How is my daily calorie target calculated?

Your calorie target is not a generic number pulled from a chart. It is built from your body's actual energy needs and then shaped by the goals you set — how fast you want to move, how you prefer to get there, and how active you currently are.

Here is how it works, step by step.

To build your calorie target, AlterMe first calculates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body needs just to keep you alive at rest. Breathing, circulation, cell production — all of it has an energy cost before you move a single step.

We calculate your BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a clinically validated formula that uses your weight, height, age, and biological sex. This number acts as a floor — your deficit will never dip into it. No matter what your goals are, your body always gets what it needs to function.

For a deeper explanation of BMR and why it matters, see: What is my BMR and why does it matter?

Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor to produce your total daily energy expenditure — the full estimate of what you burn in a real day, including movement.

In the app, you set this by answering: How much activity do you typically get each week?

Each option applies a different multiplier to your BMR. The higher your activity level, the larger your total daily burn — and the larger the calorie pool your deficit is drawn from.

Your activity level is the most important input in this calculation. Overestimating it inflates your total daily burn and produces a deficit that does not reflect reality. Be honest here — it directly determines how accurate your target is.

To update your activity level, go to Profile → Activity and Calorie Goals → Weekly Activity Level.

Using your goal pace and goal method, AlterMe shapes your total daily burn into a personalised daily calorie target.

Goal pace controls how large your daily deficit is — Relaxed (25%), Standard (37.5%), or Aggressive (52.5%). For more on this, see: How does changing my goal pace change my calories?

Goal method determines how that deficit is created — mostly through nutrition, a balance of nutrition and exercise, or mostly through exercise. For more on this, see: What is the difference between nutrition-focused, balanced, and exercise-focused methods?

Your chosen pace is blended with a physiological adjustment based on your BMI — 70% your chosen pace, 30% what your body can safely handle right now. This keeps your deficit within a safe range for your body. For more on this, see: What is BMI and how is it integrated into my calorie goals?

Once AlterMe has your total daily burn and your deficit, your Daily Calorie Goal is: Daily Calorie Goal = total daily burn minus your daily deficit. This is the number you see in the app. It already accounts for your baseline metabolism, your activity level, your goal pace, your preferred method, and your BMI — all working together.

Your Daily Calorie Goal is also not fixed. It adapts as your body changes week to week. For more on that, see: Why does my calorie target change week to week?