Macro Calculator
Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and ideal macronutrients using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.
How this calculator works
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor)
Basal Metabolic Rate — calories needed at complete rest.
Male: (10x W) + (6.25x H) - (5x A) + 5 Female: (10x W) + (6.25x H) - (5x A) - 161 TDEE
Total Daily Energy Expenditure = BMR x activity multiplier (1.2 to 1.9).
Macros
Protein: 1.8g/kg body weight. Fat: 25% of calories. Carbs: remaining calories.
What Is TDEE and Why Does It Matter?
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns each day, combining your basal metabolic rate with all physical activity. It is the single most important number for any nutrition or fitness goal.
- Eat at your TDEE and you maintain your current weight
- Eat below your TDEE and you lose body fat
- Eat above your TDEE and you gain weight and muscle mass
Most Indians significantly overestimate how active they are and underestimate how much they eat — which is why weight loss stalls even when people feel they are eating less. Knowing your TDEE gives you an objective baseline to plan from.
Why the Mifflin-St Jeor Formula?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (published 1990) is the gold standard for BMR estimation and is preferred over the older Harris-Benedict equation by most nutrition researchers and dietitians. It consistently outperforms Harris-Benedict in studies on South Asian and other non-Western populations, making it more appropriate for Indian users than equations built from older Western-centric data. The formula uses weight in kg, height in cm, and age in years as inputs, with a sex-specific constant, and typically falls within 10% of measured resting metabolic rate for healthy adults.
Understanding Your Macro Targets on an Indian Diet
The default macro split — 1.8g/kg protein, 25% fat, carbs filling the remainder — is well-suited for active Indians with moderate to high fitness goals. Here is what it looks like in practice for a 65 kg person with a 2,000 kcal TDEE:
- Protein: approximately 117g per day — From 200g paneer (36g), 2 eggs (26g), 1 cup dal (14g), 200g curd (12g) you get roughly 88g. The remaining 29g comes from roti, rice, and vegetables. Most Indians eat 40-60g per day — doubling this is the most impactful diet change for body composition.
- Fat: approximately 55g per day — Easily met with standard Indian cooking using oil and ghee. The challenge is usually not exceeding it. Tracking oil in sabzi and tarka is the key habit.
- Carbohydrates: approximately 200-230g per day — Primarily from roti, rice, dal, and vegetables. This is 45-55% of total calories — a healthy, sustainable proportion for most people.
Frequently Asked Questions
My TDEE seems too high or too low — is it accurate?
The formula produces a population average estimate. Individual metabolic rates vary by 10-15%. Track your intake at the calculated TDEE for 2-3 weeks. If weight is stable, the number is accurate for you. If weight is changing, adjust by 100-150 kcal up or down. Real-world calibration over a few weeks always outperforms any formula.
Which activity level should I select?
Most desk workers should select "Sedentary" or "Lightly Active" — not "Moderately Active." People consistently overestimate their activity. Sedentary means little to no intentional exercise beyond daily walking. Lightly active means 1-3 days of moderate exercise per week. When in doubt, choose the lower option and adjust based on real-world results after 2 weeks.
Should vegetarians use a higher protein target?
Many nutrition researchers recommend vegetarians target 10-15% more protein than the standard recommendation, because plant proteins have lower digestibility and a less complete amino acid profile than animal proteins. For muscle building, vegetarian Indians should aim for 1.8-2.2g per kg. Combining sources — rice with dal, roti with curd — addresses the amino acid completeness concern.
How often should I recalculate?
Recalculate every 4-6 weeks, or whenever your weight changes by more than 3-4 kg. Your TDEE decreases as you lose weight and increases as you gain muscle. Using outdated numbers is the primary reason people plateau — the same deficit that produced results initially stops working as your body adapts to the new weight.