How are your daily calorie needs calculated?
In YiYo, your daily calorie needs are calculated on the server with published formulas. You'll find every step below, from basal metabolic rate to calorie deficit.
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Your calorie target doesn't come from an AI.
It is calculated on the server with published formulas. The AI only picks meals that fit that target, and what it picks is checked again.
- Basal metabolic rate
- A weighted average of the Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict and Katch-McArdle formulas. Body fat percentage is not asked for; it is estimated from your height, weight, age and sex.
- Daily requirement
- Your basal metabolic rate is multiplied by the activity factor you select: between 1.2 and 1.9, from sedentary to very active.
- Calorie deficit
- Between 15% and 30% of your requirement; at most 1100 kcal a day. The floor for your target is 1200 kcal for women and 1500 kcal for men aged 19–64. Under 19, the calculation is done separately and the deficit does not exceed 10%.
- Plan check
- Each meal's calories are recalculated from its macros, and if the day's total strays from the target it is corrected. A meal whose name contains an allergen or a food you dislike is caught and regenerated; still, check the contents of every meal yourself.
1. Calculating basal metabolic rate
Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body burns at rest. YiYo doesn't estimate it with a single formula but with a weighted average of three published ones: Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict and Katch-McArdle.
You don't need to know your body fat percentage; setup doesn't ask for it. It's estimated from your height, weight, age and sex.
2. Daily requirement: the activity factor
Your basal metabolic rate is multiplied by a factor that matches the activity level you chose during setup.
The factor starts at 1.2 for a sedentary lifestyle and goes up to 1.9 for a very active one. The result is your daily requirement; if you want to maintain your weight, that's also your target.
3. How is the calorie deficit calculated?
If you want to lose weight, your target is found by subtracting a deficit from your daily requirement. The deficit is kept between 15% and 30% of your requirement and never exceeds 1100 kcal a day.
The target never drops below a floor: 1200 kcal for women and 1500 kcal for men aged 19–64. If you're under 19, the calculation is done separately and the deficit doesn't exceed 10%.
If you want to gain weight, a calorie surplus is added on top of your requirement instead. If you want to build muscle, the plan is protein-heavy; the grams in each meal are written out.
4. The AI only picks the meals
Once the target is set, the AI steps in. Its job isn't to decide the number but to pick meals that fit it. What it picks is checked again:
- Each meal's calories are recalculated from its protein, carb and fat values.
- If the day's total strays from the target, it's corrected.
- Meals whose names contain an allergen or a food you dislike are caught and regenerated.
If you have an allergy, still check what goes into each meal yourself.
The calculation is an estimate, not a medical assessment
The numbers that come out of the formulas are estimates, not exact measurements. YiYo is not a dietitian or a doctor; use your target as a guide.
How accurate are the calorie values?
They are estimates. Photo analysis and the barcode database are not exact; you always confirm the portion yourself. Treat the numbers as a direction, not a precise measurement.
I have a condition such as diabetes or celiac disease.
You can flag these conditions during setup, and they are taken as input when the plan is generated. But YiYo does not give medical advice: talk to your doctor or dietitian before changing your diet.
If you have a health condition: you can flag diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, celiac disease, thyroid (Hashimoto's) and kidney conditions; they are taken into account when the plan is generated, but the resulting plan is not a medical diet. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have kidney disease, insulin-dependent diabetes or a history of eating disorders, use YiYo under the supervision of a doctor or dietitian.
Start today.
The moment you finish the questions, your first weekly plan is ready. Free.
On a computer? Scan it with your phone's camera and the App Store page opens.
YiYo is not a health institution, a dietitian or a medical doctor. The plans it offers are for information only and do not replace medical advice. During pregnancy or breastfeeding, and for people with kidney disease, diabetes that requires medication or insulin, or a history of eating disorders, the app should only be used under the supervision of a doctor or dietitian.
