Help
How CalBurndown works.
Practical guides for installing the app, logging meals without barcodes, reading the burndown chart, and understanding the math behind your daily deficit.
Basics
Getting started with CalBurndown
Set your body stats, pick a deficit, log your first meal and walk. Under five minutes.
How to install CalBurndown on iPhone
Add the app to your iPhone Home Screen in three taps. Unlocks full-screen mode, offline access, and push notifications.
How to install CalBurndown on Android
One-tap install in Chrome. Unlocks full-screen mode, offline access, and push notifications — no Play Store needed.
How to read a calorie burndown chart
Every line, every number, what they mean, and how to know if you're on pace for your daily deficit.
Logging
How to log meals without scanning barcodes
Three ways to log a meal — type it, say it, or photograph it. None of them require a barcode scanner.
How to count calories at restaurants
Restaurant meals are the biggest source of tracking error. Three approaches that work — and one common mistake to avoid.
How to estimate portion sizes without a food scale
Your hand is a calibrated reference object you carry everywhere. Here's how to use it for protein, carbs, fats, and vegetables.
Math
How to calculate your TDEE
TDEE = BMR + activity. Here's the formula CalBurndown uses, why "activity factor" multipliers are usually wrong, and how to get a more accurate number.
How to set a calorie deficit for weight loss
How big should your deficit be? The math, the trade-offs, and the realistic answer that's smaller than most guides recommend.
How TDEE calibration works in CalBurndown
Every two weeks, we compare your predicted weight change to what actually happened, and adjust your TDEE accordingly. Here's how the loop works.
Trust
How to enable reminders and push notifications
Set up meal nudges, weigh-in reminders, daily summaries, and weekly recaps. Three channels — email, in-app banners, and Web Push — work today.
Privacy, data, and how to export everything
What stays on your device, what reaches our servers, and how to walk away with all of your data.