Question 1

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Accepted Answer

A reasonable starting point is your bodyweight in pounds × 11 for fat loss. So a 180 lb person aiming to drop fat lands around 1,980 kcal/day. This works for most people because it builds in a ~500 kcal/day deficit off a typical maintenance estimate. Track for two weeks and adjust based on actual weight change — the formula is the seed, your weight trend is the truth.

Question 2

How much protein do I really need?

Accepted Answer

0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound of bodyweight. The lower end is fine for general health; the upper end matters when you're in a calorie deficit because protein protects lean mass while you lose fat. A 180 lb person targeting fat loss should aim for ~180 g/day.

Question 3

Do I need to track carbs and fat?

Accepted Answer

Not strictly. If you hit your calorie ceiling and your protein floor, the carb/fat split takes care of itself for most people. Track them later if you're chasing performance gains, optimizing for satiety, or have a specific medical reason.

Question 4

Why isn't the scale moving even though I'm in a deficit?

Accepted Answer

Three usual suspects: (1) you're under-counting calories — most people are off by 200-500 kcal/day, (2) water retention is masking real fat loss for 1-3 weeks, especially after a hard workout or salty meal, (3) you've been at it less than two weeks. Weight loss isn't linear; the trend over a 2-3 week window is what matters, not any single morning.

Question 5

Should I cut faster?

Accepted Answer

Almost never. A loss of 0.5-1% of bodyweight per week is the sweet spot — fast enough to see progress, slow enough to keep muscle and stay sane. Cutting harder than 1.5%/week tanks training quality and adherence, and the scale catches up the moment you eat normally for two days.

Question 6

How accurate is a bodyweight-based calorie estimate?

Accepted Answer

Within ~10-15% for the average person. Two people at 180 lb can have maintenance calories that differ by 300+ kcal because of activity level, lean mass, and metabolic adaptation. The calculator gets you started; once you've logged 14 days, Ignia switches to a measured TDEE based on your actual weight trend, which is much more accurate.

Question 7

Do I need to weigh my food to track macros?

Accepted Answer

For the first few weeks, yes — if you want the numbers to mean anything. After 1-2 months you'll have a calibrated eyeball for common portions and can switch to estimating with reasonable accuracy. Cheap kitchen scale: $15. Best fitness investment you'll make.

Question 8

What about cheat days?

Accepted Answer

A single 1,000 kcal surplus day undoes about 1.5 days of a moderate deficit — annoying but recoverable. The actual problem with cheat days is they often roll into cheat weekends. Build in 1-2 high-calorie meals per week instead of one full day off the rails. The math is identical, the psychology is gentler.

Question 9

Should I eat back my exercise calories?

Accepted Answer

Mostly no. Fitness trackers over-estimate burn by 20-50%, and eating back the inflated number erases your deficit. Pick a sustainable daily calorie target and treat exercise as separate — fuel performance, build the habit, but don't use it as a calorie debit card.

Question 10

Does Ignia track carbs and fat?

Accepted Answer

Yes — every entry has carb and fat fields, and they show on your day. What Ignia does not do is set targets for them. For the audience we built this for — lifters, people in a cut, anyone doing a recomp — calories and protein are the two numbers that move the needle, so those are the two that get rings and a daily goal. Carbs and fat are there when you want them, without turning every meal into four decisions.

Question 11

Is this a replacement for a dietitian?

Accepted Answer

No. The calculator and the app give you a starting target and a way to track adherence. If you're managing a medical condition (diabetes, kidney issues, eating disorder history, pregnancy), work with a registered dietitian. The math is general; their advice is specific to you.

Question 12

What happens after I sign up?

Accepted Answer

Two-question onboarding (current weight, goal), then you're logging meals against your targets in under 30 seconds. Everything is free — full history, barcode scanning, photo logging, the fasting timer and targets that adapt to your own weight trend. There is no paid tier and nothing to upgrade to.