DailyC's calorie budget recommendations are based on established nutrition science and clinical research. Below are the primary sources informing our calculations.
Mifflin, M.D., St Jeor, S.T., Hill, L.A., Scott, B.J., Daugherty, S.A., Koh, Y.O. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 51(2), 241–247.
The predictive equation DailyC uses to estimate resting energy expenditure from weight, height, age, and sex.
Frankenfield, D., Roth-Yousey, L., Compher, C. (2005). Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(5), 775–789.
Systematic review finding the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to be the most reliable predictive equation for resting metabolic rate in healthy adults.
Institute of Medicine (2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC.
Establishes the framework for Estimated Energy Requirements (EER), including activity-level multipliers applied to resting energy expenditure.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2020). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. 9th Edition.
Provides reference calorie ranges by age, sex, and activity level for the general population, used as a sanity check on DailyC's recommendations.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1998). Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. National Institutes of Health.
Supports moderate daily energy deficits (approximately 500 kcal/day) as a sustainable approach to gradual weight loss.
DailyC estimates your resting energy expenditure using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (based on your weight, height, age, and sex), multiplies it by an activity factor (approximately 1.2 for sedentary through 1.75 for intense daily training, consistent with DRI activity coefficients), and then applies a goal adjustment:
Lose weight: a moderate deficit of about 500 kcal/day, consistent with NHLBI clinical guidance for gradual weight loss.
Maintain: no adjustment — your estimated total daily energy expenditure.
Gain weight: a lean surplus of about 300 kcal/day.
Recommendations are never set below 1,200 kcal/day. If sex is not specified, DailyC averages the male and female equation constants. The result is a general estimate intended for wellness tracking. Individual energy needs vary based on body composition, medical conditions, medications, and other factors not captured by this calculation.
When you log food via voice or text, DailyC uses AI (Anthropic's Claude) to estimate the calorie content based on your description. These estimates are based on the AI model's training data, which includes widely available nutritional databases such as the USDA FoodData Central.
Estimates are approximate and may vary from actual calorie content depending on preparation method, specific brands, and portion accuracy. For precise nutritional information, consult the USDA FoodData Central database directly.