What are Carbon's goals?
Carbon offers four goal types: Fat Loss, Build Muscle, Weight Maintenance, and Reverse Diet. Each one sets your calorie and macro targets differently based on your current situation and what you're trying to accomplish. Picking the right starting point matters because a goal that doesn't match your situation makes compliance harder and results slower.
Where to find your goal settings
Your goal is set during initial onboarding. To change it later, go to the Coach tab and select Change Goal. From there you can select your new goal, and Carbon will recalculate your targets based on your updated selection.
How to choose the right goal
Choose Fat Loss if:
You want to lose body fat and improve your body composition
Your current calorie intake is at a reasonable level (not already very low)
You haven't recently come off a fat loss diet. Carbon loosely recommends a 20-week recovery window between fat loss phases
You don't suspect a suppressed metabolism from a history of yo-yo dieting or prolonged calorie restriction
When setting your rate of loss, start at the default or go slightly lower. An aggressive rate of loss makes it harder to stay compliant week over week.
Choose Muscle Gain if:
You're regularly resistane training and have time set aside to spend in a calorie surplus
You're comfortable seeing the scale move up
You're ready to eat more to support muscle growth
If you're hesitant about scale increases or have a higher starting body fat percentage, a Reverse Diet may be a better fit. It puts you in a smaller surplus than a traditional Muscle Gain goal.
Choose Weight Maintenance if:
You're new to tracking macros and want to build the habit before cutting or bulking
You're between goals or returning to tracking after a break
You're coming off a Reverse Diet and want to let your weight stabilize before transitioning
You're happy with your current weight and just want to stay consistent
Maintenance is also a practical short-term option, such as switching over during a vacation to hold yourself accountable without going into a deficit.
Choose Reverse Diet if:
You have a history of yo-yo dieting or have been in a prolonged calorie deficit
Your current maintenance calories feel very low
You want to rebuild your metabolism before starting a fat loss phase
A Reverse Diet starts you at or just above your current estimated maintenance and gradually increases calories over time. The goal is to raise your maintenance level while limiting fat gain. Expect some weight gain during this phase. That's normal and part of the process.
A Reverse Diet is not a weight loss goal. If your maintenance calories are already high, you have significant weight to lose, or you want a larger surplus than a Reverse Diet provides, start with a different goal instead.
Want to learn more about reverse dieting? See our article titled: What is a Reverse Diet?
Additional details
Carbon uses your check-in data over time to refine its understanding of your true maintenance calories. The more consistent your logging, the more accurate your targets become.
If you're unsure whether your metabolism is suppressed, err on the side of starting with a Reverse Diet. It's easier to transition to Fat Loss from a higher calorie base than to grind through a deficit that's already too low.
Goal changes take effect at the start of your next check-in cycle.
If you're still unsure which goal fits your situation, reach out to the support team at support@joincarbon.com.
Not sure if you made the right call? You can always reassess after your first few check-ins and switch goals if your situation changes.