Nutrition and sports: how can a programmer with a sedentary job calculate macros and calorie intake?

For knowledge workers who spend most of their day in front of a monitor, calculating the daily norm of calories and nutrients has its own specific features. A sedentary lifestyle reduces baseline energy expenditure, so standard formulas often yield overestimated results, leading to weight gain.

The first step is to determine your basal metabolic rate using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula. The resulting value is multiplied by the physical activity coefficient, which for programmers typically ranges from 1.2 to 1.375 given three light workouts per week.

The resulting figure needs to be adjusted for specific goals: for weight loss, subtract 10-15 percent; for muscle gain, add the same amount. At the same time, the distribution of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates should support cognitive functions and muscle tone.

Proteins are kept at a level of 1.6-2 grams per kilogram of weight for muscle recovery. Fats should not drop below 1 gram per kilogram, as they are critically important for brain function and the hormonal system. Carbohydrates fill the remaining portion of the calorie intake, with preference given to complex sources.