Understanding How Hoot Calculates Your Plan
When you first set up Hoot, the app creates a custom calorie and macro plan tailored to your body, goals, and daily activity level.
This article explains exactly how those numbers are calculated—so you know where they come from and how to adjust them if your goals or lifestyle change.
Whether your aim is weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain, Hoot’s approach follows the same scientific framework used by dietitians worldwide:
Estimate your daily calorie needs
Apply a safe calorie deficit (or surplus)
Keep your targets realistic and sustainable
Step 1: Estimating Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)—sometimes called Resting Energy Expenditure (REE)—is the number of calories your body burns at rest to keep vital functions running (like breathing and cell repair).
Hoot uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the gold standard for estimating BMR in healthy adults:
| Formula | Example |
Men | 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age (yr) + 5 | 80 kg / 180 cm / 30 yr → ≈ 1,759 kcal / day |
Women | 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age (yr) – 161 | 65 kg / 165 cm / 30 yr → ≈ 1,417 kcal / day |
These values show your resting calorie burn—the starting point for everything else.
Step 2: Calculating Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
Your TDEE represents how many calories you burn in a full day, including movement and exercise.
Hoot multiplies your BMR by one of four activity levels you select during setup:
Activity Level | Description | Multiplier |
Sedentary | Little or no exercise (mostly sitting) | × 1.2 |
Lightly Active | Light exercise 1–3 days per week | × 1.375 |
Active | Moderate to hard exercise 3–5 days per week | × 1.55 |
Very Active | Intense exercise 6–7 days per week or physical job | × 1.725 |
Example:
If your BMR = 1,600 kcal/day and you’re Active (× 1.55),
TDEE ≈ 1,600 × 1.55 = 2,480 kcal/day.
That’s roughly how many calories you’d need to maintain your current weight at your current activity level.
Step 3: Setting a Safe Calorie Deficit
To lose weight, Hoot applies a moderate calorie deficit to your TDEE.
A classic planning rule is that 3,500 calories ≈ 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fat.
Goal | Typical Weekly Loss | Approx. Daily Deficit |
Slow & Steady | 0.5 lb (0.25 kg) per week | ~250 kcal/day |
Balanced | 1 lb (0.45 kg) per week | ~500 kcal/day |
Faster Pace | 2 lb (0.9 kg) per week | ~1,000 kcal/day |
Formula: Daily deficit = Weekly deficit ÷ 7
Results can vary due to metabolism, water balance, and activity changes—but consistent deficits produce measurable progress over time.
Step 4: Minimum Safe Calorie Levels
Hoot never allows extreme restriction.
To keep you fueled and healthy, the app enforces safe minimums automatically:
Women: 1,200 calories per day
Men: 1,500 calories per day
If your selected pace would push you below these thresholds, Hoot adjusts your target to maintain proper nutrition and energy.
Summary: The Hoot Framework
BMR → Calculated using Mifflin-St Jeor
TDEE → Adjusted for one of four activity levels
Calorie Deficit → Applied for your chosen goal pace
Safety Check → Minimum intake thresholds always enforced
This research-backed framework keeps your goals realistic and your energy stable—helping you lose weight safely while learning what your body needs.
No fads. No guilt. Just better habits.