Diet calories based on your fat loss goals
You landed on our macro calculator for one of two reasons:
- You want an easy way to lose weight, and someone sent you here because they trust our site.
- A search engine sent here because you want an easy way to lose weight
In either case, this isn’t a coincidence.
About 10 years ago we created the world’s first and best macronutrient calculator to show people an easy way to burn body fat while eating the meals they love.
Eventually meal plan and fitness coaches asked us to build diet calculators to help their clients reach their ideal body weight.
Now our calorie calculators are used on over 200 websites.
Why are we telling you this? One word: Accuracy.
When people first see their numbers, they kind of freak out a bit; male and female clients alike.
Their fear is that they will gain weight due to high amount of carbs and calories we suggest.
The first question people ask?
“How on earth am I supposed to lose body weight eating so many carbs?“
The truth is that carbs simply don’t make you overweight.
To the contrary, carbohydrates build muscle, increase energy, boost your metabolic rate which helps you lose lbs. while improving athletic performance.
This change allows you to maintain your muscle mass, even if you have a sedentary lifestyle.
The key is to eat the right number of grams of carbohydrates for your body based on your activity level (since your carb intake is directly related to your energy, goals and metabolism).
Remember that our goal is to optimize your metabolic health so your body will burn fat and maintain your muscle mass, with or without exercise. Not for you to gain body fat.
This is why your amount of carb, protein, fats and fiber grams are set up exactly how they are.
We want you to be healthy, happy and fit with a sense of well being rather than hungry and moody.
Let us explain it this way.
The IIFYM macro formula below is the 9th and most accurate one we’ve developed. No other website uses the same weight loss calculations for male and female clients, not even my corporate dietitians & personal trainers.
This is why IIFYM is on the first page of google for over 600 diet and exercise search terms.
Our weight loss program works so well that thousands of people link their friends and family to my macronutrient calculator and as a result we gain favor with Google and get loads of traffic.
In short, you’re here because IIFYM is the most trusted source for accurate macros in the world.
Our hope is that you see your carb intake and get excited that you can eat the meals you love, maintain your muscle mass and lose weight in the process.
We are glad you are here and excited for you to get lose the pounds for good!
Scroll down and be as honest as possible to get the most accurate macros and calorie intake for your weight loss goals.
We determine your weight loss calories based on several basic points of data.
Your age, height, weight, gender, activity level and the goal of the amount of pounds you want to drop.
We used this information to calculate the number of calories your body uses per day. More more info about your current lifestyle the better.
This data we collect above will guide us closer to your ideal weight loss metrics, so it is uber important that you enter the right info and click the right buttons.
Here is how it works:
TDEE, (total daily energy expenditure) = The number of calories you need per day to maintain your energy (not including your fitness workouts)
To get this we follow a specific formula that is much more advanced than the Mifflin St Jeor that so many other nutrition coaches use. We analyze your energy output for an entire week, then split it up in to the appropriate ratio for each day.
We analyze your BMR – Basal Metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn at rest)
We look at your NEAT – Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (the calories you burn while being active; working, playing, fidgeting and all other physical activity beside working out.
We examine your EAT – Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (the calories you use while lifting weights, strength training, cardio and all other strenuous physical output from your exercise routine)
Finally, we take in to account your TEF – Thermal Effect of Food (the energy that is required to digest your food in to nutrients it can use to repair muscle and complete all other bodily functions)
Together, all of these numbers add up to your TDEE. Which we then use to create a moderate caloric deficit to trigger your body’s fat loss response, week after week.
Basically, we shift the energy balance in favor of your body fat being used as fuel and POOF!! You get leaner and drop the lbs.
In order to for this to work you need to consume less calories than your body needs.
A calorie deficit of 15-20% off of your TDEE is used as a safe caloric deficit to shoot for to insure fast fat loss so you maintain your lean muscle mass.
To gain muscle, you need to consume slightly more calories than your TDEE. This is not a new concept whatsoever but many of today’s current dieting coaches get it wrong.
Rather than let the diet do the work, they try to use fitness as the deficit which is a horrific idea. Our macro calculator uses a safe and conservative caloric surplus calculated at 5-10% over your TDEE to encourage muscle growth without packing on too much unwanted body fat.
In either case, our plan will provide the perfect macronutrient ratio that will work for you regardless of the success you’ve been denied from other body building coaches and so-called instagram models. I designed it that way from the very ground up so that our readers learn how to reach their goals, and confidently understand the essential conditions that are optimal for humans to access perfect protein saturation levels, for example.
Without this kind of attention to detail, I really don’t think that average people (beginners, natural bodybuilders and novice athletes) will benefit from the difficult and intense programs that these certified coaches continue to push on social media.
At the end of the day getting in the best shape of your life is pretty simple.
- Eat less food than you were eating when you gained weight
- Move your body more than you currently are, to help get your blood flowing (this will also help with digestion which is a good thing).
- Focus on being consistent. Though accuracy is super important and pretty much, undeniable.
- …and if you can, try to get a wide variety of foods that are high in micronutrients, minerals, electoleyes, phytonutrients, plant sterols and probiotics (fermented foods are easy enough).
Otherwise, get loads of sleep, lower stress and perform those things that add to your happiness rather than add to your chaos and before long, you will have the physique and the life you want.
You deserve it, and we are here to help.
