This macro calculator estimates a daily calorie target from weight, height, age, sex, activity factor, and goal. It builds a Mifflin St Jeor BMR, multiplies by activity, then applies a lose or gain adjustment when selected.
Lifters and general health users start here before splitting meals. Cross check body size with the BMI calculator and broader intake planning with the calorie calculator.
How the formula works
Male BMR = 10×kg + 6.25×cm – 5×age + 5. Female BMR uses -161 instead of +5. TDEE = BMR × activity. Lose subtracts 500 calories. Gain adds 300. Maintain leaves TDEE as is.
Worked example
70 kg, 175 cm, age 30, male, activity 1.55, maintain. BMR = 700 + 1093.75 – 150 + 5 = 1648.75. TDEE = 1648.75 × 1.55 ≈ 2555.56 calories.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 70 kg |
| Height | 175 cm |
| Age | 30 |
| Sex | Male |
| Activity | 1.55 |
| Goal | Maintain |
| Daily calories | ~2555.56 |
How to use the fields
- Weight and height should be metric as labeled.
- Age is in years.
- Sex selects the BMR constant set.
- Activity multiplies BMR for daily movement and training.
- Goal applies the lose, gain, or maintain adjustment.
Choosing activity
Desk jobs with light training sit lower. Heavy labor or two a day training sits higher. If weight trends the wrong way for two weeks, nudge activity or intake rather than chasing perfection on day one.
Goal adjustments
A 500 calorie deficit is a common fat loss starting point in this model. A 300 calorie surplus supports slower gain. Neither replaces medical advice for clinical needs.
Common mistakes
- Entering pounds or inches in metric fields
- Picking an athlete activity factor for sedentary weeks
- Changing goal every day instead of tracking weekly averages
- Ignoring protein and fiber quality once calories are set
Tracking checklist
- Weigh under similar conditions weekly.
- Log adherence for at least 10 to 14 days.
- Adjust 100 to 200 calories if the trend disagrees with the goal.
- Recalculate after meaningful weight change.
From calories to macros
After you have a calorie target, split protein, carbs, and fat using your coach’s rules or standard grams per kilogram guides. Keep the calorie total as the primary budget this page computes.
Protein first meal building
After calories are set, many coaches assign protein grams per kilogram, then fill carbs and fats with the remaining calories. Keep protein steady on cut phases so hunger and muscle retention behave better. Recalculate calories when body weight changes by a meaningful amount.
Food scales beat volume guesses when adherence matters. The calculator sets the budget; the kitchen executes it.
Training day versus rest day
Some athletes eat slightly more on hard days and less on rest days without changing weekly averages much. You can approximate that by keeping the weekly calorie total near seven times the daily target. This form itself uses one daily number.
If performance drops, raise calories before you slash activity factors based on frustration alone.
Medical and special populations
Pregnancy, clinical eating disorders, and physician directed diets need professional care. Do not use a generic macro target to override medical guidance. For general adult planning, treat outputs as educational starting points and monitor energy, sleep, and strength.
Fiber, micronutrients, and adherence
Hitting a calorie number with ultra processed food can still leave you hungry and low on micronutrients. Build meals around produce, protein, and fiber so adherence lasts past the first week. Recalculate when your weight leaves the range you used for BMR.
Step count and NEAT change TDEE as much as formal workouts for many people. If daily walking collapses, the activity factor may need a downward nudge.
Weekend drift and weekly averages
Many people eat under target on weekdays and far over on weekends. Look at a seven day calorie average before you declare the macro calculator wrong. If weekends blow the budget, either plan higher weekend calories inside the weekly total or tighten social eating with a concrete limit.
Travel weeks deserve a temporary activity and intake reset rather than guilt driven restriction that fails by Thursday.
Limitations
Equations estimate populations, not metabolic labs. Medications, hormones, and adaptive changes can shift needs. Use the number as a start line, then let scale and performance data steer updates. For resting burn only, see the BMR calculator.