Calonomy

Calonomy

Calculations and sources

This page explains how Calonomy calculates personal targets and estimates, which assumptions the app makes, and which sources inform them.

Important notice

Calonomy is a calorie counter and nutrition tracker for adults. Calculated calorie, macro, activity, and distance values are estimates. They are not medical advice, a diagnosis, or treatment and do not replace an individual assessment.

Actual needs can vary because of body composition, health conditions, medication, pregnancy, breastfeeding, training volume, and metabolism. If you have a medical condition, an eating disorder, or special dietary needs, discuss your targets with a qualified healthcare professional.

Daily calorie target

Calonomy uses age, sex, height, weight, activity level, and goal for the initial value. Resting energy expenditure is estimated with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation. [1]

  • Male: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5.
  • Female: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161.

Calonomy then multiplies estimated resting energy by the selected activity factor: sedentary 1.25; lightly active 1.33 for female or 1.36 for male; moderately active 1.38; active 1.52; very active 1.65. This mapping is a planning simplification. In practice, activity levels and PAL values are ranges, not an exact measurement of an individual’s energy expenditure. [2]

The maintenance goal keeps this value unchanged. The app subtracts 375 kcal per day for weight loss and adds 375 kcal for weight gain or muscle gain. For weight loss, the automatically calculated target is not set below estimated resting energy. The 375 kcal adjustment is a consistent starting setting used by the app, not an individualized clinical recommendation. The target can be changed later.

The Mifflin–St Jeor equation was developed from adult data and only provides a prediction. Unusual inputs or values outside the studied range can produce implausible results.

Macro targets

Calonomy divides the calorie target among protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The app uses 4 kcal per gram of protein, 4 kcal per gram of carbohydrate, and 9 kcal per gram of fat. These general energy conversion factors come from the Atwater system. [3]

The starting presets are:

  • Recommended: depending on the goal, 30–35% protein, 35–45% carbohydrate, and 25–30% fat.
  • High protein: 35–40% protein, 30–35% carbohydrate, and 30% fat.
  • Low carb: 30–35% protein, 20–25% carbohydrate, and 45% fat.
  • Balanced: 25–30% protein, 40–50% carbohydrate, and 25–30% fat.

Depending on the goal and diet focus, the app also plans at least 1.4–2.0 g of protein and 0.7–0.8 g of fat per kilogram of reference weight. The protein range is informed in particular by the ISSN position stand for healthy, exercising adults. [5] EFSA reference ranges for the general population and the ISSN review of different dietary approaches provide additional context for carbohydrate and fat. [4] [6]

Above a BMI of 25, Calonomy uses an adjusted reference weight for the gram-based protein and fat values: weight at BMI 25 plus 25% of the weight above it. This prevents those values from rising indefinitely in direct proportion to body weight. This adjustment and the exact percentage presets are Calonomy planning rules; they are not copied unchanged from a single guideline. If the minimums cannot fit an unusually low calorie target, protein and fat are reduced proportionally. A custom macro split can replace the presets.

“Low carb” is an intentionally selected dietary variant and can fall outside general population reference ranges. No preset is suitable for everyone or for every medical diet.

Activity calories

For manually logged activities, Calonomy uses a standard MET value, profile weight, and duration: MET × weight in kg × duration in hours. In this approximation, one MET equals 1 kcal per kg per hour. Activity values are informed by the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. [7]

MET values describe typical energy cost and do not measure your personal expenditure. Intensity, fitness, technique, environment, age, and body composition can change the result. Active calories imported from Apple Health or Health Connect are calculated by those services, not by Calonomy.

Step distance

When a usable height is available, Calonomy estimates step length as 41.3% of height for female profiles and 41.5% for other profile settings. Without a usable height, it uses 0.8 m. Distance is the step count multiplied by estimated step length. This is a rough technical approximation; pace, terrain, and individual gait are not measured.

Sources

  1. Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA et al. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 51(2), 241–247. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241.
  2. German Nutrition Society (DGE). Selected questions and answers on energy intake. Classification of physical activity using PAL ranges.
  3. FAO (2003). Food energy – methods of analysis and conversion factors, Chapter 3. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 77.
  4. EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (2022). Scientific advice related to nutrient profiling. EFSA Journal, 20(4), 7259. Includes reference ranges of 45–60% of energy for carbohydrates and 20–35% for total fat. DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7259.
  5. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 20. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8.
  6. Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ, Wildman R et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: diets and body composition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 16. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0174-y.
  7. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE et al. (2024). 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 13(1), 6–12. DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010.