FAQs

My form uses the 'Harris-Benedict' formula to find your BMR and adjusts it with a multiplier based on your activity levels to calculate your TDEE, I then subtract 10% to elicit your target daily calorie amount for steady weight loss or gain (at a rate of approximately 1lb or .5kg per week).

It is important to note that this is an estimate based on the most reliable and researched scientific data we have. I always use this as a starting point, and using data collected along the way, make adjustments as required.

BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the amount of energy your body requires to function (aside from everything else you do in a day). This is the amount of energy needed to just be alive. It is based on researched and verified scientific data of whole populations over many years and is the accepted industry standard equation. Your BMR is calculated using your Age, Gender, Height, and Weight. Your BMR can also be affected by many highly individualised factors such as Hormonal function, Medical conditions (and medication), Geneticly inherited factors, and your Eating Habits or Hydration status.

TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, which is the amount of energy you are using up based on your BMR multiplied by your current average activity levels. If you were to eat the same number of calories (on average) as the amount of energy you expend (on average), then your body weight would roughly stay the same. Again, this is an estimate, so ideally you should measure progress and adjust to hit your goals.

Ways to measure progress include:

• Scale weight (affected by so many other factors, it is not always reliable!)
• Tape measurements
• Photo comparison
• Clothing fit
• BMI (Body Mass Index) changes
• BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) changes
• How you're feeling! (Lots of people forget about this important metric!)

I work with my 1-1 Clients to find the best methods to suit their preferences, mindset and goals.

Even if you track your exercise, do NOT add those Calories back into your daily allowance (or 'eat back your exercise calories'). The calculations on my form include your activity levels already. If you think your exercise or activity levels are increasing (which can happen once you get motivated to lose weight), then recalculate using a different activity level, or work with your Coach to figure out an adjustment.

If you use My Fitness Pal for food intake tracking, it is best practise to input your goal calories manually after working them out here, and then deleting, or ignoring the data added in after your tracked exercise is added to your calorie allowance each day. If you buy the premium MFP App upgrade, then you can modify how this works all the time. When I am using MFP to monitor calorie intake, I manually delete my exercise and walking calories from the daily total in the App (when they are added in by my connected apple watch).

No, the calculations on my form work on an average for the week and include your 'average' activity levels. If you think these need adjusting because you are moving less often, then input the data into the form again and use a lower multiplier.

If you exercise at a very high intensity on certain days of the week, then you could chose to eat more Calories on the training days (or after) to help fuel or recover, but pull those back on slower days. However if you are training 3 or 4 (or more) times per week, then keep the same average every day through the week to spread the intake, which will make managing your diet easier.

The research shows that Protein is the most important factor to consider outside of Calories, and I would broadly advise aiming for 30-40% of your daily intake to be in Protein to support your goals (broadly true for both fat loss and muscle gain). We can be far more specific when working together. The research also shows that the amount or balance of Carbohydrate and Fats does not make much difference to weight loss (as long as you don't take either extremely low). If you are exercising often or athletically minded, then it is wise to fuel that with slightly more Carbohydrate. For more detail specific to your situation, get in touch for help.