Developed by David Galvin
Determine your Total Daily kcal requirement
Low NEAT
Occupation: low movement, mostly sitting, desk work. Life
outside of work: low physical activty, mostly sitting or lying around with
occasional bouts on your feet for low-intensity tasks.
NOTE: The majority of people with fat loss goals fit into this category. Thus, this is the safest category to choose for individuals whose primary goal is weight loss or fat loss.
Moderate NEAT
Either your job or your home life (but not both)
involves moderate physical activity or work on your feet.
Or both your job and your time away from work involve a consistent
stream of moderate physical activty.
NOTE: The majority of people with fat loss goals don't fit into this category. Thus, the "Low" category is the safest option to choose for individuals whose primary goal is weight loss or fat loss.
High NEAT
Either your job or your home life involves
substantial/continuous physical activity (on your feet and moving) aside
from formal exercise.
Very-High NEAT
Both your job and your home life involve
substantial/contious, strenuous/exhaustive physical activity aside from
formal exercise.
If your full-time job involves continuous and strenuous physical labor,
you're in this category
Those who think that they tend to eat less than they planned while aiming for gains should add 10% to the total daily caloric requirements.
If neither of these tendencies describes you, and the total caloric target sits well with you and doesn't raise anxiety or doubt, then choose "No Fudging Needed" to stick with prescribed calories.
Determine your Target Bodyweight (TBW)
Estimated Body Fat %
Determine your Target Bodyweight (TBW)
Determine your Total Daily kcal requirement
Low NEAT
Occupation: low movement, mostly sitting, desk work. Life
outside of work: low physical activty, mostly sitting or lying around with
occasional bouts on your feet for low-intensity tasks.
NOTE: The majority of people with fat loss goals fit into this category. Thus, this is the safest category to choose for individuals whose primary goal is weight loss or fat loss.
Moderate NEAT
Either your job or your home life (but not both)
involves moderate physical activity or work on your feet.
Or both your job and your time away from work involve a consistent stream
of moderate physical activty.
NOTE: The majority of people with fat loss goals don't fit into this category. Thus, the "Low" category is the safest option to choose for individuals whose primary goal is weight loss or fat loss.
High NEAT
Either your job or your home life involves
substantial/continuous physical activity (on your feet and moving) aside from
formal exercise.
Very-High NEAT
Both your job and your home life involve
substantial/contious, strenuous/exhaustive physical activity aside from formal
exercise.
If your full-time job involves continuous and strenuous physical labor,
you're in this category
Those who think that they tend to eat less than they planned while aiming for gains should add 10% to the total daily caloric requirements.
If neither of these tendencies describes you, and the total caloric target sits well with you and doesn't raise anxiety or doubt, then choose "No Fudging Needed" to stick with prescribed calories.
Macronutrients
A frequently asked question about this calculator is whether the final number is for maintenance, or whether a deficit needs to be applied to it. That question is understandable since people are generally not accustomed to finding out what the maintenance needs are of a given TARGET or GOAL bodyweight. So, the simple answer is, no, you do not need to apply a deficit to the final calculation, unless you want to apply the 10% “fudge factor.” If you have a weight loss goal, the calculations for your target bodyweight (which is lower than your current weight) have a deficit built into it. This is because in that case, you’re estimating the maintenance needs of a future bodyweight at a given level of physical activity. If you’re already at your target bodyweight, then simply plug in your current stats if you’re curious about what your theoretical caloric maintenance needs are.
PS – speaking of the theoretical, here’s something really important that online calculator pages fail to mention… All online calorie/macro calculators – including mine – are a way to make an educated guess. At best, calculators provide a starting point from which to adjust according to results. Another thing to note is that calorie calculators are mostly useful for folks who have had a haphazard intake, and have no clue what caloric intake maintains them. If you do have a solid grip on your current maintenance caloric requirement, then simply adjust your program up or down from this (known) baseline, and you can safely ignore the estimates that calculators spit out.
If you are looking for more individualized and comprehensive guidance, plus the support of a community of like-minded people who are passionate about reaching/maintaining their fitness and body composition goals, then join us at FITADVANCEMENT.COM.