Macro Calculator

Macro Calculator – TDEE, Daily Calories and Macronutrient Breakdown

This Macro Calculator is designed to take the guesswork out of nutrition. It helps you estimate how many calories you burn each day (TDEE), choose the right calorie target for fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain, and convert that calorie target into a simple macro plan in grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Instead of juggling multiple tools and formulas, you get everything in one place: TDEE, calorie targets, macro breakdowns, and a rough weight change projection based on your calorie intake. It works with both metric and imperial units and offers several diet style presets so you can quickly match the calculator to your preferred way of eating.

What Are Macros?

"Macros" is short for macronutrients, the three main nutrient groups that provide calories and energy:

• Protein – supports muscle repair, growth, hormones, enzymes, and immune function.
• Carbohydrates – primary fuel for the brain and high-intensity exercise, stored as glycogen.
• Fats – energy source and crucial for hormones, cell membranes, and nutrient absorption.

Every calorie you consume comes from one (or more) of these macros. The Macro Calculator helps you decide how many calories you should eat each day and what percentage of those calories should come from each macronutrient according to your goals and diet style.

Calories, Macros and Energy Balance

At the core of any nutrition plan is energy balance:

• Calorie deficit – you eat fewer calories than you burn. Over time, this usually leads to fat loss.
• Calorie maintenance – you eat as many calories as you burn. Your body weight tends to stay stable.
• Calorie surplus – you eat more calories than you burn. This supports weight gain and muscle growth, but can also increase body fat if the surplus is too large.

Your daily calorie burn is approximated by your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This calculator first estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and then multiplies that number by an activity factor to estimate TDEE. You can then choose to eat below, at, or above that TDEE depending on whether your goal is fat loss, recomposition, or muscle gain.

Three Tools in One Macro Calculator

The Macro Calculator on MyTimeCalculator is built around three core sections, each of which solves a different problem:

1. TDEE & Calories

The first tab estimates your BMR and TDEE using your age, gender, height, weight, activity level, and optionally body fat percentage. It outputs:

• BMR (Primary) – your baseline resting calorie burn.
• Mifflin–St Jeor BMR – a modern, research-backed BMR equation.
• Katch–McArdle BMR – available if you enter your body fat percentage, using lean body mass.
• TDEE (Maintenance) – estimated daily calories to maintain your current weight.
• Cutting Calories – a suggested calorie range for fat loss.
• Bulking Calories – a suggested calorie range for gradual muscle gain.

These numbers form the foundation of your macro plan. You can reuse the TDEE output in the other two tabs without re-entering everything.

2. Macro Breakdown

Once you have a daily calorie target, the second tab converts that number into easy-to-follow macros. You enter your calorie target and pick a diet style:

• Standard balanced
• High protein
• Low carb
• Keto
• Athlete / performance

The calculator then calculates:

• Protein grams and calories per day
• Carbohydrate grams and calories per day
• Fat grams and calories per day
• Macro percentages (for easy tracking in food log apps)
• A summary of the chosen macro pattern

3. Weight Change Projection

The third tab estimates how your weight might change over time based on the difference between your daily calorie intake and your maintenance calories:

• Weekly change – estimated weight change per week.
• 1-month change – projected change over four weeks.
• 3-month change – projected change over twelve weeks.
• Trend summary – whether you are likely in a deficit, maintenance, or surplus range.

This projection uses commonly cited approximations (around 7700 kcal per kilogram or 3500 kcal per pound of body fat) to give a simple forecast. Real-world results will vary, but it provides a useful starting point for planning.

Formulas Used by the Macro Calculator

To keep things transparent, here are the main equations used under the hood.

Mifflin–St Jeor BMR (Default)

The Mifflin–St Jeor equation is widely regarded as one of the most accurate BMR formulas for the general population:

The calculator converts imperial units to metric automatically when you choose feet, inches, or pounds.

Katch–McArdle BMR (If Body Fat % is Provided)

When you enter your estimated body fat percentage, the Macro Calculator can use the Katch–McArdle formula:

This formula bases your BMR on lean body mass, which can be particularly helpful for people with above-average muscle mass.

TDEE – Total Daily Energy Expenditure

TDEE is calculated by multiplying BMR by an activity factor:

Typical activity factors are:

• Sedentary: 1.2
• Lightly active: 1.375
• Moderately active: 1.55
• Very active: 1.725
• Super active: 1.9

Macro Calories per Gram

To switch from calories to grams, the calculator uses standard values:

• Protein = 4 kcal per gram
• Carbohydrates = 4 kcal per gram
• Fats = 9 kcal per gram

Once you choose macro percentages (for example, 30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fats), the calculator multiplies your daily calories by each percentage and then converts those calories into grams using the numbers above.

Common Macro Splits for Different Goals

There is no single “perfect” macro split. Different bodies, lifestyles, and preferences respond better to different patterns. Here are examples of macro splits used by the calculator and when they are typically helpful.

