Macro Calculator

Use this free Macro Calculator to turn your body weight, height, age, activity level, and goal into daily gram targets for protein, carbohydrates, and fat. In fact, if you already know your calories, this is the step that turns them into a plan you can actually eat to.

In addition, for the tools this one builds on, see our Calorie Calculator, Protein Calculator and BMI Calculator.

Embed This Calculator on Your Site

Free for bloggers, coaches, teachers, and clinics. In short, copy the code below and paste it into any page on your site, and the Macro Calculator will run right there for your readers. The small Powered by Ablaze Fitness line under it stays with the embed, since that is how we keep the calculators free.

Using this macro calculator

First, choose Metric or Imperial, enter your details honestly, and pick the activity level that matches your normal week, not your best week. However, most people overestimate activity, so if you sit between two levels, choose the lower one and adjust later using your results.

• First, protein is set from your body weight and goal, because protein protects muscle while you diet and builds it while you gain
• Second, fat is set at about a quarter of your calories, enough for hormones and health without crowding out everything else.
• Finally, carbohydrates fill the rest of your calories, so they rise and fall with your training load

How the macro calculator works

The calculator first estimates your resting calorie burn with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the same method used in our Calorie Calculator, then scales it by your activity level to estimate maintenance calories. Then, your goal adjusts that number down for fat loss or up for muscle gain.

Indeed, protein targets follow the ranges supported by sports nutrition research, including the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on diets and body composition, which you can read on PubMed. In fact, higher protein matters most in a calorie deficit. As a result, the Lose fat goal sets the highest per kilogram target.

Adjusting your macro calculator results over time

Overall, treat the first result as a two to three week experiment. Meanwhile, weigh yourself two or three mornings a week and compare the weekly averages. If fat loss stalls for two full weeks, trim 100 to 200 kcal, taken from carbohydrates first. Gaining faster than about half a percent of body weight per week on the Build muscle goal calls for the same small trim.

Hit protein first every day, then let carbohydrates and fat flex around your meals. Finally, a plan you can repeat beats a perfect split you abandon by Friday.