About this calculator
Calories decide whether you gain or lose weight; macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates and fat — decide what that weight is made of and how the diet feels day to day. Enough protein protects muscle while you lose fat and keeps hunger down. Carbs fuel training. Fat covers hormones and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. A macro target translates your calorie goal into these three daily numbers.
The plans above span the mainstream options. "Balanced" suits most people. High protein fits muscle building and aggressive fat loss. Low carb and keto reduce appetite for some dieters and help blood-sugar control for others — at the price of stricter food rules. The best plan is the one whose food you can live with for months, because adherence beats theoretical optimality every time.
How to use it
- Enter your daily calorie target (estimate it with our Calorie Calculator first if needed).
- Pick the plan closest to how you actually like to eat.
- Use the gram targets as daily ranges (±10 g is fine), not as pass/fail quotas for every single meal.
The formula
The divisors are the energy densities of the macronutrients: protein and carbohydrate carry about 4 kcal per gram, fat about 9 kcal per gram (and alcohol, for reference, 7). Percentages are shares of total calories, so the three always add back to your target.
Worked example
At 2,500 kcal on the balanced plan: 750 kcal of protein = 188 g, 1,000 kcal of carbohydrates = 250 g, and 750 kcal of fat = 83 g. On a 2,000 kcal ketogenic plan the picture flips: just 25 g of carbs (100 kcal), 125 g of protein (500 kcal) and 156 g of fat (1,400 kcal).
Frequently asked questions
How much protein do I actually need?
The bare-minimum RDA is 0.8 g per kg of body weight (about 0.36 g per lb), but research on active people and dieters supports 1.6–2.2 g per kg (0.7–1.0 g per lb) for building or protecting muscle. As a percentage, that is roughly 25%–40% of calories for most dieters — check where your plan lands for your body weight.
Do I need to hit my macros exactly every day?
No. Daily totals are a planning scaffold, not a metabolic switch: what matters is the pattern across the week. A practical approach is to prioritize protein daily (the macro with the clearest minimum), keep calories on target across the week, and let carbs and fat flex around meals and training.
Which plan is best for losing fat?
The one you can sustain at a calorie deficit — controlled studies comparing diets matched for calories and protein find small differences between low-carb and low-fat approaches. Protein is the lever with consistent support: higher protein preserves muscle and reduces hunger on any plan.
Is keto safe?
Ketogenic diets are widely used and studied, including medically for epilepsy, but they are restrictive and can interact with medications (notably diabetes and blood-pressure drugs, as needs change quickly) and are not appropriate during pregnancy. If you have a medical condition, clear any strict plan with your doctor first.