Macros Calculator

HEALTH IMPERIAL METRIC

About this tool

Calculate your daily protein, carbs and fat targets — based on your body, goals and activity level.

Calculate daily macronutrient targets (protein/fat/carbs) based on your goals.

RT-HLT-050 · Health & Fitness

Gender

Body Stats

Age (years)

Height (cm)

Weight (kg)

Activity Level

Goal

Diet Style

Disclaimer: Macro estimates are general guides only and are not a substitute for personalised dietary advice. Consult a qualified dietitian before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you have a medical condition (diabetes, kidney disease, etc.).

How to Use the Macros Calculator

Enter your body stats and activity level

Toggle between Metric (kg/cm) or Imperial (lbs/ft), then enter your age, gender, height, and weight. Select your activity level from the dropdown — be honest, as this is the biggest variable in the calculation.

Choose your goal and diet style

Pick from Lose Fat, Build Muscle, Maintain Weight, or Athletic Performance. Then select a diet style: Balanced, High Protein, Low Carb, Keto, or Custom. The calculator adjusts your calorie target and macro ratios accordingly.

Calculate your daily macros

Click Calculate My Macros. Results show your daily calorie target (TDEE-adjusted for your goal), plus protein, carbs, and fat in grams, kilocalories, and percentage — visualised with a colour-coded donut chart.

Use Custom for your own macro split

Select Custom in the Diet Style dropdown to enter your own protein/carbs/fat percentages. They must sum to exactly 100%. This is ideal if your dietitian or coach has given you a specific macro prescription.

Macronutrients — Beyond Calorie Counting

What Are Macros and Why Tracking Them Works Better Than Counting Calories Alone

Macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — are the three categories of nutrients your body uses for energy and structural repair. Unlike micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), macros are consumed in large quantities every day and provide the raw fuel for every physical and cognitive function you perform.

Protein is responsible for building and repairing muscle tissue, producing enzymes and hormones, and supporting immune function. Carbohydrates are your body's primary and preferred energy source — particularly for the brain and during high-intensity exercise. Fat is essential for hormone production, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), and maintaining cellular membrane integrity.

Here is why tracking macros produces better body composition results than calorie counting alone: each macronutrient has a different thermic effect — the energy cost of digesting it. Protein has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF) at 25–30% of its calories, meaning nearly a quarter of the calories in protein are "spent" on digestion itself. Fat's TEF is just 2–3%, and carbohydrates sit in between at 6–8%. A 2,000 kcal diet that is 40% protein will produce a meaningfully different body composition outcome than a 2,000 kcal diet that is 40% fat — even though the total calorie count is identical.

Singapore's gym culture has caught up with this science. MyFitnessPal consistently ranks among the top health and fitness apps downloaded in Singapore, with hundreds of thousands of active local users logging meals daily. Online fitness communities on Reddit Singapore and local Facebook groups discuss TDEE, macro splits, and meal prep with sophistication that would have been rare a decade ago. The transition from "just eat less" to structured macro tracking is well underway across ASEAN.

"Singapore's hawker culture makes hitting protein targets harder than in Western countries — a typical nasi lemak might have 15–20g protein, while a typical Western lunch sandwich has 25–35g."

Protein for Asian Bodies

The World Health Organisation recommends a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day for sedentary adults — this is the floor for tissue maintenance, not a target for body composition improvement. Sports nutrition research has consistently found that 1.6–2.2 g/kg is optimal for muscle protein synthesis in people who train regularly, with some studies showing benefits up to 2.4 g/kg for those in a caloric deficit.

For Asian populations specifically, there is emerging research suggesting that East and Southeast Asian individuals may have a higher proportion of visceral fat and lower skeletal muscle mass at the same BMI compared to populations of European descent. This "metabolically obese, normal weight" phenomenon means that standard BMI cutoffs may underestimate metabolic risk in Asian adults — and that prioritising protein intake to preserve or build muscle mass is particularly important in this demographic.

Fortunately, Singapore and Malaysia offer a wealth of affordable, high-protein local foods. Tofu provides around 8 grams of protein per 100 grams — modest, but it is inexpensive and widely available. Tempeh, the fermented soybean cake popular across the region, delivers approximately 19 grams per 100 grams and is a staple in many Malay and Indonesian dishes. Fish — grilled, steamed, or in curry — typically contains 18–22 grams per 100 grams. Chicken breast is one of the most protein-dense whole foods available, with around 27 grams per 100 grams. The hawker challenge is not ingredient availability — it is portion control. A plate of chicken rice at a hawker centre may serve 120–150 grams of chicken alongside a substantial portion of rice, with the entire protein content arriving hidden inside a carb-dominant meal.

Carb Cycling, Keto and High-Protein in Singapore's Food Culture

The ketogenic diet — defined as consuming fewer than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, or roughly 5% of total calories — is genuinely challenging to sustain in Singapore. Rice, noodles, and bread are not side dishes in the local cuisine; they are the structural foundation of virtually every hawker meal. A single plate of laksa contains 60–80 grams of carbohydrates from the noodles alone, before adding the coconut-rich broth.

