Calorie Intake

Quick way to use this hub

If you only do one thing: run the TDEE Calculator, pick a goal (maintain, cut, or gain), and save your result link. Re-check it once a week with your actual scale trend and waist measurement.

• Maintenance = your "steady" number (weight trend flat over 2-3 weeks).
• Cut target = maintenance minus a small percentage (start modest).
• Bulk target = maintenance plus a small percentage (slow gain beats fast gain).

TDEE, BMR, and why both exist

BMR is your baseline burn at rest. TDEE is the baseline plus your daily movement, workouts, and general life. Most plans are built from TDEE, but BMR is still useful when you're sanity-checking a number that feels too high or too low.

A calm rule: if the plan feels unlivable, it's probably too aggressive. The goal is repeatable weekly decisions, not perfect math on day one.

Pick a starting target

Those ranges aren't moral rules. They're just starting points that minimize regret. You can always tighten or loosen after two weeks of real data.

A simple weekly check-in

• Look at a 7-day average weight (not a single weigh-in).
• Measure waist at the same spot and time (weekly).
• If trend is off, adjust calories by a small step and hold for 7-10 days.
• Keep protein steady so changes are easier to interpret.

When you're ready, use the deficit/surplus tools to generate a clean target you can share with yourself (or your coach) without retyping numbers.

Common mistakes we see

• Using the wrong activity level (most people overestimate).
• Changing calories daily based on a single weigh-in.
• Cutting too hard, then "rebuying" calories on weekends.
• Not tracking any progress marker besides scale weight.

This hub is built to keep you out of those loops. Use the calculators for the starting point, then let the weekly check-in steer the ship.