Standard Balanced

A balanced macro ratio might look like:

High-Protein Style

A high-protein approach is often used during fat loss or muscle gain phases:

Low-Carb / Higher-Fat Style

Some people prefer fewer carbs and more fats, while keeping proteinatively high:

Keto-Style Macros

A ketogenic-style macro plan is very high in fats, minimal in carbs, and moderate in protein:

Athlete / Performance Style

For high-volume training, many athletes prefer a higher-carb macro pattern:

The Macro Calculator applies these patterns automatically when you change the diet style, but the calorie target remains under your control.

Step-by-Step: How to Use the Macro Calculator

1. Open the TDEE & Calories tab. Enter your age, gender, unit system, height, weight, activity level, and optionally your body fat percentage.
2. Click “Calculate TDEE & Calories”.iew your BMR, TDEE, and cutting/bulking ranges. Choose the calorie target that matches your current goal (for example, a moderate deficit for fat loss).
3. Copy or note your chosen calorie target. For fat loss, many people start in the middle of the suggested cutting range. For muscle gain, a mild surplus is usually easier to sustain.
4. Go to the Macro Breakdown tab. Enter your daily calorie target and select your preferred diet style (balanced, high protein, low carb, keto, or athlete).
5. Click “Calculate Macros”. The calculator will display your macros in grams and calories, macro percentages, and a short summary of your macro pattern.
6. Optionally use the Weight Change Projection tab. Enter your maintenance calories (TDEE) and planned daily intake to see a rough estimate of your weekly, monthly, and three-month weight change.

Example Macro Setup for Fat Loss

Suppose you are a moderately active adult whose TDEE is estimated at 2400 kcal per day. You choose a moderate deficit of around 15%, so your target intake is:

On the Macro Breakdown tab, you select the “Standard Balanced” diet style (30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fats).

• Protein: 30% of 2040 = 612 kcal → 612 / 4 = 153 g protein per day.
• Carbs: 40% of 2040 = 816 kcal → 816 / 4 = 204 g carbs per day.
• Fats: 30% of 2040 = 612 kcal → 612 / 9 ≈ 68 g fats per day.

You can then plug these numbers into your food tracking app and aim to stay close to these targets most days of the week.

Example Macro Setup for Muscle Gain

Now suppose the same person wants to build muscle. They keep their training volume high and choose a mild surplus of 10% above TDEE:

They select a high-protein, performance-friendly pattern such as the “Athlete / Performance” style (around 30% protein, 50% carbs, 20% fats).

• Protein: 30% of 2640 = 792 kcal → 792 / 4 = 198 g protein per day.
• Carbs: 50% of 2640 = 1320 kcal → 1320 / 4 = 330 g carbs per day.
• Fats: 20% of 2640 = 528 kcal → 528 / 9 ≈ 59 g fats per day.

Combined with progressive resistance training, this setup aims to support muscle growth while keeping fat gain moderate.

Understanding the Weight Change Projection

The Weight Change Projection tab helps you visualize how your daily calorie choices might translate into weight changes over time. The calculator uses:

• About 7700 kcal per kilogram of body fat (metric) or
• About 3500 kcal per pound of body fat (imperial)

For example, if your maintenance calories are 2400 and you eat 1900 calories daily, your deficit is around 500 kcal per day:

This roughly corresponds to 0.45 kg per week in metric mode or 1 pound per week in imperial mode. The projection section uses this logic to show:

• Estimated weekly change (positive for gain, negative for loss)
• Approximate change after four weeks
• Approximate change after twelve weeks
• Whether your current plan is very close to maintenance, in a deficit, or in a surplus

Real results will depend on many factors such as water balance, glycogen levels, sleep, stress, and adherence, so use these numbers as helpful estimates rather than exact promises.

When to Adjust Your Macros

Even with accurate formulas, your body is not a machine. It is normal to adjust your macros over time. Consideriewing and tweaking your plan if:

• You are not seeing progress in body weight or measurements for 2–4 weeks.
• Your energy levels, training performance, or recovery are consistently poor.
• You feel excessively hungry, restricted, or unable to stick to the plan.
• Your schedule, training load, or lifestyle changes significantly.

Small adjustments of 100–200 kcal at a time, or modest changes to macro percentages, are usually more sustainable than drastic overhauls.

Using Other MyTimeCalculator Health Tools Together

For a complete view of your health and fitness, you can combine this Macro Calculator with other tools on MyTimeCalculator:

• BMI Calculator – estimate body mass index and weight category.
• Body Fat Calculator – estimate body fat percentage and lean mass with multiple methods.
• Calorie Calculator – focus on daily calories, TDEE, and goal-based calorie planning.
• BMR Calculator – compare Mifflin–St Jeor, Harris Benedict, and Katch–McArdle BMR estimates.

Together, these tools help you understand how your weight, body composition, and daily energy needs interact, giving you a clearer picture of your overall progress.

Important Health and Safety Notes

• This Macro Calculator is for educational and planning purposes only.
• All formulas and projections are estimates, not medical diagnoses.
• People with medical conditions, eating disorders, pregnancy, or special dietary needs should consult a doctor or registered dietitian before making big changes.
• Extreme deficits or surpluses may increase the risk of muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, or other health issues and are generally not recommended without medical supervision.

Use this tool as a smart starting point, then refine it based on your real-world results, professional advice, and how your body feels over time.