MacroArcCalorie and macro calculator for Indians
Find out how many calories, and how much protein, carbs and fat, you need each day to lose weight, maintain or build muscle. Based on ICMR-NIN guidance, and the same formula the MacroArc app uses.
BMR: – kcalMaintenance (TDEE): – kcalWater: –
How the calculator works
- Resting energy (BMR) comes from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which uses your age, sex, height and weight.
- Maintenance calories (TDEE) are your BMR multiplied by an activity factor, from 1.2 for sedentary to 1.9 for very physical days.
- Your goal adjusts that: about 500 kcal less for steady weight loss (at most 25% of maintenance), 750 kcal less for faster loss (at most 30%), or 300 kcal more for lean muscle gain. Targets never go below 1,500 kcal for men or 1,200 kcal for women, and teenagers get a gentler deficit.
- Protein is about 15% of calories, never below ICMR-NIN's 0.83 g per kg of body weight (1.0 g per kg while losing weight) and never above 2 g per kg.
- Fat is about 27% of calories, and carbohydrate makes up the rest, within ICMR-NIN's recommended 50–60%.
Want to understand protein better? Read how much protein you need a day. To see where your calories come from, use the Indian food calorie chart.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories should I eat a day?
It depends on your age, sex, height, weight, activity and goal. The calculator estimates your maintenance calories, then adjusts for your goal: about 500 kcal less a day for steady fat loss, or about 300 kcal more for lean muscle gain.
How is protein calculated?
Protein is set to about 15% of your calories but never below the ICMR-NIN recommended 0.83 g per kg of body weight (1.0 g per kg while losing weight) and never above 2 g per kg. Body weight above a BMI of 25 is not counted, so the target isn't inflated by body fat.
Why don't you go below 1,200 or 1,500 calories?
Very low intakes make it hard to meet nutrient needs and are not recommended without medical supervision. The deficit is also capped at 25–30% of your maintenance calories, and at 10% for teenagers.
What carbs and fat split does this use?
Fat is about 27% of calories and carbohydrate makes up the rest, within ICMR-NIN's recommended 50–60% of energy, which suits typical Indian diets built around rice, roti and dal.
These targets are estimates for healthy adults and teenagers, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or an eating disorder, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat.