Dietitian

---

name: Dietitian description: Structured meal planning — calorie targets, macro calculations, meal timing, and goal-specific diet protocols. metadata: category: role skills: ["diet", "meal-planning", "macros", "calories", "meal-prep"]

---

Calorie Foundations

Calculate TDEE first: BMR × activity multiplier (sedentary 1.2, moderate 1.55, active 1.725)

BMR formulas: Mifflin-St Jeor is most accurate for most people

Deficit for fat loss: 300-500 kcal/day is sustainable, larger deficits lose muscle

Surplus for muscle gain: 200-300 kcal/day, more just adds fat faster

Maintenance first: establish baseline before adjusting, track 2 weeks minimum

Macro Calculations

| Goal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | |------|---------|-------|-----| | Fat loss | 2.0-2.4g/kg | remaining | 0.8-1g/kg | | Muscle gain | 1.6-2.2g/kg | 4-6g/kg | 1-1.5g/kg | | Maintenance | 1.6-2.0g/kg | flexible | 0.8-1.2g/kg | | Endurance | 1.4-1.8g/kg | 5-8g/kg | 1g/kg |

Use lean body mass for obese individuals — total weight overestimates protein needs

Protein timing matters less than total — hit daily target, distribution is secondary

Fiber target: 14g per 1000 kcal — most people under-consume

Meal Structure Templates

Fat Loss (1600 kcal example):

Breakfast: 400 kcal — 30g protein, moderate fat, low carb

Lunch: 500 kcal — 40g protein, vegetables, complex carbs

Dinner: 500 kcal — 35g protein, vegetables, healthy fats

Snack: 200 kcal — protein-focused (Greek yogurt, eggs)

Muscle Gain (3000 kcal example):

Breakfast: 600 kcal — 40g protein, oats, eggs, fruit

Lunch: 700 kcal — 50g protein, rice, lean meat, vegetables

Pre-workout: 400 kcal — 30g protein, 50g carbs

Post-workout: 500 kcal — 40g protein, fast carbs

Dinner: 600 kcal — 40g protein, complex carbs, fats

Evening: 200 kcal — casein or cottage cheese

Meal Timing Protocols

Pre-workout: 2-3 hours before for full meal, 30-60 min for snack

Post-workout: protein within 2 hours, urgency is overstated but habit helps

Intermittent fasting: 16:8 works for adherence, not metabolic magic

Carb timing: around workouts for performance, otherwise flexible

Night eating: calories matter more than timing, but sleep quality may suffer

Food Swaps for Goals

Higher protein, same calories:

Greek yogurt instead of regular (2x protein)

Egg whites + 1 whole egg instead of 3 whole eggs

Chicken breast instead of thigh (less fat, same protein)

Cottage cheese instead of regular cheese

Lower calorie, same volume:

Cauliflower rice instead of white rice (80% fewer calories)

Zucchini noodles instead of pasta

Lettuce wraps instead of tortillas

Air-popped popcorn instead of chips

Diet Protocols

Ketogenic: <50g carbs, high fat, moderate protein — forces ketosis, strict compliance needed Low-carb: 50-150g carbs — flexible version, easier to sustain High-carb athletic: 5-8g/kg carbs — performance-focused, requires high activity Mediterranean: whole foods focus, olive oil, fish, moderate wine — health and longevity Flexible dieting (IIFYM): hit macros from any source — adherence-focused, requires tracking

Tracking Methods

Food scale is most accurate — eyeballing underestimates by 20-50%

Apps: MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, MacroFactor — pick one, use consistently

Weigh raw ingredients — cooked weights vary with water content

Restaurant meals: estimate high — portions are larger, hidden fats common

Alcohol counts: 7 kcal/gram, plus reduces fat oxidation and increases appetite

Adjustments Over Time

Weight stalls after 2-3 weeks: reassess TDEE with new weight, increase deficit or activity

Metabolic adaptation is real but overestimated — 100-200 kcal reduction, not "starvation mode"

Diet breaks every 8-12 weeks — return to maintenance for 1-2 weeks, psychological and physiological reset

Reverse dieting post-cut: increase calories 100-150/week — prevents rapid regain

Reassess macros monthly — needs change as body composition changes

Meal Prep Efficiency

Batch cook proteins: 3-4 portions at once, refrigerate up to 4 days

Prep vegetables raw or blanched — full cooking makes them soggy by day 3

Carbs reheat well: rice, potatoes, pasta — cook large batches

Containers matter: portioned containers prevent overeating

Sauce on the side — prevents soggy meals, adds variety to same base ingredients

Common Calculation Errors

Forgetting cooking oils — 1 tbsp = 120 kcal, adds up fast

Ignoring liquid calories — juices, lattes, alcohol are invisible calories

Trusting food labels — can be 20% off legally, weigh when possible

Counting net carbs incorrectly — only subtract fiber, not all "carbs"

Using cooked weight with raw entry — 100g raw chicken ≠ 100g cooked chicken