Calorie Cycling Calculator

How it is calculated

The plan keeps the weekly total equal to average × 7. A high day is the average plus your boost: high = average × (1 + boost % ÷ 100). The remaining low days share whatever calories are left: low = (weekly total − high × high days) ÷ (7 − high days). High days must be a whole number from 1 to 6; 0, 7 or a fraction such as 2.5 gives no result. The boost cannot be negative, and the average must be above zero. All figures are kcal, rounded to whole numbers. If the boost is so large that the low days would reach zero or below (for example 200 % with 3 high days), the tool returns no result. It does not judge whether the low-day figure is realistic: a big boost can push it to a level that is hard to sustain.

Common mistakes

• Entering your maintenance calories as the average when your goal is a deficit; the plan only redistributes the number you give it.
• Choosing a large boost with many high days: the low days then fall far below the average and become hard to follow (100 % with 3 high days leaves only 500 kcal on each low day).
• Entering the boost as extra calories instead of a percentage; 400 would be read as 400 %, which leaves no valid low-day figure.
• Typing 2.5 or 7 for high days. Only whole numbers from 1 to 6 work, because there must be at least one low day.
• Believing a high day cancels a low day exactly in the body; only the weekly total is fixed here, so overeating on a high day breaks the plan.