Hi friend,

Wanted to share something with you.

A few months ago, I put together a nutrition calculator to help you quickly estimate your caloric needs, macronutrients, and fiber—all in just a few clicks.

I’m working on building out a library of lead magnets (business stuff), and since this tool is already pretty useful but missing a bit more helpful substance, here’s a preview of the guide I’m putting together to go along with it.

The calculator isn't perfect, but it does give you a pretty solid starting point. You can then adjust from there.

​→ Access the Nutrition Calculator​

1. The Big Picture

Calories are just a unit of measurement. Not good or bad—just neutral.

If you don't eat enough calories, it’s like trying to run your life on 19% phone battery in power-saving mode while juggling work, training, and everything else. Eventually, things start over heating, glitching and etc. Not great.

Calories influence body weight. Eat more, gain weight. Eat less, lose weight.

Macronutrients influence body composition. The individual ratios of your protein, carbs, and fats influence muscle retention, fat loss, and recovery.

Micronutrients influence how you feel. Vitamins, minerals, and fiber affect digestion, energy, and overall health.

Think of these like the three legs of a stool—neglect one, and things get wobbly.

2. Your Metabolism: Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your TDEE is the total energy you burn in a day, made up of:

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) – Calories burned at rest (~60-75%).

NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) – Movement outside workouts (walking, fidgeting, etc.) (~15-30%).

TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) – Energy used for digestion. Protein & fiber require more energy to break down (~10-15%).

EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) – Calories burned from training (~5-10%).

3. Protein

1.6–2.2 g/kg (0.7–1.0 g/lb) of body weight per day

If you’re in a caloric deficit or trying to build muscle, aim for the higher end.

Higher protein intakes are safe. Research shows 3.3 g/kg is well tolerated in healthy individuals.

Example (170 lbs / 77 kg person):

Lower end: 123g protein/day

Higher end: 170g protein/day

4. Carbohydrates

Carbs are your body’s preferred fuel source for training.
Under-fueling? It’s like choosing to play a video game on hard mode for no reason—you can, but why make things harder?

3–7 g/kg (1.4–3.2 g/lb) of body weight per day

• Strength/general fitness: 3–5 g/kg
• Endurance training/high-volume lifting: 5–7 g/kg
• Fat loss? Reduce slightly but keep enough to support energy & recovery.

Example (170 lbs / 77 kg person):

• Moderate training volume (4 g/kg): 308g carbs/day
• High training volume (6 g/kg): 462g carbs/day

Now here's a simple rule of thumb for training: 30-120g of carbs per hour of training. Adjust based on activity and tolerance.

5. Fats

Fats play a big role in hormones, so keeping them above 20% of daily calories is a smart move.

20–35% of total daily calories

• Prefer higher carbs? Keep fats at 20-25%.
• Prefer lower carbs? Increase fats to 30-35%.
• Avoid dropping below 15-20% long-term.

Example (2,500 calorie diet):

• 20% fat: 55g fat/day
• 30% fat: 83g fat/day

6. Fat Loss

Small deficit (5-10%) - Most sustainable.

Moderate deficit (10-15%)

Aggressive deficit (20%+) – High risk of muscle loss, lower energy, and unsustainable long-term.

When in a deficit, prioritizing protein and fiber helps with muscle retention, gut health, and appetite control.

7. Muscle Gain

Small surplus (5-10%) – Supports lean muscle growth while minimizing fat gain.

Moderate surplus (10-15%) – Faster gains but requires tighter nutrition control.

Large surplus (20%+) – Higher risk of excessive fat gain along with muscle.

Muscle gain is a slow process—more food doesn’t mean more muscle. Hypertrophy (building muscle) is very stimulus driven from strength training. Food helps.

8. Gut Health & Digestion

Your gut impacts nutrient absorption, recovery, inflammation, and overall well-being.

✔️ Prebiotics feed beneficial gut bacteria (bananas, oats, onions, garlic).
✔️ Probiotics support digestion (yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut).
✔️ Postbiotics influence immune function & gut integrity.

Carbohydrates & Gut Health:
Gut bacteria thrive on fiber-rich, whole-food carbohydrates. Chronically low-carb diets may alter gut microbiome diversity, which can impact digestion and metabolism.

I hope the calculator and this mini cheat sheet were helpful to you.

Until next time,

Much love,

Calvin

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