Despite this, keto adoption in Singapore has grown steadily, driven partly by social media and partly by the real-world results some practitioners report. Practical adaptations have emerged: major supermarkets including NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage now stock cauliflower rice, shirataki noodles, and other low-carb substitutes that were difficult to find five years ago. A growing number of hawker operators and restaurants offer lower-carb options.

High-protein approaches are generally easier to maintain in the local food environment. Singapore's sports dietitians increasingly recommend this approach as the pragmatic middle ground: prioritise protein (typically 1.8–2.2 g/kg for active individuals), moderate carbohydrates to fuel training, and let fat intake fill the remaining calorie budget. This aligns closely with the "High Protein" preset in this calculator.

For endurance athletes — particularly those competing in events such as IRONMAN Singapore, the Sundown Marathon, or the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon — carbohydrate intake becomes a performance variable, not just a weight-management one. ASEAN endurance athletes in heavy training phases may require 6–10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight on high-volume days, a figure that makes keto essentially incompatible with peak performance. Carb cycling — strategically alternating between high-carb days around training and lower-carb days on rest days — offers a compromise that many competitive Singapore athletes use under dietitian guidance.

10 Facts About Macronutrients and Nutrition

Protein and carbohydrates each contain 4 kcal per gram, while fat contains 9 kcal per gram — over twice the energy density.

Protein has a thermic effect of 25–30% — nearly a quarter of protein calories are burned during digestion itself.

The WHO recommends a minimum of 0.8 g of protein per kg of bodyweight daily — the floor for tissue maintenance in sedentary adults.

Sports nutrition research supports 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg for optimal muscle protein synthesis in people who train regularly.

The ketogenic diet is clinically defined as fewer than 50 grams of total carbohydrates per day — around 5% of a 2,000 kcal diet.

Fat is essential for hormone production, including testosterone and oestrogen — dietary fat below 20% of calories can suppress these hormones.

Carb cycling — alternating high- and low-carb days around training — is widely used by ASEAN competitive athletes as a periodisation strategy.

IRONMAN Singapore athletes in peak training may require 6–10 g of carbohydrates per kg of bodyweight on heavy training days.

MyFitnessPal is one of the most-downloaded health and fitness apps in Singapore, with hundreds of thousands of active local users logging macros daily.

Chicken breast contains approximately 27 grams of protein per 100 grams — one of the highest protein-to-calorie ratios of any common whole food.

Frequently Asked Questions

Macros (macronutrients) are the three main categories of nutrients that provide energy: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Protein and carbs each provide 4 kcal per gram; fat provides 9 kcal per gram. Tracking your macro intake — not just total calories — gives you control over body composition, energy levels, and training performance.
For sedentary adults the WHO minimum is 0.8 g/kg of bodyweight. If you train regularly, sports nutrition research supports 1.6–2.2 g/kg for optimal muscle protein synthesis and recovery. This calculator sets protein based on your chosen diet style percentage — use High Protein (40%) for maximum muscle support.
A standard ketogenic diet is approximately 70–75% fat, 20–25% protein, and 5% carbohydrates — keeping net carbs below 50 grams per day to induce ketosis. Select the "Keto" preset in this calculator for a 70/5/25 (fat/carbs/protein) macro split. Note that keto is challenging to sustain in Singapore's hawker-centric food culture — see the guide above for practical adaptations.
Carb cycling alternates between high-carb days (around training sessions or races) and lower-carb days (on rest or recovery days). It aims to optimise performance and fat loss simultaneously. Use this calculator on both a high-carb and low-carb day to establish your two different macro targets, then alternate based on your training schedule.
Clean keto prioritises whole, nutrient-dense foods (avocado, eggs, fatty fish, nuts) within the ketogenic macro range. Dirty keto hits the same macro numbers using processed foods (fast food, packaged snacks) without concern for food quality. Both keep carbs below 50g but clean keto produces better micronutrient coverage, gut health, and long-term sustainability.
MyFitnessPal is the most widely used macro tracking app in Singapore, with a large database of local hawker dishes. Cronometer is better for micronutrient tracking. MacroFactor and Carbon Diet Coach offer AI-powered calorie adjustments based on weekly weight trend. All four apps allow you to input custom macro targets — use this calculator to generate your targets, then enter them into your preferred app.
A calorie calculator gives you a single daily energy target (TDEE). A macros calculator goes further — it splits that calorie target into specific gram targets for protein, carbohydrates, and fat based on your goal and chosen diet style. This is more actionable for body composition because each macronutrient has a distinct effect on muscle gain, fat loss, and hormonal balance.
Yes — select "Custom" in the Diet Style dropdown. Three input fields will appear for Protein %, Carbs %, and Fat %. They must sum to exactly 100%. This is useful if a registered dietitian or sports coach has prescribed a specific macro split that differs from the presets.
Research consistently shows that higher protein intake during a calorie deficit improves body composition outcomes compared to low-protein dieting. Protein's high thermic effect, satiety-promoting properties, and role in muscle preservation during weight loss all contribute. Setting your diet style to High Protein and your goal to Lose Fat will produce a macro target designed to support fat loss while preserving muscle mass.
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Macros Calculator