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Macro Calculator
Protein-first macros on the TDEE engine: protein set by bodyweight (g/lb by goal), then carbs & fat split by diet preset (balanced/low-carb/keto/high-protein/Zone). Grams + % + per-meal, reconciled 4/4/9. A fitness estimate, not dietary advice. Accurate, instant and free — for United States.
What these mean:
What these mean:
What these mean:
What these mean:
What these mean:
Goal calories ≈ 2207 kcal/day (cut). Split: 176 g protein / 210 g carbs / 74 g fat (Balanced). Protein is set first from your bodyweight at 1 g/lb — then carbs and fat fill the rest (4/4/9 kcal/g). A starting point — general fitness guidance, not dietary advice.
Protein
176 g
32% of calories · 704 kcal
Carbs
210 g
38% of calories · 840 kcal
Fat
74 g
30% of calories · 666 kcal
Calorie check (4 / 4 / 9)
176 g × 4 + 210 g × 4 + 74 g × 9 = ≈ 2210 kcal, reconciling to your goal calories (2207 kcal). Protein and carbs are 4 kcal/g; fat is 9 kcal/g.
Per-meal split
Across 4 meals/day that’s about 44 g protein/meal (plus ≈ 53 g carbs and ≈ 19 g fat).
Muscle-protein synthesis is maximised at roughly 0.4 g/kg protein per meal (≈ 32 g for you). Your per-meal protein clears that anchor.
Protein is set first, from your bodyweight
A starting point — not dietary advice
How we calculate this
Reviewed by Reckonist Editorial · Last reviewed July 2026. Figures follow the methods and sources set out in our editorial standards.
Protein-first macro split on the Mifflin/TDEE engine (4/4/9 kcal/g). A starting point — general fitness guidance, not medical or dietary advice.
Protein-first flexible dieting (Precision Nutrition / RippedBody / ISSN) · protein 0.8–1.0 g/lb by goal · protein & carbs 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g
Fine-tune the pieces: set a dedicated protein target, revisit your calorie base with the TDEE Calculator, and track progress with the Weight-Loss Percentage Calculator.
TDEE → goal calories → protein-first split
From your sex, age, height and weight this tool estimates your TDEE (total daily burn) on the shared BMR engine, applies your goal for goal calories, then sets your protein by bodyweight first and splits the rest into carbs and fat by your diet preset. Every macro carries its unit — grams, % of calories and kcal.
Calories → protein
TDEE, goal, then protein
goal cal = TDEE × (1 + goal%) ; protein g = bodyweight-lb × g/lb
Protein per lb by goal: 1.0 on a cut, 0.8 maintenance, 0.9 on a bulk. Protein is set first, from bodyweight — not a flat percentage.
Carbs & fat split
preset fills the rest (4/4/9)
fat cal = goal × fat% ; carbs = (goal − protein − fat) ÷ 4
Protein & carbs are 4 kcal/g, fat is 9 kcal/g. Keto instead caps carbs (≈ 30 g) and lets fat fill the rest.
- 1Protein first: 180 lb × 1.0 g/lb = 180 g protein = 720 kcal (protein is 4 kcal/g).
- 2Fat, then carbs: fat = 30% × 2,000 = 600 kcal ÷ 9 = 67 g; carbs = (2,000 − 720 − 600) ÷ 4 = 170 g. → 180 P / 170 C / 67 F (≈ 36% / 34% / 30%).
Protein set by bodyweight — first
Most macro calculators hand you a flat 40/30/30 and call it done. The problem: your muscle needs protein in grams, not as a share of a calorie total that shrinks when you cut. So this tool sets protein first, from your bodyweight — roughly 0.7–1.0 g per lb (≈ 1.6–2.2 g/kg) — and only then divides the remaining calories into carbs and fat. It is the method Precision Nutrition, RippedBody and the ISSN use, and it is what protects lean mass in a deficit.
Why a flat percentage can under-protein you
Diet presets — balanced, low-carb, keto, high-protein, Zone
Once protein is fixed, the preset decides how the remaining calories split between carbs and fat:
| Preset | Rule | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Balanced | 30% fat | a flexible default |
| Low-carb | 40% fat | fewer carbs, not keto |
| Keto | ≈ 30 g carb cap | ketogenic, fat fills the rest |
| High-protein | 25% fat | more carbs for training |
| Zone 40/30/30 | 30% fat | the named Zone ratio |
Keto is handled as a carb cap (about 30 g) rather than a fat percentage — protein stays set by bodyweight, carbs sit at the cap, and fat absorbs everything left over.
Goal modes set both calories and protein
Your goal adjusts your calories as a percentage of TDEE — a cut is −20% for fat loss, maintain holds at TDEE, and a bulk adds +10% for muscle gain — and it also sets your protein-per-lb (highest, 1.0 g/lb, on a cut to protect muscle). Set your calorie base with the TDEE Calculator and a dedicated protein target if you want to fine-tune.
