How we calculate your target

1. What your body burns at rest

From your height, weight, age and calculation basis (male or female) we estimate the energy your body uses at rest with a widely used formula (Mifflin–St Jeor). It is an average estimate, not a personal measurement.

2. How much you move on a normal day

The resting estimate is multiplied by the everyday activity level you choose, from “barely moving” to “physical work”. The result is your estimated daily burn, rounded to 50 calories. Logged workouts are counted separately.

3. The deficit and the phases

Your daily food budget is the estimated burn minus a deficit. The deficit depends on the phase you choose and always goes through a proposal you confirm — nothing changes without your approval.

• Strong start: 14, 21 or 28 days, a recommended deficit of up to 1,000 calories a day and never more than 35% of your estimated burn. Only for eligible people: age 18–60, BMI 25 or above, no sensitive health situation, and not within 28 days of a previous strong start. When it ends you move to steady loss automatically, with a notification.
• Steady loss: a recommended deficit of 500 (choose 300–750), up to 25% of your burn. This is the default for anyone not eligible for a strong start.
• Keeping it: a deficit of 0–250 once you reach your goal or choose it. The window can widen to 10 hours.
• Gentle: a deficit of up to 300 and up to 15% of your burn, at any time.

4. Safety floors

• Recommended minimum intake: 1,500 calories a day for men, 1,200 for women, and 1,500 if no basis was chosen.
• Absolute floor for everyone: 1,200 calories a day. No plan, coach suggestion or deficit-screen choice goes below it.
• A short intensive start lets a man go below 1,500, down to 1,200 only: for men eligible for a strong start with a BMI of 27 or above, for at most 28 days, and only after a second confirmation screen. Talking to a doctor is recommended.
• People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a history of an eating disorder, take diabetes medication or insulin, or have kidney disease get the journal and coach without an automatic deficit.

5. Protein — to protect muscle

The target is 1.6 g of protein per kg of “reference weight” a day, within a range of 1.2 to 1.6 g and capped at 2.0 g. Reference weight is your current weight when your BMI is under 30, otherwise the weight that matches a BMI of 27 at your height.

Remaining calories are split as guidance only: about 30% from fat and the rest from carbohydrates.

6. Exercise

Exercise you log adds to that day’s burn, based on its length, type and your weight. You choose: “add to food” (eat back about half of the estimated energy, conservatively) or “keep as deficit”. Strength training 2–3 times a week and a daily step goal are recommended to protect muscle.

7. Muscle-protection checks

If your weight trend shows a loss of more than 1% of body weight per week for two weeks in a row, if your average protein is under 80% of the target for a week, or if you report dizziness or weakness, we suggest easing the deficit and adding protein. A strong start can be ended early in one tap.

8. “Estimated weekly change”

The weekly change is the daily deficit × 7 ÷ 7,700 calories per kg, and it is always labelled as an estimate. Real weight also moves with water, salt, cycles, sleep and more, and results vary from person to person.

9. The eating window

The default is an 8-hour window (16:8) starting between 08:00 and 16:00. You can choose 10 hours, or 6 hours if you are eligible for a strong start. Fridays and Saturdays can be flexible, and the window is optional — you can use the journal without fasting.