What do the goal presets change?

Each preset changes two things: the calorie delta applied to your TDEE and the macro split. Lose 1 lb/wk subtracts 500 calories and uses a 40/35/25 split, Maintain uses 30/40/30, and Gain 1 lb/wk adds 500 with 30/50/20. The card header always shows the active split.

Why are macros shown in grams?

Grams are what food scales and labels measure, so gram targets are directly actionable at meal time. The tool derives them from the target calories using the standard energy values — protein and carbs at 4 calories per gram, fat at 9 — and rounds to whole grams for practical use.

How many calories are in a gram of fat?

Nine, versus four for a gram of protein or carbohydrates — the exact conversion the calculator uses and prints on the page. That density is why a 30% fat share produces fewer grams than a 30% protein share: 2,556 × 0.30 ÷ 9 is about 85 grams, while protein gives about 192 grams.

Can I build muscle with the gain presets?

The Gain 0.5 lb/wk (+250) and Gain 1 lb/wk (+500) presets provide the calorie surplus and macro split that support weight gain, but muscle versus fat gains depend on your training and protein timing. The page notes the ratios are general guidance — pair them with progressive resistance training.

Should I eat below my BMR to lose weight faster?

Not recommended for long. Your target already applies the goal deficit to TDEE, which is higher than BMR, so the Lose 1 lb/wk preset lands above BMR for most people. Sustained eating below BMR can impair recovery and hormone function; slower, consistent deficits work better in practice.

Finance

Calorie Calculator

Compute daily calorie needs and macro targets for any goal.

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About the Calorie Calculator

The Calorie Calculator turns your body stats into a daily calorie target and a full macro breakdown in grams, combining the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR equation, an activity multiplier, and a choice of five goal presets. After you pick a gender and enter age, weight, and height, the tool computes your BMR, multiplies it by an activity level from Sedentary to Very Active to get your TDEE, then applies the goal you select — Lose 1 lb/wk, Lose 0.5 lb/wk, Maintain, Gain 0.5 lb/wk, or Gain 1 lb/wk — each carrying its own calorie delta and its own protein, carbs, and fat split. Three stats report BMR, TDEE, and Target calories, while the macro breakdown card shows grams of protein, carbs, and fat, plus colour-coded bars so the split is visible at a glance. Conversions use the standard 4 calories per gram for protein and carbs and 9 for fat, which the page states. Dieters get an instant, coherent answer to the question "how many calories should I eat to lose weight", and lifters get the same for bulking, complete with macros to build meals around. A reset button restores the defaults whenever you want a fresh comparison.

Hand-written guide

Examples

Input

Male, Age = 30, Weight = 70 kg, Height = 175 cm, Activity = Moderate, Goal = Maintain

Output

BMR 1,649 cal · TDEE 2,556 cal · Target 2,556 cal · Protein 192 g · Carbs 256 g · Fat 85 g

Note: Mifflin-St Jeor BMR 1,648.75 × 1.55 = 2,556 TDEE; Maintain split is 30/40/30: 2,556 × 0.30 ÷ 4 = 191.7 g protein, × 0.40 ÷ 4 = 255.6 g carbs, × 0.30 ÷ 9 = 85.2 g fat.

Input

Female, Age = 30, Weight = 60 kg, Height = 165 cm, Activity = Light, Goal = Lose 1 lb/wk (-500)

Output

BMR 1,320 cal · TDEE 1,815 cal · Target 1,315 cal · Protein 132 g · Carbs 115 g · Fat 37 g

Note: BMR 1,320.25 × 1.375 = 1,815 TDEE minus 500 = 1,315 target; the 40/35/25 split gives 131.5 g, 115.1 g, and 36.5 g.

Input

Male, Age = 30, Weight = 70 kg, Height = 175 cm, Activity = Moderate, Goal = Gain 1 lb/wk (+500)

Output

Target 3,056 cal · Protein 229 g · Carbs 382 g · Fat 68 g

Note: 2,556 TDEE + 500 = 3,056; the 30/50/20 split gives 3,056 × 0.30 ÷ 4 = 229.2 g protein, × 0.50 ÷ 4 = 382 g carbs, × 0.20 ÷ 9 = 67.9 g fat.

How to use

1
Pick Male or Female with the Gender tabs at the top of the Body metrics card.
2
Enter your Age, Weight (kg), and Height (cm) in the three number fields.
3
Choose an Activity level and a Goal from the two dropdowns — the goal options include their calorie deltas.
4
Read the BMR, TDEE, and Target calories stats above the macro card.
5
Review the Macro breakdown card for gram targets and the colour-coded percentage bars.

Common use cases

Setting a daily calorie budget for a one-pound-per-week weight loss plan.
Building a lean-bulk target with a modest surplus and macro guidance.
Planning a week of meals around exact protein, carb, and fat grams.
Comparing how different goals change both calories and macros at once.
Adjusting intake after recalculating with a new body weight.
Translating a TDEE from the TDEE Calculator into actionable macro grams.

Best practices

Macro grams are whole-number estimates — expect one or two grams of rounding in the bar display.
Use the 4/4/9 calorie values as a baseline; food labels and digestion introduce real-world variance.
Match your activity choice to the TDEE Calculator for consistency when comparing the two tools.
Revisit your numbers after five kilograms of weight change, since BMR scales with mass.
The preset splits are general guidance, not medical advice — the page says to adjust them to your training.
Don't chase the target to the single calorie; staying within a 100-calorie band is a workable plan.

Tips

The goal dropdown labels include the calorie delta, so you always know what you are signing up for.
The colour-coded macro bars make the split readable at a glance — red protein, amber carbs, sky fat.
Reset to defaults restores 30 / 70 / 175 / Moderate / Maintain for a clean baseline.
Pair this with the Macro Calculator by feeding the target calories in there for a second opinion on grams.

Frequently asked questions

With the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age, plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women. BMR is then multiplied by the activity factor to produce TDEE, and the goal delta is applied to that to get the target calories.

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