How many carbs on keto?

Most ketogenic protocols use 20-50 g of net carbohydrate a day. Twenty grams is the common starting point.

Can too much protein stop ketosis?

For most people, moderate protein of around 1.4-2.0 g per kg does not prevent ketosis and helps preserve lean mass.

How is this different from the macro calculator?

The general macro calculator splits calories by percentage. Keto fixes carbohydrate as an absolute gram cap and protein by body weight, then assigns the rest to fat.

Do I need to eat a lot of fat on keto?

Fat fills the calories left over. In a deficit, some of that energy comes from body fat, so the eaten fat target is lower than at maintenance.

Keto Macro Calculator

Set keto macros by capping net carbs, fixing protein from body weight and filling the rest with fat.

Enter your details and your result will appear here.

What Is Keto Macro?

A ketogenic diet is defined by a hard carbohydrate ceiling, so keto macros are calculated in a different order from ordinary macros. This calculator caps net carbohydrate first, sets protein from your body weight, then fills whatever calories remain with fat.

Understanding Your Keto Macro Result

Restricting carbohydrate to roughly 20-50 g of net carbs a day depletes glycogen and raises ketone production, which is the state the diet is named for. Protein is set per kilogram of body weight rather than as a percentage, because too little costs lean mass and the "protein kicks you out of ketosis" claim is largely overstated for most people. Fat is the balancing item: it takes whatever calories are left, which is why keto macros are usually 60-75% fat by calories.

How Is Keto Macro Calculated?

Fat (g) = (calories - net carbs x 4 - protein x 4) / 9

Methodology

Calories come from Mifflin-St Jeor and an activity factor, adjusted for your goal. Net carbohydrate is fixed at 20, 30 or 50 g. Protein is body weight in kilograms multiplied by 1.4, 1.7 or 2.0 g per kg. Fat grams are the remaining calories divided by 9. If nothing is left for fat, the calculator tells you instead of returning a nonsense number.

Worked Example

A lightly active 40-year-old woman, 5 ft 6 in and 170 lb (77.1 kg), in a fat-loss phase has about 1,470 calories. With 20 g net carbs (80 cal) and 1.7 g per kg protein (131 g, 524 cal), the remaining 866 calories give about 96 g of fat, so roughly 59% of calories from fat.

Important Limitations

Net carbohydrate counting depends on food labels that vary by country and on assumptions about fibre and sugar alcohols. A ketogenic pattern is not appropriate for everyone, including people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and those with certain metabolic, liver, pancreatic or kidney conditions, or a history of disordered eating. Ketone testing, not a calculator, tells you whether you are actually in ketosis.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many carbs on keto?: Most ketogenic protocols use 20-50 g of net carbohydrate a day. Twenty grams is the common starting point.
Can too much protein stop ketosis?: For most people, moderate protein of around 1.4-2.0 g per kg does not prevent ketosis and helps preserve lean mass.
How is this different from the macro calculator?: The general macro calculator splits calories by percentage. Keto fixes carbohydrate as an absolute gram cap and protein by body weight, then assigns the rest to fat.
Do I need to eat a lot of fat on keto?: Fat fills the calories left over. In a deficit, some of that energy comes from body fat, so the eaten fat target is lower than at maintenance.