Myfitnesspal Macro Calculator

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MyFitnessPal Macro Calculator

Male Female
Sedentary (little or no exercise) Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) Extra Active (very hard exercise/physical job/training twice a day)
Lose Weight (approx. 0.5 kg/week) Lose Weight (approx. 0.25 kg/week) Maintain Weight Gain Weight (approx. 0.25 kg/week) Gain Weight (approx. 0.5 kg/week)

Your Macro Targets:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): — calories

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): — calories

Target Daily Calories: — calories

Protein: — g (– calories)

Carbohydrates: — g (– calories)

Fats: — g (– calories)

*Macro percentages used: Protein 30%, Carbs 40%, Fat 30%

Understanding Your MyFitnessPal Macro Targets

MyFitnessPal is a popular tool for tracking diet and exercise, and a key part of its effectiveness lies in understanding and setting appropriate macronutrient (macro) targets. Macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates, and fats – are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts for energy, growth, and repair. This calculator helps you determine personalized macro targets, similar to how MyFitnessPal might guide you, based on your individual characteristics and fitness goals.

How Macro Targets Are Calculated

The process involves several steps to arrive at your daily macro recommendations:

  1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This is the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain basic bodily functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production. Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely regarded as one of the most accurate BMR formulas.
  2. Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): Your TDEE is your BMR adjusted for your activity level. It represents the total number of calories you burn in a day, including exercise and daily movements. The more active you are, the higher your TDEE will be.
  3. Calorie Goal Adjustment: Based on your goal (lose, maintain, or gain weight), your TDEE is adjusted. To lose weight, a calorie deficit is created (you eat fewer calories than you burn). To gain weight, a calorie surplus is needed. For maintenance, you aim to eat roughly your TDEE.
  4. Macronutrient Distribution: Once your target daily calories are established, these calories are then distributed among protein, carbohydrates, and fats. While MyFitnessPal allows for custom percentages, this calculator uses a common balanced approach: 30% Protein, 40% Carbohydrates, and 30% Fat. These percentages are a good starting point for many individuals aiming for general health, weight management, and muscle preservation.

Why Macros Matter

  • Protein: Essential for muscle repair and growth, hormone production, and satiety. Aiming for adequate protein is crucial, especially when trying to lose weight, to preserve lean muscle mass. (4 calories per gram)
  • Carbohydrates: Your body's primary source of energy. They fuel your brain and muscles, especially during exercise. Choosing complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) over simple sugars is generally recommended. (4 calories per gram)
  • Fats: Vital for hormone production, nutrient absorption, and overall health. Healthy fats (from avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil) are important for satiety and well-being. (9 calories per gram)

Using Your Results

The results from this calculator provide a solid foundation for setting up your MyFitnessPal goals. Input your target daily calories and then adjust your macro percentages within MyFitnessPal to match the grams calculated here. Remember that these are starting points, and you may need to adjust them based on your progress, how you feel, and your specific training regimen. Consistency in tracking and regular reassessment are key to achieving your fitness goals.

Example Calculation:

Let's consider a 30-year-old female, 165 cm tall, weighing 60 kg, who is Moderately Active, and wants to Lose Weight (approx. 0.5 kg/week).

  1. BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor for Women):
    BMR = (10 × 60 kg) + (6.25 × 165 cm) – (5 × 30 years) – 161
    BMR = 600 + 1031.25 – 150 – 161 = 1320.25 calories
  2. TDEE (Moderately Active multiplier 1.55):
    TDEE = 1320.25 × 1.55 = 2046.39 calories
  3. Target Daily Calories (Lose Weight -500 calories):
    Target Calories = 2046.39 – 500 = 1546.39 calories (approx. 1546 calories)
  4. Macro Distribution (Protein 30%, Carbs 40%, Fat 30%):
    • Protein: 1546 × 0.30 = 463.8 calories / 4 cal/g = 115.95 g (approx. 116 g)
    • Carbohydrates: 1546 × 0.40 = 618.4 calories / 4 cal/g = 154.6 g (approx. 155 g)
    • Fats: 1546 × 0.30 = 463.8 calories / 9 cal/g = 51.53 g (approx. 52 g)

This individual would aim for approximately 1546 calories daily, broken down into 116g Protein, 155g Carbohydrates, and 52g Fats.

function calculateMacros() { var age = parseFloat(document.getElementById('age').value); var gender = document.getElementById('gender').value; var heightCm = parseFloat(document.getElementById('heightCm').value); var weightKg = parseFloat(document.getElementById('weightKg').value); var activityMultiplier = parseFloat(document.getElementById('activityLevel').value); var goalAdjustment = parseFloat(document.getElementById('goalAdjustment').value); // Validate inputs if (isNaN(age) || age <= 0 || isNaN(heightCm) || heightCm <= 0 || isNaN(weightKg) || weightKg <= 0) { document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = '

Please enter valid positive numbers for Age, Height, and Weight.

'; return; } var bmr; // Mifflin-St Jeor Equation if (gender === 'male') { bmr = (10 * weightKg) + (6.25 * heightCm) – (5 * age) + 5; } else { // female bmr = (10 * weightKg) + (6.25 * heightCm) – (5 * age) – 161; } var tdee = bmr * activityMultiplier; var targetCalories = tdee + goalAdjustment; // Default Macro Percentages (common balanced approach) var proteinPercentage = 0.30; // 30% var carbsPercentage = 0.40; // 40% var fatPercentage = 0.30; // 30% // Calculate macro calories var proteinCalories = targetCalories * proteinPercentage; var carbsCalories = targetCalories * carbsPercentage; var fatCalories = targetCalories * fatPercentage; // Convert macro calories to grams var proteinGrams = proteinCalories / 4; // 4 calories per gram of protein var carbsGrams = carbsCalories / 4; // 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates var fatGrams = fatCalories / 9; // 9 calories per gram of fat // Display results document.getElementById('bmrOutput').innerHTML = 'Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): ' + Math.round(bmr) + ' calories'; document.getElementById('tdeeOutput').innerHTML = 'Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): ' + Math.round(tdee) + ' calories'; document.getElementById('targetCaloriesOutput').innerHTML = 'Target Daily Calories: ' + Math.round(targetCalories) + ' calories'; document.getElementById('proteinOutput').innerHTML = 'Protein: ' + Math.round(proteinGrams) + ' g (' + Math.round(proteinCalories) + ' calories)'; document.getElementById('carbsOutput').innerHTML = 'Carbohydrates: ' + Math.round(carbsGrams) + ' g (' + Math.round(carbsCalories) + ' calories)'; document.getElementById('fatOutput').innerHTML = 'Fats: ' + Math.round(fatGrams) + ' g (' + Math.round(fatCalories) + ' calories)'; } // Run calculation on page load with default values window.onload = calculateMacros;

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