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Learn more →Enter your stats, activity level, and goal (lose, maintain, gain). Get target daily calories plus grams of protein, fat, and carbs to hit them.
Step 1: BMR via Mifflin-St Jeor — the most accurate of the simple formulas. Step 2: TDEE = BMR × activity factor (1.2 for sedentary up to 1.9 for athletes). Step 3: target calories = TDEE ± 500 for cutting/bulking, or TDEE for maintenance.
Step 4: split the calories. We use protein 30%, fat 30%, carbs 40% by default. Protein has a floor of 1.6 g/kg of body weight (the lower bound from sports nutrition reviews) — if 30% of calories is below that, we raise protein. Fat at 30% provides hormone support and satiety. The remainder goes to carbs.
Protein: 1.6-2.2 g/kg is the evidence-based range for muscle protein synthesis in active people. Higher (up to 3 g/kg) doesn't hurt and may help during a deficit. Lower than 1.2 g/kg risks muscle loss during weight loss.
Fat: 0.6-1 g/kg is the minimum for hormone health. We target ~30% of calories which lands in this range for most people.
Carbs: fill the remaining calories. Carbs are the most flexible macro — your body can use protein and fat for energy, but performance in any high-intensity work suffers without sufficient carbs.
Cutting: ~500 kcal/day deficit gives ~0.5 kg/week loss. Aggressive cuts (>750 kcal) increase muscle loss and metabolic adaptation. Keep protein high during a cut.
Bulking: 250-500 kcal/day surplus is the lean-bulk range. More aggressive surpluses add fat without much extra muscle.
Maintenance: useful between phases or for body recomposition. Slow but the safest place to live long-term.
Sports nutrition research consistently shows muscle protein synthesis is maximized at 1.6-2.2 g/kg in active people. Below 1.2 g/kg risks muscle loss during a deficit.
Not yet — we use a research-backed default. Custom splits may come later. For now, the protein number is the most important; fat and carb proportions are flexible.
We display the macros derived from your target. Carbs round-fill the remainder, so totals should match within rounding error (a few kcal).
1 g/lb ≈ 2.2 g/kg, which is at the high end of the evidence-based range. It's safe and effective; not strictly necessary above 1.6 g/kg.
For most people, no. Larger deficits accelerate weight loss but also muscle loss and metabolic adaptation. 500 kcal/day is a good balance.
Keto and very-low-carb need a different macro split (often 75% fat, 20% protein, 5% carbs). This calculator uses a balanced split — keto-specific calculators are better for that approach.
No — it uses total weight. If you have a lot of muscle or low body fat, true protein needs may be higher. Use lean body mass × 2.2 as an alternative protein target.
No. Calculation runs locally.
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Learn more →This tool is for general information only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a qualified healthcare professional about your health.