How Nutrify Calculates Your Daily Calorie Goal

This article explains the science behind your daily calorie goal in Nutrify and how your personal details shape that number.

The Short Answer

Nutrify calculates your calorie goal using a well-established formula called the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. It takes your age, weight, height, and biological sex to estimate how many calories your body burns at rest (your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR). Then it factors in your activity level and fitness goal to arrive at a personalized daily target.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs just to keep you alive, even if you stayed in bed all day. Nutrify calculates this using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered one of the most accurate formulas available:

• For males: (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) + 5
• For females: (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) - 161

2. Activity Multiplier

Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor based on what you selected during onboarding:

• Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2
• Lightly Active (light exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
• Moderately Active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
• Very Active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725
• Extra Active (very hard exercise or physical job): BMR x 1.9

This gives you your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), the total calories you burn in a day.

3. Fitness Goal Adjustment

Finally, Nutrify adjusts your TDEE based on your chosen fitness goal:

• Lose weight: TDEE minus a calorie deficit (typically 500 calories/day for about 1 lb/week loss)
• Maintain weight: TDEE stays as-is
• Gain weight: TDEE plus a calorie surplus

A Quick Example

A 30-year-old female who is 165 cm tall, weighs 65 kg, and is moderately active:

1. BMR = (10 x 65) + (6.25 x 165) - (5 x 30) - 161 = 1,370 calories
2. TDEE = 1,370 x 1.55 = 2,124 calories
3. With a weight loss goal: 2,124 - 500 = 1,624 calories/day

Why Your Goal Might Seem High or Low

If your calorie goal feels off, check these common causes:

• Activity level mismatch - Be honest about how active you really are. Overestimating activity is the most common reason goals seem too high.
• Incorrect weight or height - Double-check these values in Settings > Profile.
• Aggressive goal - A very low calorie target (under 1,200 for women or 1,500 for men) may indicate your goal pace is too aggressive.

Tip: You can always adjust your calorie goal manually in Settings > Nutrition Goals if you prefer a specific target recommended by your doctor or dietitian.

How to Update Your Goal

1. Open Nutrify
2. Go to Settings
3. Tap Profile to update your weight, height, or activity level
4. Tap Nutrition Goals to change your fitness goal or set a custom calorie target

Your calorie goal updates automatically whenever you change your profile details.

Need More Help?

If you have a question not covered here, the fastest way to reach us is directly inside the Nutrify app:

1. Open Nutrify
2. Go to Settings
3. Tap Help & Feedback
4. Tap Report a Bug or Request a Feature

Our team reads every message. You can also email us at support@nutrifytracker.com.