BAF Nutrition Tools • Step 1

Calories, Goals, and a Simple Eating Plan

This tool estimates your BMR (calories your body uses at rest) and TDEE (BMR adjusted for activity), using the same Mifflin–St Jeor equation and activity multipliers published by NASM. It then suggests a calorie target for weight gain/loss, capped at 2 lb/week.

Calorie calculator (NASM-style)

Tip: you can type 5'10" or 178 cm.
Tip: you can type 180 lb or 82 kg.
Estimated BMR
— kcal/day
Estimated TDEE
— kcal/day
Suggested target (capped at 2 lb/week)
— kcal/day
Estimated daily change vs. TDEE
— kcal/day
Rule of thumb: ~500 kcal/day ≈ 1 lb/week; ~1000 ≈ 2 lb/week.
Important: This is educational, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, have a history of disordered eating, or are unsure what’s safe for you, talk to a licensed clinician. Also: scale changes can lag because water weight fluctuates day to day.

Sources: NASM calorie calculator formulas & activity multipliers; Harvard Health on minimum calorie intakes; AHA sugar & saturated fat guidance; Mayo Clinic on safe weekly weight change.

Build a calorie-aware eating plan (4 priorities)

Simple rule: start with the top priority. Add the next one only when you have bandwidth.

  1. Calories: hit your daily calorie goal most days.
  2. Protein: aim for a daily protein target (see suggestions below).
  3. Added sugar: try to stay under a daily limit.
  4. Saturated fat: try to stay under a daily limit.

Suggested targets (simple)

  • Calories: use the calculator above. For weight loss, avoid extreme restriction.
  • Protein: a simple heuristic is to aim for grams of protein roughly near your goal bodyweight (lbs). (Many models exist.)
  • Added sugar: AHA suggests ~25g/day (women) and ~36g/day (men) as a practical limit.
  • Saturated fat: AHA suggests keeping saturated fat under ~6% of total calories.

New (optional): Vegetarian / vegan options

On the restaurant search page, you’ll be able to filter for menu items that are labeled as vegetarian or vegan by the restaurant. Always confirm ingredients and cross-contact policies with the restaurant.

Links (the “why”)

Now Use Your Number

Your calorie target is the key to every BAF nutrition tool. Here's how to put it to work:

1
Cook at home with exact portions
The Home Meal Cookbook has recipes with USDA-verified nutrition per 100g. Enter your target, and it tells you exactly how many grams to serve — no calorie math required. A $10 kitchen food scale makes this effortless: cook a pot, weigh your portion, done.
2
Eat out without losing track
The Restaurant Meal Finder searches 600+ meals near Austin ranked by how well they fit your calorie target. Same number, different setting.
3
Build the routine, then expand
Start with 3–4 meals you already like. Master the portions. Then add variety week by week. Consistency beats perfection — the goal is meals you'll actually repeat.
Home Meal Cookbook · Restaurant Meal Finder · Calorie Calculator (you are here)

Free nutrition tools by Balanced Approach Fitness. Not medical advice.