Carb Cycling Calculator

Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Carb Cycling Calculator

Step 1: Understanding the Calculator

The Carb Cycling Calculator is designed to assist you in planning your dietary macros based on your body metrics, activity level, and fitness goals. It uses input fields for personal data and provides calorie and macronutrient distributions for different days with varying carbohydrate intake.

Step 2: Enter Your Personal Information

• Body Weight (kg): Input your weight in kilograms. Ensure the weight is between 30 kg and 300 kg, with increments of 0.1 kg.
• Height (cm): Input your height in centimeters. The height should be between 120 cm and 250 cm, in whole numbers.
• Age (years): Enter your age in years, which must be within 18 to 100 years, using whole numbers.
• Gender: Select your gender from the dropdown menu options: ‘Male’ or ‘Female’.
• Activity Level: Choose your activity level from options ranging from ‘Sedentary’ to ‘Extremely Active’. Each option has a corresponding multiplier for calculating energy expenditure.
• Fitness Goal: Select your fitness goal: ‘Fat Loss’, ‘Maintenance’, or ‘Muscle Gain’. This will determine your nutritional targets.

Step 3: Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR is estimated based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. For males, it is calculated as:

(10 * weight + 6.25 * height – 5 * age + 5)

For females, it is:

(10 * weight + 6.25 * height – 5 * age – 161)

Step 4: Determine Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your TDEE is obtained by multiplying your BMR by your selected activity level:

TDEE = BMR * Activity Level

Step 5: Plan Your Carb Cycling Days

• High Carb Day:

  If your goal is fat loss, your high carb day calorie intake equals your TDEE. For maintenance, it is 110% of your TDEE, and for muscle gain, it is 120% of your TDEE.

• Moderate Carb Day:

  For fat loss, it is 90% of your TDEE. For maintenance, it equals your TDEE, and for muscle gain, it is 110% of your TDEE.

• Low Carb Day:

  For fat loss, aim for 80% of TDEE. For maintenance, it is 90% of TDEE, and for muscle gain, it equates to your TDEE.

Step 6: Calculate Daily Macronutrients

• Protein: Aim for 2.2 grams of protein per kg of body weight for each day.
• Fat: Varies by the day type; for High Carb days, it’s 0.5 grams per kg, Moderate Carb days require 0.7 grams per kg, and Low Carb days call for 0.9 grams per kg.
• Carbs: The remaining calorie allowance, after accounting for proteins and fats, is calculated for carbs by dividing by 4 (calories per gram of carbohydrate).

This step-by-step guide should help you effectively use the carb cycling calculator for planning your diet according to your personal goals and metrics. Adjust your parameters as necessary to fine-tune your diet plans.