Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and a goal-aligned daily macro split. Built around your real weight and height — not estimated from a tape measure. Toggle the Indian adjustment for South Asian metabolism.
Real measurements, real numbers. Updates as you change values.
To maintain weight
The calculator chains four standard steps. Each is from the published literature, not invented.
BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + (5 if male, −161 if female)
If you've selected Indian-adjusted, we then multiply this by 0.93 — a 7% reduction in the middle of the 5-11% published range for South Asians vs Caucasians (Wouters-Adriaens & Westerterp, AJCN 2008; Hasson et al., Obesity 2011).
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier. The multipliers are the standard Harris-Benedict factors used everywhere:
Goal adjustment applied to TDEE:
Final number floored at 1,200 cal (female) / 1,400 cal (male) — below these levels, micronutrient adequacy becomes very hard.
Split percentages depend on goal, then converted to grams using standard energy values (protein 4 cal/g, carbs 4 cal/g, fats 9 cal/g):
Fibre target: ~14g per 1,000 calories, clamped between 20 and 40g/day (US Institute of Medicine guidance).
The single most consequential macro for almost every Indian adult is protein — and almost no one hits their target. National Sample Survey and ICMR data show the average Indian adult consumes 0.6-0.8 g/kg/day of protein, against a clinical recommendation of 1.2-1.6 g/kg for active adults and 1.6-2.2 g/kg during weight loss.
A traditional Indian vegetarian diet — heavy on grains, with a small dal serving — typically delivers 35-50g of protein per day. For a 70 kg adult trying to preserve lean muscle on a calorie deficit, the target is closer to 110-140g. That's a 2-3x gap.
Without sufficient protein and a resistance training stimulus, roughly 30-40% of weight lost on aggressive deficits — or on GLP-1 medications — comes from lean muscle, not fat. That permanently lowers your BMR, makes maintenance harder, and produces the "skinny-fat" outcome where weight is lower but body composition is worse.
Three concrete moves to close the gap:
If you take only one number away from this calculator, take the protein gram target. Hitting it changes the outcome more than anything else you'll do.
The macro split this calculator gives you is the easy part. The harder part is sorting through three pieces of nutrition advice that sound right but aren't. Worth getting these straight before you start.
Protein is essential — for muscle repair, growth, satiety, and protecting lean mass during a deficit. But your body can only use so much at one time. Above roughly 2.2 g/kg per day, additional protein doesn't translate into additional muscle; it gets oxidised for energy or stored. The win is hitting your target consistently, not exceeding it. Spread it across 3-4 meals of 25-40g each — that's the dosing pattern that maximises muscle protein synthesis.
Your body breaks down carbs into glucose, the primary fuel for your brain and muscles. Cutting them out completely causes fatigue, brain fog, intense cravings, and worse training performance — which makes the deficit harder to sustain. The right carbs in the right amount support a weight loss plan, not sabotage it. Prioritise unrefined complex carbs — millets, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes — over refined and processed ones. Their fibre content keeps you fuller for longer and slows glucose absorption.
This is one of the most persistent diet myths. Dietary fats are essential for life — for producing hormones, absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), maintaining cell membranes, and managing satiety. Cutting fats too aggressively often backfires — hormones suffer, hunger spikes. Focus on unsaturated fats (nuts, seeds, fatty fish, olive oil, avocado), keep saturated fats moderate, and limit trans fats found in processed and fried foods. A small amount of ghee or cold-pressed oil is fine — total amount matters more than source.
The single move that changes outcomes the most: hit your protein target every day. The rest is fine-tuning.
Take the 2-minute eligibility test. A Kaivo AIIMS-trained doctor reviews your labs, history, and goals, then designs the actual protocol — calories, macros, training, medication if indicated.
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