[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":366},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-en-how-your-calorie-target-is-calculated":3},{"_path":4,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":8,"description":9,"slug":10,"date":11,"cover":12,"category":13,"tags":14,"translationSlug":19,"body":20,"_type":360,"_id":361,"_source":362,"_file":363,"_stem":364,"_extension":365},"\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002F2026-07-18-how-your-calorie-target-is-calculated","blog",false,"","Where your calorie target comes from — and why it's not \"1200 for everyone\"","How NutriApp calculates your daily calorie target — basal metabolic rate (BMR) via the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, an activity adjustment (TDEE), and a deficit for weight loss. With the formula, a worked example, and an honest take on accuracy.","how-your-calorie-target-is-calculated","2026-07-18","\u002Fblog\u002Fimages\u002Fhow-your-calorie-target-is-calculated\u002Fcover.jpg","dev-log",[13,15,16,17,18],"calorie-target","BMR","TDEE","deficit","kak-schitaetsya-norma-kalorij",{"type":21,"children":22,"toc":350},"root",[23,31,38,43,49,54,59,85,90,96,101,154,159,165,170,203,213,250,255,261,266,272,277,300,312,318,323,345],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":26,"children":27},"element","p",{},[28],{"type":29,"value":30},"text","\"How much should I eat to lose weight?\" is the first question in any tracker. Today — how the app calculates your target under the hood, with the real formula and an example. And why a universal \"1200 kcal\" doesn't exist.",{"type":24,"tag":32,"props":33,"children":35},"h2",{"id":34},"why-you-need-a-target-at-all",[36],{"type":29,"value":37},"Why you need a \"target\" at all",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":39,"children":40},{},[41],{"type":29,"value":42},"A calorie target is the reference point you fit your eating to: a daily number below which you lose weight, around which you maintain, above which you gain. Without it, counting becomes \"I count, but I'm not sure why\" — you have numbers but no baseline. It's calculated in three steps.",{"type":24,"tag":32,"props":44,"children":46},{"id":45},"step-1-basal-metabolic-rate-bmr",[47],{"type":29,"value":48},"Step 1: basal metabolic rate (BMR)",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":50,"children":51},{},[52],{"type":29,"value":53},"BMR is how much energy your body spends just to stay alive: breathing, staying warm, pumping blood, renewing cells. Even lying down all day, that energy is spent.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":55,"children":56},{},[57],{"type":29,"value":58},"We use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula — today's standard:",{"type":24,"tag":60,"props":61,"children":62},"ul",{},[63,75],{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":65,"children":66},"li",{},[67,73],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":69,"children":70},"strong",{},[71],{"type":29,"value":72},"Men:",{"type":29,"value":74}," BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":76,"children":77},{},[78,83],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":79,"children":80},{},[81],{"type":29,"value":82},"Women:",{"type":29,"value":84}," BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":86,"children":87},{},[88],{"type":29,"value":89},"You can already see why the target differs from person to person: someone at 60 kg vs 90 kg, tall vs short, has a noticeably different baseline burn.",{"type":24,"tag":32,"props":91,"children":93},{"id":92},"step-2-activity-adjustment-tdee",[94],{"type":29,"value":95},"Step 2: activity adjustment (TDEE)",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":97,"children":98},{},[99],{"type":29,"value":100},"BMR is your \"at-rest burn.\" Next we multiply it by an activity factor to get TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) — how much you spend per day including movement:",{"type":24,"tag":60,"props":102,"children":103},{},[104,114,124,134,144],{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":105,"children":106},{},[107,112],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":108,"children":109},{},[110],{"type":29,"value":111},"1.2",{"type":29,"value":113}," — sedentary, no exercise",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":115,"children":116},{},[117,122],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":118,"children":119},{},[120],{"type":29,"value":121},"1.375",{"type":29,"value":123}," — light activity (1-3 workouts a week)",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":125,"children":126},{},[127,132],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":128,"children":129},{},[130],{"type":29,"value":131},"1.55",{"type":29,"value":133}," — moderate (3-5 workouts)",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":135,"children":136},{},[137,142],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":138,"children":139},{},[140],{"type":29,"value":141},"1.725",{"type":29,"value":143}," — high (6-7 workouts)",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":145,"children":146},{},[147,152],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":148,"children":149},{},[150],{"type":29,"value":151},"1.9",{"type":29,"value":153}," — very high (physical job + training)",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":155,"children":156},{},[157],{"type":29,"value":158},"TDEE is maintenance: how much to eat to keep your weight steady.",{"type":24,"tag":32,"props":160,"children":162},{"id":161},"step-3-the-goal",[163],{"type":29,"value":164},"Step 3: the goal",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":166,"children":167},{},[168],{"type":29,"value":169},"From maintenance we set the goal:",{"type":24,"tag":60,"props":171,"children":172},{},[173,183,193],{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":174,"children":175},{},[176,181],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":177,"children":178},{},[179],{"type":29,"value":180},"Weight loss:",{"type":29,"value":182}," −15-20% of TDEE. No more: an aggressive cut brings binges, muscle loss, and a slowing metabolism.",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":184,"children":185},{},[186,191],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":187,"children":188},{},[189],{"type":29,"value":190},"Maintenance:",{"type":29,"value":192}," TDEE as is.",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":194,"children":195},{},[196,201],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":197,"children":198},{},[199],{"type":29,"value":200},"Gaining:",{"type":29,"value":202}," +10-15%, a careful surplus.