Macro Calculator for Weight Loss
Male
Female
Sedentary (Office job, little exercise)
Lightly Active (1-3 days/week)
Moderately Active (3-5 days/week)
Very Active (6-7 days/week)
Extra Active (Physical job + training)
Moderate (10% deficit)
Balanced (20% deficit)
Aggressive (25% deficit)
Your Daily Targets for Weight Loss
0
Calories
0g
Protein
0g
Carbs
0g
Fats
How to Calculate Macros for Weight Loss
Understanding your macronutrient intake (macros) is a powerful tool for weight loss. Unlike simple calorie counting, macro tracking ensures that you lose body fat while preserving lean muscle mass. Macros consist of three main categories: Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fats.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, widely considered the most accurate formula for calculating Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). To determine your weight loss targets, we follow these steps:
- BMR Calculation: This is the energy your body burns at rest.
- TDEE Calculation: We multiply your BMR by an activity factor to find your maintenance calories.
- Apply Deficit: For weight loss, we reduce your maintenance calories by 10% to 25%.
- Macro Split: We distribute those calories into a ratio optimized for fat loss (typically 30% Protein, 40% Carbs, and 30% Fats).
Protein: The Weight Loss Secret
Protein is vital during a weight loss phase. It has the highest thermic effect of food (meaning you burn more energy digesting it) and helps keep you feeling full. We generally recommend aiming for 1.8g to 2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight, but for this calculator, we use a balanced percentage model for simplicity.
Realistic Example
If a 30-year-old male weighs 90kg, is 180cm tall, and exercises 3 times a week, his maintenance calories are approximately 2,600. For steady weight loss, a 20% deficit would bring him to roughly 2,080 calories. His macros might look like 156g of Protein, 208g of Carbs, and 69g of Fat.