Macro Gauge User Guide

Welcome to Macro Gauge — your comprehensive nutrition tracking platform powered by AI. Track calories, macros, water intake, and get personalized meal plans all in one beautifully designed application.

Getting Started

To begin using Macro Gauge, you'll need to create an account. The registration process is straightforward:

1. Click Register on the login page
2. Enter your email and create a secure password
3. Log in

Initial Setup

When you first log in, it is best to set your daily nutrition goals in the Settings Tab:

• Calorie Goal - Your target daily calorie intake (default: 2000 kcal)
• Protein Goal - Daily protein target in grams
• Water Goal - Daily water intake target in liters

Dashboard Overview

The dashboard is your central hub for tracking daily nutrition. It's divided into several key sections:

Today's Summary

At the top of your dashboard, you'll see real-time statistics for:

Metric	Description
Calories	Total calories consumed vs. your daily goal
Protein	Grams of protein tracked for the day
Water	Liters of water logged vs. your hydration goal
Day Streak	Consecutive days you've met your goals

Quick Add Suggestions

The dashboard shows personalized suggestions based on your tracking history:

• Add more meals - When you're under your calorie goal
• Add more protein - When protein intake is low
• Stay hydrated - Reminder to log water intake

Food Search & Database

Macro Gauge offers two powerful food databases to search from:

Database Options

1. USDA Database (Default - can be changed in settings)

The USDA FoodData Central database provides comprehensive nutritional data for foods available in the United States. It includes:

• Branded products with barcodes
• Generic ingredients and whole foods
• Restaurant chain menu items
• USDA-verified nutritional accuracy

2. Open Food Facts (Global)

Open Food Facts is a collaborative database covering foods from around the world. Features include:

• Country-specific product listings
• 19 country databases (UK, France, Germany, India, etc.)
• Community-contributed data
• Barcode scanning capability

How to Search

1. Type your food name in the search box
2. Browse results sorted by relevance (exact matches first)

Search Tips

// Good searches
"chicken breast"
"olive oil"
"greek yogurt"

// Better specificity
"grilled chicken breast"
"extra virgin olive oil"
"plain greek yogurt 2%"

Adding Food to Your Log

Once you find a food item:

1. Click the + Add button
2. Adjust serving size if needed
3. Select meal type (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack)
4. Click Log Meal

Calendar & Historical Tracking

The Calendar view lets you track and review nutrition data across any date range.

Calendar Features

• Visual Day Indicators - Green = goal met, Yellow = partial, Gray = no data, Red = exceeded goal
• Date Navigation - Click any date to view that day's meals
• Week View - See 7 days at a glance with totals
• Monthly Analytics - Track streaks and average intake

AI Meal Planner

The AI Meal Planner uses GPT-4o-mini to generate personalized 7-day meal plans based on your preferences and goals.

How It Works

The meal planner guides you through an 8-question quiz covering:

1. Goal - Weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain
2. Dietary Restrictions - Vegan, vegetarian, keto, gluten-free, etc.
3. Calorie Target - Auto-filled from your settings
4. Foods to Avoid - Allergens or dislikes
5. Cuisine Preferences - Italian, Asian, Mediterranean, etc.
6. Meals Per Day - 3, 4, 5, or 6 meals
7. Budget - Low, medium, or high
8. Shopping Preference - Minimal ingredients vs. complex recipes

Meal Plan Output

After submitting the quiz, you receive:

• 7-Day Plan - Monday through Sunday meals
• Macro Breakdown - Calories, protein, carbs, fat for each meal
• Daily Totals - Sum calories per day to match your goal
• CSV Export - Download your plan for offline use

Sample Meal Plan Structure

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Total
Monday	Oatmeal with Berries (350 kcal)	Grilled Chicken Salad (450 kcal)	Salmon with Vegetables (550 kcal)	1,350 kcal

Cooldown System

To prevent excessive API usage, there's a 7-day cooldown between meal plan generations.

Export to CSV

Click Export CSV to download your meal plan in spreadsheet format, including:

Day,Meal Type,Meal Name,Calories,Protein (g),Carbs (g),Fat (g)
Monday,Breakfast,Paneer Bhurji,400,28,8,30
Monday,Lunch,Palak Paneer,450,22,14,36

Progress Tracker

The Progress Tracker visualizes your nutrition data over time with interactive charts and statistics.

Chart types

• Calorie Trend Desktop - Line graph showing Calories; Protein; Fat; Carbs for 30/31 days (the entire month)
• Calorie Trend Mobile - Line graph showing Calories; Protein; Fat; Carbs for 7 days (the entire week)
• Weekly Averages - Bar chart comparing week-to-week performance
• Water Intake - Hydration tracking over selected period

Settings & Customization

Access Settings from the sidebar to customize your Macro Gauge experience.

Nutrition Goals

Update your daily targets:

• Daily Calorie Goal - Main energy target
• Weekly Calorie Goal - Auto-calculated as daily × 7
• Protein Goal - Daily grams of protein
• Water Goal - Daily hydration target in liters

Database Source

Choose your preferred food database:

• USDA - US-focused, highly accurate
• Open Food Facts - Global coverage with country selection

Country Selection (Open Food Facts)

When using Open Food Facts, select from 19 countries:

Global (All Countries)
United States
United Kingdom
France
Germany
Italy
Spain
India
Japan
... and more

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Food search returns no results

• Try simplifying your search term
• Switch to the other database (USDA ↔ Open Food Facts)
• Check spelling and remove brand names

Data not saving

• Check your internet connection
• Refresh the page and try again
• Clear browser cache and cookies
• Contact support if issue persists

Meal planner won't generate

• Verify you're not in the 7-day cooldown period
• Complete all 8 quiz questions
• Check that input fields don't contain special characters

Tips & Best Practices

For Accurate Tracking

1. Log meals immediately after eating
2. Use a kitchen scale for portion accuracy
3. Save frequent foods to Favorites
4. Review weekly averages, not daily fluctuations

For Better Meal Plans

1. Be specific in the "Foods to Avoid" field
2. Choose cuisines you genuinely enjoy
3. Match meals per day to your actual eating schedule
4. Export your plan before the 7-day cooldown

Support

Need help? We're here for you:

• Email: support@macrogauge.com
• Documentation: This page (bookmark it!)
• Bug Reports: Use the feedback form in Settings

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JWT_TOKEN

{
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "password": "password123"
}