How are protein, carbs, and fat calculated?

Protein is set to roughly one gram per pound of body weight (rounded to the nearest 5 g). Fat is set to about 25% of calories (rounded to the nearest 5 g). Remaining calories are allocated to carbohydrates (minimum 50 g), rounded to the nearest 5 g. This macro split matches the ProteinLog app.

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR (basal metabolic rate) is an estimate of calories your body burns at complete rest. TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) multiplies BMR by an activity factor to include movement, exercise, and daily life. Your calorie target is based on TDEE, then adjusted for your weight goal.

Why is there a 1,200 calorie floor?

Very low intakes can make it hard to meet micronutrient needs and are not appropriate for everyone. The calculator enforces a 1,200 kcal minimum after rounding - the same safeguard used in the app. If you have medical conditions or are under supervision, follow your clinician’s guidance instead.

Which activity level should I choose?

Pick the level that best matches your typical week, not your best week. If you train hard but sit most of the day, “moderate” is often more realistic than “very active.” You can always recalculate after a few weeks if your weight trend and energy don’t match expectations.

How is this different from other macro calculators online?

Many calculators use similar BMR equations but different macro rules or rounding. ProteinLog publishes this page so your numbers match the app’s onboarding flow exactly - same Mifflin–St Jeor implementation, multipliers, ±500 kcal goal steps, and macro allocation.

Can I use these targets in the ProteinLog app?

Yes. Enter the same stats in the app’s goal setup during onboarding (or update goals in settings) to align your daily calorie and macro rings with what you calculated here.

Is this medical or nutritionist advice?

No. Outputs are estimates for general educational use. Needs vary with genetics, medications, hormones, sport, pregnancy, and medical conditions. For personalized plans, consult a registered dietitian or physician.

Free Macro Calculator: TDEE, Daily Calories & Protein

BMR vs TDEE: what you're seeing

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) estimates energy your body uses at complete rest - digestion, breathing, organs. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) adds an activity multiplier to approximate movement and exercise. Your calorie line in the results starts from TDEE, then adjusts for weight loss, maintenance, or gain.

Why Mifflin–St Jeor?

Many apps use Mifflin–St Jeor or Harris–Benedict for BMR. Mifflin–St Jeor has been a common choice for healthy adults because it tends to perform well in validation work; ProteinLog standardizes on it so onboarding and this web calculator stay consistent.

How the math works (four steps)

BMR - Mifflin–St Jeor from sex, age, height, and weight.
TDEE - BMR × activity factor (1.2–1.9).
Calorie target - TDEE plus goal adjustment (~±500 kcal), round to nearest 50, minimum 1,200 kcal.
Macros - protein from weight (~1 g/lb), fat ~25% of kcal, remainder to carbs (≥50 g), each rounded to 5 g.

Activity multipliers

These are the same factors as in the app when you pick an activity tier:

Level	Factor
Sedentary	×1.2
Light	×1.375
Moderate	×1.55
Active	×1.725
Very active	×1.9

Tips after you get your numbers

Re-check after a few weeks - scale and energy trends matter more than day-one precision.
Be honest about activity - most people land between light and moderate unless they train most days.
Use the app for adherence - logging shows whether you're actually near these targets. See features or our blog for habit-building ideas.

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers about formulas, activity choices, and how these targets map into ProteinLog.

It uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation for resting metabolic rate (BMR), multiplies by an activity factor to estimate total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), then adjusts calories for weight loss (-500 kcal/day), maintenance, or gain (+500 kcal/day). Results are rounded to the nearest 50 calories with a 1,200 kcal minimum - the same logic as ProteinLog’s iOS onboarding calculator.

Medical disclaimer

Estimates only - not medical advice. Needs differ with health conditions, pregnancy, medications, and sport. For individualized nutrition therapy, work with a qualified clinician or registered dietitian.

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