Free tool
Macro calculator
Work out daily calories, protein, carbs and fat for cutting, maintaining or building muscle. Enter your numbers once and adjust as you go; nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
How it works
The maths, in plain words
1. Resting burn. We estimate the calories your body uses at rest with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. If you enter a body-fat percentage we use Katch-McArdle instead, which works from lean mass and suits muscular people better.
2. Maintenance. Resting burn times your activity level gives the calories that keep your weight steady.
3. Goal. One kilogram of body weight change is roughly 7,700 calories, so your weekly rate is turned into a daily surplus or deficit. We never set intake below about 1.1 times your resting burn.
4. Macros. Protein is set per kilogram of body weight, fat as a share of calories, and carbs fill what is left. With carb cycling, carbs move to training days while the weekly total stays the same.
5. Check and adjust. Weigh yourself a few mornings a week. If the two-week average is not moving as planned, change calories by about 100 to 150 a day.
Questions
Macro questions
How are my calories worked out?
Your resting burn is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, or Katch-McArdle if you enter your body-fat percentage, then multiplied by your activity level. Your goal adds or removes calories from that maintenance figure.
How much protein should I eat?
Most strength-training adults do well between 1.6 and 2.2 g per kg of body weight a day (about 0.7 to 1 g per lb). Higher amounts help most while dieting, when they protect muscle.
How fast should I lose or gain weight?
A cut of about 0.5 to 1 percent of body weight a week keeps most muscle. A lean bulk of about 0.25 to 0.5 percent a week limits fat gain. Re-check your numbers every two to three weeks on the scale.
What are training-day and rest-day carbs?
Carb cycling keeps the same weekly calories but moves carbs to the days you train. Protein stays the same every day, and fat moves a little the other way.
Is this medical advice?
No. It is an estimate for healthy adults. If you have diabetes, kidney disease, an eating disorder or are pregnant, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for targets.
General information, not medical advice. Estimates are for healthy adults. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or have a history of disordered eating, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for targets.