Setting & Understanding Your Daily Calorie Limit

Your daily calorie limit is your target caloric intake per day. To set your daily calorie limit, go to Preferences > Daily Calorie Preferences:

You can use the Calculate Daily Calories tool to help guide you in determining the right calorie limit for your wellness goals.  

Previously, the Track app used an activity factor when calculating your daily calorie limit in order to account for daily physical activity. With the introduction of the exercise tracking feature and a new improved, dietitian-formulated calorie equation, the activity factor was removed from the calculation in order to offer a more accurate tracking experience.

Using an activity factor to determine calorie needs can be an ok estimate, but it does not take into account the day-to-day variation in activity. Instead, now Track your exercise each day to get a personalized and more accurate estimate of calories burned. We will handle the math and calculate your daily net calories right in the app!

What do the colors of the calorie bar mean?

Green - below daily calorie limit

Yellow - below daily calorie limit, but getting closer to it

Red - over daily calorie limit 

What are net calories?

Net calories are the calories you consume minus the calories you burn. Using net calories instead of total calories consumed can help you to more effectively manage your weight. Here are some basic guidelines:

To lose weight

Keep your net calories below your calculated daily calorie needs. You can do this by eating fewer calories or exercising more. For the best results, do both!

To maintain weight

Balance your net calories with your calculated daily calorie needs. Eat enough to compensate for the calories that you burn exercising, but don’t go overboard.

To gain weight

Keep your net calories above your calculated daily calorie needs. You will need to eat more calories than you burn in a day, so if you exercise it is especially important to increase how much you eat. Try not to use this as a free ticket to eat all the junk food you want – healthy choices are still best!