Calories | Macronutrients | Lean Body Mass | Basal Metabolic Rate | More Calculators
In recent years, a dietary approach called IIFYM, or "if it fits your macros," has taken the fitness world by storm. Also known as "flexible dieting," it turns old-school, calorie-based dieting on its head by focusing instead on the amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats making up those calories. As long as you come close to your numbers (how close remains a subject of debate), you have a lot of flexibility on what foods you can use to get there.
If you know you're ready to know your macros, the macro calculator below can help you determine your daily targets for three goals:
- Weight loss
- Weight gain
- Overall health and weight maintenance
Macro Calculator
Your calorie count should put you in a slight caloric deficit of around 200-600 calories, depending on your activity level. This can help you establish a consistent, sustainable pace of weight loss. Here are your next steps to lose weight:
1. Pick a workout plan.
A well-designed program is an essential part of turning hard numbers like calories into hard-body results!
2. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.
Supplements can help you accelerate your results once you have your calories and training in place. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., shares her recommendations in the article, "5 Ways to Up Your Fat-Loss Supplement Game."
3. Join a fitness community.
For over 10 years, members of BodySpace have been helping each other build their best bodies. Join a fitness community that's over 2 million people strong!
Your calorie count and macronutrient ratio should put you close to a level where you maintain your current weight. Along with consistent training, this can help you focus on body recomposition, or gradually burning fat and building muscle, while focusing on your health. Here are the next steps on your journey to customize your nutrition:
1. Pick a workout plan.
A well-designed program is an essential part of staying motivated and seeing results.
2. Learn about the best health-focused supplements.
Supplements can help you accelerate your results and support your training once you have your calories and training in place. Chris Lockwood, Ph.D., shares what to take and why in the article, "Start Here: The Most Important Supplements for Every Body."
3. Join a fitness community.
For over 10 years, members of BodySpace have been helping each other build their best bodies. Join a fitness community that's over 2 million people strong!
Your calorie count should put you in a slight caloric surplus of around 500 calories. This can help you establish a consistent, sustainable pace of weight gain. Here are your next steps to gain muscle:
1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.
A well-designed program is an essential part of turning hard numbers like calories into hard-body results!
2. Learn about the best supplements for gaining muscle.
Supplements can help you accelerate your muscle-building results once you have your calories and training nailed. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., shares her recommendations in the article, "8 Proven Supplements for Muscle Growth and Strength."
3. Join a fitness community.
For over 10 years, members of BodySpace have been helping each other build their best bodies. Join a fitness community that's over 2 million people strong!
How Did We Calculate Your Calories?
Bodybuilding.com's macro calculator starts with the Mifflin St. Jeor equation, which is considered by our nutritionists and dieticians to be the "gold standard" of calorie calculators. Here's how it works:
Calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the calories your body burns simply by being alive.
For men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5 (kcal / day)
For women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) -161 (kcal / day)
Then, this BMR count is multiplied, depending on your activity level:
Sedentary = 1.2
Lightly active = 1.375
Moderately active = 1.550
Very active = 1.725
Extra active = 1.9
The calorie count is then adjusted based on your goal:
Weight loss: Reduce by 10-20%
Weight gain: Add 500 calories
Weight maintenance: Unchanged
This calorie count is split into macronutrient percentages in the following ratios, based on splits commonly recommended by our nutrition experts for muscle gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance. (Yes, weight gain and maintenance are the same ratio, but the calories and macros are different.)
Weight loss: 40/40/20 (carbohydrates/protein/fats)
Weight gain: 40/30/30
Weight maintenance: 40/30/30
These daily grams of each "macro" come from applying those percentages to your daily calorie number. Each gram of a macronutrient is "worth" this many calories:
Protein: 4 calories
Carbs: 4 calories
Fats: 9 calories