Don’t cut below your BMR
Grams + % (4/4/9) and the per-meal split
Every macro is shown three ways: grams (what you track), % of calories (the shape of your diet) and kcal. They reconcile to your goal calories through the 4/4/9 rule — protein and carbs at 4 kcal/g, fat at 9 kcal/g — and the tool shows that check so nothing is hand-waved. It then divides the daily totals by your meals to give a per-meal target, and flags when per-meal protein falls below the ≈ 0.4 g/kg that maximises muscle-protein synthesis per sitting. Track the trend with the Weight-Loss Percentage Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Start from your goal calories (TDEE × your goal adjustment — a cut, maintain or bulk). Then set protein first from your bodyweight: roughly 1.0 g per lb on a cut, 0.8 g/lb at maintenance, 0.9 g/lb on a bulk. Protein is 4 kcal/g, so multiply grams by 4 to get protein calories. Set fat next from a percentage of your goal calories (fat is 9 kcal/g), and let carbohydrate fill whatever calories remain (4 kcal/g). This protein-first method protects muscle better than a flat 40/30/30 split.
For most lifters and dieters, about 0.7–1.0 g of protein per lb of bodyweight (roughly 1.6–2.2 g/kg) per day. This calculator sets the higher end (1.0 g/lb) on a cut, because a calorie deficit is when protein matters most for preserving lean muscle, and slightly lower on maintenance (0.8) and a bulk (0.9). For an 180 lb person on a cut that is about 180 g protein per day. If you know your body-fat %, Katch-McArdle can base this on lean mass instead.
For fat loss, eat in a moderate calorie deficit (around 20% below TDEE), keep protein high (about 1.0 g per lb of bodyweight) to preserve muscle, and split the rest between carbs and fat to taste. Higher protein also blunts hunger. A common starting split for a dieter is roughly 35–40% protein, 30–35% carbs and 25–30% fat — but the protein grams matter more than the percentages. Do not set goal calories below your BMR.
Keto (ketogenic) macros cap carbohydrate very low — typically 20–50 g per day — so the body shifts to burning fat for fuel. In this calculator the keto preset uses a 30 g carb cap: protein is still set from your bodyweight, carbs are held at the cap, and fat fills all remaining calories. That usually lands around 65–75% of calories from fat, 20–30% from protein and under 10% from carbs.
The Zone diet targets 40% of calories from carbohydrate, 30% from protein and 30% from fat. It is a recognised named diet, so it is offered as a preset. Note the calculator still sets protein from your bodyweight first and reconciles everything to your goal calories via the 4/4/9 rule, so your exact percentages may land near — not exactly on — 40/30/30 depending on your weight and goal.
Because your muscle needs a certain amount of protein in grams, not as a share of a calorie total that changes with your goal. If you set protein as a flat percentage, a low-calorie cut can leave you under-eating protein exactly when you most need it to preserve muscle. Setting protein first from bodyweight (0.7–1.0 g/lb) fixes the grams, then carbs and fat flex to fill the remaining calories. This is the method the serious fitness sites use.
The tool divides your daily macros across the number of meals you set. Muscle-protein synthesis is maximised at roughly 0.4 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per meal, so spreading protein across 3–5 feedings tends to beat one or two big hits. If your daily protein divided by your meals falls below that per-meal anchor, the tool flags it — you may want fewer, larger protein feedings or a higher daily target.
Method, formulas & references
Methodology: TDEE via the shared BMR engine (Mifflin-St Jeor by default) × activity factor; goal calories = TDEE × (1 + goal%) with cut −20% / maintain 0% / bulk +10%. Protein is set from bodyweight (1.0 g/lb cut, 0.8 maintain, 0.9 bulk); the diet preset then sets fat as a % of goal calories (or, for keto, caps carbs ≈ 30 g) and carbohydrate fills the remainder. Protein and carbs are 4 kcal/g; fat is 9 kcal/g. Per-meal protein is checked against the ≈ 0.4 g/kg muscle-protein-synthesis anchor. Units kg/lb and cm/in convert with fixed factors. All calculations run client-side and nothing is stored. A fitness estimate — a starting point, general fitness guidance, not medical or dietary advice.
Cross-links
How we calculate this
Reviewed by Reckonist Editorial · Last reviewed July 2026. Figures follow the methods and sources set out in our editorial standards.
Calories come from the Mifflin-St Jeor / TDEE engine; protein is set from bodyweight (0.8–1.0 g/lb by goal), then carbs and fat fill the rest by diet preset (4/4/9 kcal/g). This is a general fitness estimate — a starting point, not medical or dietary advice, and you should not set aggressive deficits below your BMR.
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