Calorie estimates, explained in plain language.

It is a starting estimate, not a measurement. Resting-energy equations can perform well across groups while missing an individual. The activity factor adds another uncertain assumption. Use a multi-week trend to evaluate the result.

BMR estimates energy used at rest for essential functions. TDEE estimates total daily expenditure by multiplying resting energy by an activity factor. Your intake target is based on estimated TDEE, not BMR alone.

Use Mifflin–St Jeor by default. Katch–McArdle can be useful when body-fat percentage is reasonably known because it uses estimated lean mass. An unreliable body-fat measurement may make that result less informative.

The Mifflin equation was published with different constants for male and female groups. The input represents a limitation of the model and is not intended to define gender identity. Katch–McArdle does not use that constant but requires body-fat percentage.

It starts at 1.20 and adds conservative values for training frequency, step range, and occupational movement. The mapping is documented in the methodology. It is a transparent heuristic rather than a validated wearable measurement.

A single precise number can create false confidence. Calorie Method displays a planning range around the midpoint to make uncertainty visible. It is not a medically safe range or statistical confidence interval.

Use the smallest adjustment likely to generate a useful trend. The calculator offers 10% and 15% starting changes plus a custom 5–20% setting. A larger deficit is not automatically better or appropriate.

BMR is not a universal intake floor, and this calculator cannot determine whether a low intake is nutritionally adequate or medically appropriate. A target below estimated BMR triggers a caution and should be reviewed with a qualified professional.

A fixed number has a different impact at different maintenance levels. Percentage adjustments scale with estimated needs. Both methods remain approximations and cannot promise a specific rate of change.

Protein and fat use body-weight-based ranges according to the selected preference. Carbohydrate receives remaining energy. These are planning ranges rather than prescriptions and require professional review before production health use.

No. The weekly planner can distribute the same weekly total evenly or place more calories on selected days. This is for flexibility and adherence; the site does not claim that changing calories by day prevents metabolic adaptation.

“Net calories” often means food intake minus exercise calories, but it is not an additional target produced here. Calorie Method’s TDEE already includes typical training, steps, and work, so adding back the full output from an exercise machine, wearable, or the calories-burned calculator can double count activity. Those devices and equations are estimates, and some report gross energy while others report active energy above rest. Keep session energy separate, make conservative changes only when activity is unusually different from the week used to estimate TDEE, and evaluate the result against a multi-week trend.

The original maintenance estimate may be wrong, intake may be under- or over-recorded, activity may change, and water can hide tissue change. Static energy arithmetic also does not fully represent adaptation over time.

Two to three reasonably consistent weeks usually provide more information than several days. Longer may be needed for a small intended change or unusually noisy measurements. Do not ignore concerning symptoms while waiting.

It estimates observed maintenance from average intake and weight change over a period. Because short-term weight includes water and tracking contains error, the result is intentionally described as approximate.

No in the current static build. Calculations happen in the browser. Selecting “Save locally” stores the plan in that browser. Read the privacy page before future advertising or analytics is activated.

It is not designed for minors, pregnancy, breastfeeding, eating-disorder treatment, medical nutrition therapy, or clinician-supervised diets. People with medical conditions or medications affecting nutrition or weight should seek individualized guidance.