How we calculate your numbers

Every target Macroh shows you — your daily calorie budget, macro goals, micronutrient guides, and progress estimates — comes from published, peer-reviewed formulas and the dietary guidelines of major health bodies. This page explains exactly what we use and where it comes from.

1. Daily calorie target

Your baseline energy need (basal metabolic rate, BMR) is calculated with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, using the weight, height, age, and sex you provide:

• Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) + 5
• Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) − 161

Mifflin–St Jeor is the equation the American Dietetic Association found most accurate for estimating resting energy expenditure in healthy adults.

• Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1990;51(2):241–247.
• Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005;105(5):775–789.

2. Activity adjustment

BMR is multiplied by a physical-activity factor between 1.2 (sedentary) and 1.9 (extremely active), based on the activity level you select. These multipliers follow the physical activity level (PAL) framework used in international energy-requirement guidance.

• FAO/WHO/UNU. Human Energy Requirements. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation, Rome, 2001 (FAO Food and Nutrition Technical Report Series 1).

3. Weight-goal adjustment and pace

If your goal is to lose weight, we subtract up to 500 kcal per day from your maintenance estimate; for muscle gain we add a modest surplus. The pace estimate on your plan (how long it takes to reach your goal weight) uses the widely applied approximation of ≈7,700 kcal per kilogram of body weight (3,500 kcal per pound).

• Wishnofsky M. Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1958;6(5):542–546.
• Hall KD, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. The Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–837. (Real-world weight change is slower and non-linear than the simple rule — treat plan dates as estimates, not guarantees.)

4. Macro targets

Your calorie budget is split into protein, carbohydrate, and fat as percentages of total energy, adjusted for your goal (higher protein when losing fat, more carbohydrate when building muscle). All splits stay inside the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR): protein 10–35%, carbohydrate 45–65%, fat 20–35% of energy. Grams are derived with the Atwater energy factors: 4 kcal/g for protein and carbohydrate, 9 kcal/g for fat.

• Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2005.
• Merrill AL, Watt BK. Energy Value of Foods: Basis and Derivation. USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 74; 1973 (Atwater general factors).

5. Micronutrient guides

Fiber, sugar, and sodium guides shown in the app are derived as follows:

• Fiber: 14 g per 1,000 kcal of your calorie target — Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes (2005).
• Sugar (cap): less than 10% of daily energy from free sugars — World Health Organization. Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva: WHO; 2015.
• Sodium (cap): less than 2,000 mg per day — World Health Organization. Guideline: Sodium intake for adults and children. Geneva: WHO; 2012. Consistent with ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition, Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) advice to limit salt to about 5 g/day.

6. BMI classification

Where the app shows a BMI category, it uses the World Health Organization classification: underweight <18.5, healthy 18.5–24.9, overweight 25.0–29.9, obese ≥30.0.

• World Health Organization. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. WHO Technical Report Series 894; 2000.

7. Food scanning, calories eaten, and health score

When you scan a meal, computer-vision AI identifies the dishes, estimates portion sizes, and estimates calories and macronutrients for what it sees. These are informed estimates, not laboratory measurements — the calorie content of a real plate varies with recipe, oil, and portion. Expect scan estimates to be within roughly ±15–25% for typical plates, and use the portion editor to refine any item. The per-meal health score (0–10) is a heuristic rating of the meal's overall nutritional balance (protein, fiber, added sugar, sodium, and energy density) — it is a guide, not a clinical measure.

8. Exercise calories

Calories burned are estimated by AI from your description of the activity and its duration. Like all activity-energy estimates (including those from fitness trackers), these are approximations and vary with body composition and intensity.

Important

Macroh provides general nutrition information for healthy adults. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Calorie and nutrient targets are estimates — individual needs vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, under 18, or have a medical condition such as diabetes or an eating disorder.

Questions about our methodology? Email support@macroh.in.