Procedure

1. Establish Resting Energy Expenditure (REE)

   • Retrieve the user's age, weight (kg), and height (cm).
   • Apply the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to estimate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
   • Calculation:
     • Male: (10 × weight) + (6.25 × height) - (5 × age) + 5
     • Female: (10 × weight) + (6.25 × height) - (5 × age) - 161
   • Use the compute_bmr tool to standardize this value.

2. Determine Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

   • Assess the user's current physical activity level (PAL).
   • Apply the appropriate multiplier to the BMR:
     • Sedentary: 1.2
     • Lightly Active (1–3 days/week): 1.375
     • Moderately Active (3–5 days/week): 1.55
     • Very Active (6–7 days/week): 1.725
     • Extra Active (Physical job/2x training): 1.9
   • Use the compute_tdee tool to finalize the caloric baseline.

3. Partition Macronutrients (AMDR Framework)

   • Determine the distribution based on Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR):
     • Carbohydrates: 45% – 65% of total calories.
     • Proteins: 10% – 35% of total calories.
     • Fats: 20% – 35% of total calories.
   • Align the distribution with the user's specific goals (e.g., higher protein within the range for muscle maintenance).

4. Execute Gram Conversions

   • Convert caloric allocations to grams using the Atwater System energy densities:
     • Protein: 4 kcal/g
     • Carbohydrates: 4 kcal/g
     • Fats: 9 kcal/g
   • Use the compute_macros tool or perform manual steps: (Total Calories × Target %) / kcal per gram.

5. Implement Educational Onboarding

   • Guide the user through the four stages of implementation:
     • Stage 1 (Literacy): Instruct on reading FDA Nutrition Facts Labels to identify macro grams versus total calories.
     • Stage 2 (Accuracy): Recommend moving from volume measurements (cups) to digital food scales (grams) for raw ingredients.
     • Stage 3 (Synthesis): Advise using the USDA FoodData Central database for manual entry to ensure "ground truth" accuracy over automated photo logs.
     • Stage 4 (Intuition): Transition to visual portion estimation once manual precision is mastered.

6. Finalize Targets

   • Apply the calculated values to the user's profile using set_user_macro_targets.
   • Remind the user that these calculations are physiological estimates and should be adjusted based on recorded biochemical or anthropometric progress over time.