belly fat he wants to shift! When I add his stats in, the carbs seem a little high at 160g, with 159g of Protein – do you think this many carbs will still work?? I would have thought less at around 100g would be better? Thanks!

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach)

    Hi Rebecca, I think this has to do with misinformation you’ve heard about carbs. When carbs are eaten in relation to your TDEE the do not cause fat gain or prevent fat loss. Carbs are not bad and around 40% of your calorie intake should come from carbs since it is your body’s preferred fuel source and the one it uses most efficiently.

    Reply
• Skylar

  Hello! Currently I am working a desk job so try to get my activity in the morning, but incorporate my walking pad during the day as well. I do strength workouts for about 30 minutes 3/4 times a week, and also incline walk usually 5 out of the 7 days of the week for like 20-30 mins. I take two days where I just leisurely walk during my shift just to get steps in, aiming anywhere from 10-15k steps a day since I mainly sit during the day outside of that walking/morning exercise. Would I calculate for moderate? I am 23 yr old female, 142 pounds and am about 5”5-5”6 if that helps!

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach)

    Hi Skylar, Thanks for stopping by and yes, that sounds like moderate to me, so start there and check your results after two weeks to see if any adjustments need to be made.

    Reply
• Nicole

  I’m unsure on what my activity level would be? I run 5ks 3 times a week, light work out 3 times a week, 1hr walk 3 to 4 times a week. I also have an active job where I’m on my feet alot. I average about 15000 to 20000 steps most days, also am I ment to adjust my daily calorie goal if I have a rest day?

  Reply
  • Ted Kallmyer (Certified Macro Coach)

    Hey Nicole, There is a risk of being too active so think about cutting out the hour of additional walking since you have an active job. Set your typical day to “light activity” which will account for your steps. Then head here Calories Burned Calculator to determine your burn for your runs and weight training workouts. Add those to your light activity total on the days you do either. View your weekly activity as something you could see yourself doing the rest of your life. If it doesn’t seem sustainable long-term then cut it back a bit.

    Reply

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