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Weight Loss Tools
The Best Weight Calculator for You
Whether your weight loss goal is to shed belly fat or lower your risk of heart disease, a few at-home calculations can help keep you healthy and on track
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The Tools You Need
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To determine if your weight is “normal”
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To determine if your weight is a health risk
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To calculate your body fat percentage
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To determine how many calories you need
To determine if your weight is “normal”
The body mass index (BMI) is a tried-and-true weight metric. Invented in the late 1800s, the formula uses weight and height to calculate a number that indicates if a person is underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. While this formula is a fairly reliable indicator of obesity and health risks, it doesn’t measure your percentage of body fat.
Going one step further, an “ideal weight” or “healthy weight” calculator, many of which can be found online, can tell you what a healthy weight range is for your height.
How it works: Plug your weight and height into an online calculator (Search: Find a body mass index calculator.)and you’ll get a number indicating whether you’re underweight (below 18.5), normal (18.5 to 24.9), overweight (25 to 29.9), or obese (30 and above). These standards were set in 1985 by the National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel, which concluded that the BMI was an appropriate measurement of obesity. For all you math geeks, the formula is Weight (in pounds) / [Height (in inches)]2 x 703.
How it can help you manage your weight: “For average to overweight individuals who want to lose weight, BMI can be used as a motivation tracking tool to see changes over time,” says Burron. For example, BMI can be used to set a weight loss goal like, “My goal is to be in the ‘normal’ weight category by [a certain date].” (Related: Learn how you can lose up to 15 pounds in 32 days while cracking down on stubborn belly fat)
How accurate is it? “Since BMI uses total body weight, rather than estimates of fat and lean body mass separately, it does not discriminate between the overweight and the athletic or more muscular body type,” says Burron. “It also does not take into account age, gender, or muscle mass. It would not be a useful tool for heavy-muscled athletes, the elderly, pregnant women, or teenagers.” According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers found that BMI also fails to predict health risks for individuals who fall in the “skinny fat” category—those who have a normal, healthy BMI and likely appear thin but have a high percentage of body fat.
More: Can’t seem to change the number on the scale? Your hormones may be to blame
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