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":204,"children":205},{},[206,211],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":207,"children":208},{},[209],{"type":29,"value":210},"Example.",{"type":29,"value":212}," A woman, 30, 165 cm, 65 kg, moderate activity:",{"type":24,"tag":60,"props":214,"children":215},{},[216,226,238],{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":217,"children":218},{},[219,221],{"type":29,"value":220},"BMR = 10×65 + 6.25×165 − 5×30 − 161 = ",{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":222,"children":223},{},[224],{"type":29,"value":225},"~1370 kcal",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":227,"children":228},{},[229,231,236],{"type":29,"value":230},"TDEE = 1370 × 1.55 = ",{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":232,"children":233},{},[234],{"type":29,"value":235},"~2120 kcal",{"type":29,"value":237}," (maintenance)",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":239,"children":240},{},[241,243,248],{"type":29,"value":242},"Deficit −18% = 2120 × 0.82 = ",{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":244,"children":245},{},[246],{"type":29,"value":247},"~1740 kcal",{"type":29,"value":249}," (for weight loss)",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":251,"children":252},{},[253],{"type":29,"value":254},"Notice: even in a deficit it works out to ~1740, not \"1200.\"",{"type":24,"tag":32,"props":256,"children":258},{"id":257},"why-1200-for-everyone-doesnt-work",[259],{"type":29,"value":260},"Why \"1200 for everyone\" doesn't work",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":262,"children":263},{},[264],{"type":29,"value":265},"\"1200 for women, 2000 for men\" is the most stubborn myth. For a tall, active person 1200 is severe starvation — half their actual needs; for a petite, sedentary one it can even be a bit much. A target that ignores sex, height, weight, and activity is useless, and often harmful: too low a goal all but guarantees a binge.",{"type":24,"tag":32,"props":267,"children":269},{"id":268},"an-honest-take-on-accuracy",[270],{"type":29,"value":271},"An honest take on accuracy",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":273,"children":274},{},[275],{"type":29,"value":276},"As with any calculation, there are limits, and we don't hide them:",{"type":24,"tag":60,"props":278,"children":279},{},[280,290],{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":281,"children":282},{},[283,288],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":284,"children":285},{},[286],{"type":29,"value":287},"The formula is an estimate.",{"type":29,"value":289}," Mifflin-St Jeor lands within a margin of most people's real burn, but any given person's metabolism may run higher or lower than calculated.",{"type":24,"tag":64,"props":291,"children":292},{},[293,298],{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":294,"children":295},{},[296],{"type":29,"value":297},"The activity factor is subjective.",{"type":29,"value":299}," People often overestimate their activity — hence \"I eat at my target and the weight won't budge.\"",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":301,"children":302},{},[303,305,310],{"type":29,"value":304},"So we give a ",{"type":24,"tag":68,"props":306,"children":307},{},[308],{"type":29,"value":309},"starting",{"type":29,"value":311}," target, and from there it needs to be corrected against reality: if after 2-3 weeks the weight isn't moving the right way, we nudge the number by 100-200 kcal. Go by your weekly average weight, not morning fluctuations: the scale lies less than the formula.",{"type":24,"tag":32,"props":313,"children":315},{"id":314},"why-you-shouldnt-cut-too-hard",[316],{"type":29,"value":317},"Why you shouldn't cut too hard",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":319,"children":320},{},[321],{"type":29,"value":322},"The temptation to \"set it to 1000 and lose faster\" almost always backfires: a steep deficit hits your muscles, drains energy and mood, slows metabolism, and ends in a binge. A slow 15-20% cut works because you can actually sustain it for months — and it's the duration, not the harshness, that decides the result.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":324,"children":325},{},[326,328,335,337,343],{"type":29,"value":327},"You can see and recalculate your target in ",{"type":24,"tag":329,"props":330,"children":332},"a",{"href":331},"\u002F",[333],{"type":29,"value":334},"NutriApp",{"type":29,"value":336}," — and from there you just fill it with food. How the macros of what you eat get counted, we covered in a ",{"type":24,"tag":329,"props":338,"children":340},{"href":339},"\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-we-calculate-recipe-macros",[341],{"type":29,"value":342},"separate post on recipes",{"type":29,"value":344},".",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":346,"children":347},{},[348],{"type":29,"value":349},"Do you calculate your target with a formula, or set it \"by eye\"? Share it in the VK discussion.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":351,"depth":351,"links":352},2,[353,354,355,356,357,358,359],{"id":34,"depth":351,"text":37},{"id":45,"depth":351,"text":48},{"id":92,"depth":351,"text":95},{"id":161,"depth":351,"text":164},{"id":257,"depth":351,"text":260},{"id":268,"depth":351,"text":271},{"id":314,"depth":351,"text":317},"markdown","content:en:blog:2026-07-18-how-your-calorie-target-is-calculated.md","content","en\u002Fblog\u002F2026-07-18-how-your-calorie-target-is-calculated.md","en\u002Fblog\u002F2026-07-18-how-your-calorie-target-is-calculated","md",1784365642947]