Navigating the Diary to See Daily Calorie Totals
For most users, the first place to look for calorie information is the Diary page. This page serves as your central dashboard for all daily food and exercise entries. At the top of the Diary, you will see the Energy Summary circles.
The Energy Summary Circles Explained
- Energy Consumed: The circle on the left displays your total calorie intake from all logged foods for the day. Tapping this circle provides a detailed macronutrient breakdown, showing how much energy (in kcal or kJ) came from carbs, fats, and protein.
- Energy Burned: The center circle shows your daily energy expenditure. This includes your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), baseline activity level, and any logged exercise. It automatically updates throughout the day.
- Target or Balance: The right-hand circle, which can be configured to show either 'Target' or 'Balance' mode, displays your remaining calorie budget or your current energy deficit/surplus. This is crucial for understanding your daily progress toward a weight goal.
How to See Meal-Specific Calories
Cronometer also allows you to see the calorie count for individual meals. This is an excellent feature for those who want to analyze the caloric density of their breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- On the Mobile App: In your Diary, swipe the meal header (e.g., 'Breakfast') to the right and tap the blue gear icon. From there, select 'Show Nutrition Summary' to view the breakdown for that specific meal.
- On the Web Version: Simply click on the name of the diary group (e.g., 'Lunch'), and the nutrient targets will update to reflect the totals for that group only.
Customizing Your Display Settings
If you prefer a different layout, Cronometer provides several options to customize what information is visible. For instance, you can choose to display meal-specific calorie counts directly in your Diary groups.
To enable this setting on mobile, go to More > Display > Diary Settings > Show Group Subtotals > Calories. This will add a small calorie total under each meal's heading.
Using the Daily Report and Trends
For a more comprehensive look at your calorie intake over a period of time, the Daily Report and Trends sections are invaluable. The Daily Report offers a static summary of a single day's nutrition, while the Trends tab provides charts and graphs that visualize your data over a week, month, or longer.
Daily Report
To access the Daily Report, tap the three-dot overflow menu in the top right of your Diary on the mobile app and select 'View Daily Report'. The report breaks down your total calories consumed, burned, and remaining, along with a detailed view of your macronutrients.
Trends
The Trends section (found in the bottom menu on mobile or top menu on the web) is where you can find historical data and visualize your progress. Here, you can select 'Energy Consumed (kcal)' under 'Manage Charts' to see a graph of your calorie intake over your selected timeframe.
Comparison: Cronometer Free vs. Gold Features
While the basic calorie tracking features are available to all users, the Gold subscription offers additional customization and reporting. This table highlights some of the differences relevant to calorie tracking.
| Feature | Free Version | Gold Version |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Summary | Shows Consumed, Burned, and Target/Balance circles in the Diary. | Same, with more customization options like hiding the summary. |
| Meal Subtotals | Can be displayed in the Diary, showing calories per meal. | Same, with more control over which nutrient appears in the summary column. |
| Historical Trends | Basic access to charts and averages over limited time frames (e.g., last 7 days). | Full access to custom date ranges for reports, enabling long-term analysis. |
| Advanced Targets | Set a basic daily calorie target. | Unlock the Macro Scheduler to program different calorie and macro targets for different days. |
| Food Entry Data | Access to a reliable, verified food database. | Recipe Importer tool streamlines entering custom meal data, saving time and improving accuracy. |
How Cronometer Handles Calorie Calculation
Cronometer prides itself on accuracy by using reliable food data sources like the USDA FoodData Central and curated user entries. When you log food, the app performs a few key calculations:
- Standard Macros: For most foods, it applies the standard Atwater factors (4 kcal/g for protein/carbs, 9 kcal/g for fat).
- Net Carbs: For users who prefer tracking net carbs, there is a setting to exclude fiber and certain sugar alcohols from the carbohydrate total, which impacts the calorie count accordingly. This can be adjusted by going to
More > Targets > Macronutrient Settings. - Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): This feature can be toggled on in the Energy Expenditure settings. It adds a small number of calories burned from digesting your food to your daily total.
Troubleshooting: "Where Did My Calories Go?"
Sometimes, users may feel that their calorie counts are inaccurate or that the numbers don't add up. Most of these issues can be resolved by checking your settings or understanding how Cronometer calculates totals.
- Double-counting Exercise: If you have an activity tracker synced, Cronometer automatically adjusts your baseline activity level to avoid counting the same calories twice. Check the breakdown in the 'Energy Burned' circle.
- Misinterpreted Data: Ensure you are looking at the 'Energy Consumed' and not the 'Energy Burned' circle.
- Hidden Summary: If the calorie circles are missing, you may have hidden them. Re-enable them by navigating to
More > Displayand toggling theCalories Summary in Diaryoption back on.
Conclusion
Finding and understanding your calories on Cronometer is a straightforward process once you know where to look. From the simple, at-a-glance Energy Summary circles on your Diary page to the detailed Daily Reports and long-term Trends, the app provides multiple avenues for viewing your nutritional information. Whether you are a beginner looking to understand your daily intake or an advanced user tracking intricate details, Cronometer offers all the necessary tools. Regularly checking these calorie metrics is a powerful way to stay on top of your health and make informed decisions about your diet.
Essential Cronometer Navigation
To maximize your tracking experience, remember these key navigation points within the Cronometer app. The most crucial information is easily accessible with a quick tap or swipe, putting your nutritional data right at your fingertips. For even more detailed analysis, dive into the various reports and charts available.
