How are my calories calculated?

Resting energy is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (or Cunningham when you enter body fat), multiplied by an activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9 to get your TDEE. For a cut we subtract a deficit sized to lose 0.5–1% of body weight per week, capped at 1000 kcal/day; for a bulk we add a smaller surplus, capped at 500 kcal/day. Intake never drops below 1500 kcal (men) or 1200 kcal (women).

How much protein should I eat?

We follow International Society of Sports Nutrition guidance: 1.6 g per kg of body weight to maintain, 1.8 g/kg to gain, and 2.0 g/kg on a cut. If you enter body fat, protein is set per kilogram of fat-free mass instead (2.0–3.1 g/kg FFM depending on goal and pace), which is more accurate for lean or athletic people.

Why is fat fixed and carbs whatever is left?

Fat is set to 27.5% of calories, inside the 20–35% acceptable range, with a 25% floor so a high-protein cut never squeezes fat to an unrealistic target. Protein and fat are the two you need to hit; carbohydrate fills the remaining calories and is the lever you can move day to day.

Are these numbers the same as in the Feed Me app?

Yes. This page runs the same formula version the app uses during onboarding, so the targets you see here are the targets you would get in the app with the same inputs.

Free Macro Calculator — Daily Calories, Protein, Carbs & Fat

how the numbers are worked out.

Resting energy

We use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the predictive formula the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends — it lands within 10% for roughly four in five people. If you enter body fat, we switch to Cunningham (500 + 22 × lean mass), which is more accurate for lean and athletic bodies that a weight-only equation underestimates.

Maintenance calories

Resting energy × an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (athlete). Be honest here — most people overestimate. If in doubt, pick one level lower and adjust after two weeks of real data.

Cutting and bulking

A cut removes enough to lose 0.5% (gentle), 0.75% (standard) or 1% (aggressive) of your body weight a week — the range the ISSN found best preserves muscle — capped at a 1000 kcal/day deficit. A bulk adds a smaller surplus (0.125–0.5% a week, capped at 500 kcal/day) to bias gains toward lean mass. Intake never goes below 1500 kcal for men or 1200 kcal for women without medical supervision.

Protein, then fat, then carbs

Protein is set first: 1.6 g/kg to maintain, 1.8 g/kg to gain, 2.0 g/kg on a cut (or 2.0–3.1 g per kg of lean mass when body fat is known). Fat takes 27.5% of calories with a 25% floor. Carbohydrate is whatever is left — the number you flex day to day.

This is a planning estimate, not medical advice. Weigh in weekly, and if the trend is off after two or three weeks, move calories by 100–150 and give it another fortnight. Feed Me does that adjustment for you from your logged weight.