Compares your last 3–5 days of intake to either estimated needs or Whoop totals.
If Whoop is enabled and valid Whoop totals are entered, the calculator uses Whoop as the needs reference.
If not, it uses estimated needs from RMR × PAL.
It does not combine both.
Status is then checked against fat percentage, so high energy driven by high fat intake does not automatically count as green or gold.
At over 25% fat, effective status becomes amber. At over 35% fat, effective status becomes red.
The ladder softens as intake approaches the constrained-energy ceiling, not simply because a traffic-light colour improves.
For general populations, the ladder stops at 60 EPK. Only athlete mode can progress into the 80+ EPK range.
Step 1: Your basic details (RMR)
If entered, tested RMR overrides Mifflin St Jeor.
Step 2: Activity level (PAL) including physical and mental strain
Mental strain counts because it increases recovery demand. If sleep is poor, stress is high, and you’re under-fuelled,
your day often behaves like a higher PAL even if steps are modest.
This is the starting ladder step. The actual ladder softens automatically as intake approaches the constrained-energy ceiling.
If average fat intake is above this cap, effective status cannot become green or gold.
General ceiling is for typical non-athlete averages. Athlete ceiling allows progression into the 80+ EPK range before the ladder fully stops.
At over 25% fat, effective status becomes amber.
At over 35% fat, effective status becomes red.
For typical non-athlete averages, the ladder softens near 50 EPK and stops near 60 EPK.
Athlete mode is the only profile that allows the ladder to move into the 80+ EPK range.
Step 3: Last 3–5 days from Cronometer (total intake and macros in kcal)
Enter each day’s total calories and macro calories from Cronometer (carb kcal, fat kcal, protein kcal).
If Whoop is enabled, add that day’s total Whoop calories too.
Days with total intake blank or 0 are ignored.
If valid Whoop totals are entered for the days used, Whoop becomes the needs reference.
If not, the calculator falls back to estimated needs from RMR × PAL.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Step 4: Biofeedback
These do not override the numbers, but they help place them in real physiology.
Shows average intake against estimated needs and the actual needs source used.
Macro split
Green and gold require fat to stay at or below your selected fat cap. Over 25% fat becomes amber. Over 35% fat becomes red.
Biofeedback
–
Day-by-day
Shows daily intake against the needs reference used for that day.
Day
Intake
Whoop total
Needs used
Gap
EPK (intake)
EPK (needs-adjusted)
Zone Ladder
Ladder uses your current 5-day average intake as Step 0 and increases by your chosen base step size.
As intake EPK approaches the constrained-energy ceiling, the ladder automatically softens and then stops.
This is separate from the traffic-light label itself.
Fat percentage can still slow or block progression.
General mode stops at 60 EPK. Only athlete mode can move into the 80+ EPK range.
Step
Hold
Step size
Target intake
EPK (intake)
Energy tier
Effective status
EPK (needs-adjusted)
Effective status (needs-adjusted)
Notes
Send this to your coach
This opens your email app with the report included. If your email app truncates long messages, use Copy report and paste it into the email.
Attach the downloaded PDF if you want a clean version. When the email opens, Billy is included so he receives a copy at billy@enerjarden.com.
Gentle fat-rebalance suggestion (optional)
If fat % is high, the aim is a small, sustainable reduction in fat percentage while keeping protein stable and letting carbs rise.