Enter your height, weight and goal to get a daily calorie target, grams of protein, carbs and fat, and how much protein to aim for at each meal. Free, runs in your browser, nothing is saved or sent.
Health note. These are estimates for healthy adults aged 18 to 80, not medical advice. If you are pregnant or nursing, under 18, or have a medical condition (kidney disease, diabetes, an eating disorder history, anything a doctor is managing), talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing how you eat.
10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5 for men, and the same with − 161 instead of + 5 for women. It comes from Mifflin et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990, measured on 498 healthy adults.A 30-year-old man, 5 ft 10 in (177.8 cm), 180 lb (81.6 kg), moderately active, maintaining. Resting energy: 10 × 81.6 + 6.25 × 177.8 − 5 × 30 + 5 = about 1,780. Times 1.55 = about 2,760 calories. Protein: 81.6 × 1.6 = 131 g. Fat: 25 percent of 2,760 is 690 calories, or 77 g. Carbs: (2,760 − 131 × 4 − 77 × 9) ÷ 4 = 386 g. With 4 meals a day, that is about 33 g of protein each.
| Body weight | 1.4 g/kg | 1.6 g/kg | 2.0 g/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54 kg) | 76 g | 87 g | 109 g |
| 140 lb (64 kg) | 89 g | 102 g | 127 g |
| 160 lb (73 kg) | 102 g | 116 g | 145 g |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | 114 g | 131 g | 163 g |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | 127 g | 145 g | 181 g |
| 220 lb (100 kg) | 140 g | 160 g | 200 g |
| 240 lb (109 kg) | 152 g | 174 g | 218 g |
Calorie targets are estimates: individual resting energy varies, so use the result as a starting point and adjust to how your weight and training respond over a few weeks.
For people who exercise, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand recommends 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. A 180 lb (82 kg) person lands between about 114 and 163 g. This calculator uses 1.6 g/kg to maintain, 1.8 to bulk and 2.0 to cut.
The ISSN suggests about 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kg of body weight per meal, or an absolute dose of 20 to 40 g. Splitting your daily total across 3 to 5 meals keeps each one in that range for most people.
Somewhat. The ISSN says protein at the higher end helps hold on to lean mass in a calorie deficit, and that lean, resistance-trained people may need 2.3 to 3.1 g/kg. This calculator tops out at 2.0 g/kg, which suits most people; very lean lifters in a hard cut may want to ask a sports dietitian about going higher.
They are estimates. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation was built from measurements on 498 healthy adults and explained about 71 percent of the variation in resting energy, so any one person can land above or below it. Eat to your numbers for 2 to 3 weeks, watch your weekly average weight, and adjust by about 100 to 200 calories if it is not moving the way you want.
No. It is built for healthy adults aged 18 to 80. It is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or nursing, under 18, or have a medical condition such as kidney disease or diabetes, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing how you eat.
Gainz Train Meal Prep cooks high-protein meals fresh every Saturday in Orem, Utah, with pickup on Sunday or delivery across Utah County. Every meal lists its exact protein, carbs, fat and calories, so you can hold them up against your targets above. See this week's menu or read how it works.