Macro Calculator
Macros turn a calorie target into an actual eating plan. This calculator sets your full day — calories plus protein, carbohydrate, and fat grams — from your stats, activity level, and goal. It is the complete version of the calorie calculator for people who track what they eat.
Fill in the fields above to see your result.
How it's calculated
The calculation starts with energy: your basal metabolic rate from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age, +5 for men or −161 for women), multiplied by an activity factor to get TDEE, then shifted for your goal — a deficit for fat loss, a moderate surplus for muscle gain, unchanged for maintenance.
The macro split is then built protein-first, because protein is the only macro with a hard requirement for preserving and building muscle. Protein is set per kilogram of bodyweight at a rate that rises when cutting (protecting lean mass in a deficit is the priority) and relaxes slightly in a surplus. Fat is set as a proportion of total calories, high enough to support hormone production and food palatability. Carbohydrates get every calorie that remains — deliberately, because carbs are the most flexible macro and primarily fund training performance.
This protein-first, fat-floor, carbs-fill-the-rest hierarchy is the same approach used by most evidence-based coaching practices. The output is a starting point, not a contract: the calories carry the usual ±10% estimation error, so run the plan for two or three weeks, watch the scale trend, and adjust calories 100-200 at a time — taking the change out of carbs first, keeping protein fixed. In the ElevenSix app the same calculator can save its result directly as your daily diet goal, so every logged meal is measured against these targets.
Frequently asked questions
What macro split is best for fat loss?
Protein high (top of the 1.6-2.2 g/kg range), fat moderate, carbs filling the rest of a 300-500 calorie deficit. The deficit drives fat loss; protein protects muscle.
Are the macros different for building muscle?
The structure is the same but calories sit in a surplus and protein can relax toward the middle of its range — a surplus is itself protein-sparing.
Do I have to hit my macros exactly?
No. Within 5-10 g per macro is precision enough. Consistency across weeks beats gram-perfect days — the weekly average is what your body responds to.
Why carbs as the leftover macro?
Protein has a hard requirement and fat has a healthy floor. Carbs are the flexible macro — they mainly fund training, so they absorb whatever calories remain.
Take it with you
Every calculator, plus workout and macro tracking, in the ElevenSix Fitness app for iPhone.