Protein Calculator

MyFitnessPal now offers a free Protein Calculator on our Blog.

*For precise dietary advice, it’s always best to consult a doctor or registered dietitian.

 

What's the difference between this calculator vs. the default one?

What do I do with my results once calculated?

How are protein needs calculated and why do you need age, height, weight & sex?

How do I pick the right activity level?

How is the protein goal calculated?

 

What's the difference between this calculator vs. the default one? 

Our default macro calculations are 20% of calories from protein, 50% of calories from carbohydrates, and 30% of calories from fat. 

This calculator takes into account protein needs based off of body weight and physical activity, and carb and fat preferences where allowable, to calculate macro goals.

Using this calculator, if you find your macros differ from the default goals, you can customize your goals here.

 

What do I do with my results once calculated?

Your protein goal results will allow you to update your goals, add more protein focused foods to your shopping list, and plan your meals accordingly with protein in mind. Understanding the role of protein and how it fits into your overall nutrition can help you make smarter choices and feel more confident in your meal planning.

Once you've received your results, you can update your goals in-app the app:
In our Android and iOS apps

• Tap “Goals” in the Menu (or “More” page)
• Tap “Calories, Carbs, Protein & Fat Goals

MyFitnessPal distributes fat, carb and protein calories based on a percentage, in five percent increments. If you customize your macronutrient goals, all three goals will adjust to total 100%.

 

Visit our Essential Guide to Protein to learn how to hit your goal.

Essential Guide to Protein

 

How are protein needs calculated and why do you need age, height, weight & sex?

When you create your profile, we ask you for your age, height, weight, gender, and normal daily activity level. We use these factors to determine the calories required to maintain your current weight. We also ask how much weight you would like to lose or gain per week, and with this goal in mind we subtract calories (for weight loss) or add calories (for weight gain) to determine your daily calorie and nutrient goals.

 

If your gender identity is not the same as your sex assigned at birth, and you have not started gender-affirming medications, select your sex assigned at birth, because it will most accurately reflect your metabolic rate. If you have started taking gender-affirming medications, first consult with your doctor what might be the best selection for you. If you’ve only been on your medications for a few months, you might want to select your sex assigned at birth, and update when you are further into your medical transition. If you’ve been on your medications for longer than a few months, your metabolism might be closer to your gender identity, especially as muscle and fat mass start to shift.

For best results, please consult your doctor.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6046513/
https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-020-00590-4

 

How do I pick the right activity level?

Your choice of activity level should include the average calories you would burn for normal daily activities, such as standing, breathing, sleeping, eating, etc. along with calories you would burn for your normal daily routines, such as general housework and your typical work routine.

 

Please note that your choice should not factor in the activity of exercises/workouts you perform since those will be logged separately (manually or by linked a partner app/fitness tracker) as you complete them

We define our levels as follows:. 

• Sedentary/Not Very Active: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. desk job)
• Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesperson)
• Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. server, postal worker, nurse)
• Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

 

How is the protein goal calculated? 

We calculate your protein needs based on your body weight and physical activity, using standards recommended by the International Society of Sports Nutrition and others.

 

 

 

If you need additional assistance please reach out to our Support Team or email us directly at support@myfitnesspal.com.