Macro calculator for weight loss
Get the calories and macros to lose fat without losing muscle. Enter a few details, choose your weight-loss goal, and you’ll get a daily protein, fat and carb target built around a sensible deficit — then turn those numbers into meals that actually hit them. Free, runs in your browser, no signup.
Your details
Takes about 20 seconds.
≈ 2,630 cal · 135g protein · 75g fat · 355g carbs to maintain weight.
This is an estimate, not medical advice.
Choose Lose as your goal and the calculator builds in a moderate deficit for you.
What macros do you need to lose weight?
Losing fat comes down to a calorie deficit — eating a bit less than you burn. The macros decide whether the weight you lose is fat or a mix of fat and muscle. The order that works:
- Calories— set a moderate deficit, around 300 to 500 below maintenance. Enough to lose steadily, not so much that you’re miserable.
- Protein — set high, near 1 gram per pound of goal weight. It protects muscle in a deficit and keeps you full. Why protein matters most.
- Fat— keep above a healthy minimum for your hormones, then it’s flexible.
- Carbs— fill the remaining calories. They’re your energy and your “make the diet livable” lever.
For the whole plan around these numbers — how fast to lose, why most diets fail, and how to keep the result — see how to lose weight.
The part that makes it stick
Hunger, not willpower, is what ends most diets — so the foods you pick matter as much as the numbers. Lean proteins, vegetables, fruit and high-fiber carbs fill you up for few calories, which makes a deficit far easier to hold. Our list of high-protein, low-calorie foods is the place to start, and how to stay full while losing weight covers the rest.
Now turn the numbers into meals
The targets are the easy part; the hard part is what to actually eat to hit them. Calculate above, then let the Adviser rank high-protein foods and meals that fit what you have left, or give the Solver the foods you want and get the exact grams.
Common questions
- What macros should I eat to lose weight?
- Start with a calorie deficit, then set protein high to protect muscle and keep you full, keep fat above a healthy minimum, and let carbs fill the rest. There's no single magic ratio — what drives fat loss is the calorie deficit plus enough protein. This calculator does all of that for you when you choose the 'lose' goal.
- How big should my calorie deficit be?
- A moderate deficit of about 300 to 500 calories a day is the sweet spot for most people, producing steady loss of roughly half a percent to one percent of body weight per week. Bigger cuts drop the scale faster at first but bring more hunger, more muscle loss, and a much higher chance you quit before reaching your goal.
- How much protein do I need to lose fat?
- Aim for around 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight per day. In a deficit, protein does two crucial jobs: it protects the muscle your body would otherwise burn alongside fat, so you end up lean rather than just smaller, and it is the most filling macro, which keeps hunger manageable.
- Do I need to eat low-carb to lose weight?
- No. You lose weight from a calorie deficit, not from cutting any one macro, and studies show low-carb and low-fat diets produce about the same fat loss when calories and protein are matched. Eat the carb-to-fat split you find most filling and easiest to stick to — that consistency matters far more than the ratio.
- How long until I see weight-loss results?
- Expect a faster drop in the first week or two that is mostly water, then a steadier rate of roughly half a percent to one percent of body weight per week. Progress is not linear — some weeks stall while you are doing everything right. Judge by the trend over several weeks rather than the daily number, and recalculate as you get lighter.
This calculator gives general estimates for healthy adults and is not medical or nutritional advice. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant, talk to a professional before changing how you eat.