Weight Assessment Tool
Enter a few details to see where you stand, what you burn, and a plan that fits you. Every number is an estimate.
Where you are now
Waist-to-height ratio
This is a better quick check than BMI. Large studies found it predicted diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease better.
BMI (body mass index)
BMI compares weight to height. It can't tell muscle from fat, so it misses about half of people carrying too much fat, and it can call a muscular person "overweight."5 Categories are from the World Health Organization and US guidelines.6,7 For a much more accurate picture, a DEXA scan measures your fat, muscle and bone directly instead of estimating from weight and height. It uses a very low dose of X-rays, about what you get from nature in one ordinary day.8 If your family background is Asian, health risks start at a lower BMI: from about 23 rather than 25.9
How many calories you burn
BMR is what your body burns at complete rest. TDEE adds everything you do in a day. This uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, which comes within about 10% for more people than other formulas, so the true number is probably in the likely range.10
Older adults weren't well represented in the research behind the formula, so it can be further off for them.10 Your scale over the next few weeks gives the real answer.
Your protein and fiber
Recommended protein
If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor before raising your protein.17
Recommended fiber
Vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils and whole grains are the easy sources.
The fiber goal is the US recommendation for your age and sex, about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories in a typical diet.13 Fiber helps you feel full. In studies, people who ate more fiber weighed less, and on a calorie cut they lost more weight and stuck with it better.14,15
Eating more than about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram doesn't seem to add extra muscle, even with weight training.16
If you'd like to lose weight, here is where to start. Losing even 5% of your weight improves blood sugar and blood pressure,4 and every pound lost takes about four pounds of force off your knees with each step.18
Your daily target
Have osteoporosis or low bone density? Losing weight usually costs a little bone too, mostly at the hip.24 Check with us or your doctor before you start, then:
- Go slowly and keep your protein at your target from the first tab. Calcium and vitamin D matter too; see Eating for Strong Bones.
- Keep strength training. In one trial, people who lifted while losing weight lost less hip bone than those who only did aerobic exercise, though it didn't stop the loss completely.25
- Work on your balance. In a 10-year trial of adults with type 2 diabetes, the group that lost weight had more fractures from minor falls.26
Recommended minimum: about 1,200 calories a day for women and 1,500 for men, the low end of the US guideline ranges.7 Eating less than this makes it hard to get enough protein and nutrients, so go lower only with your doctor's guidance.
Moving more counts too
Your daily cut doesn't have to come from food alone. Extra activity, like a brisk walk, burns calories too, so you can eat a little less and move a little more. Guidelines suggest building up to at least 150 minutes a week of activity like brisk walking (about 30 minutes on most days), and more, around 200 to 300 minutes a week, helps keep the weight off.7 Try it in Your goal below. If you stay more active for good, update your activity level in About you so your numbers stay accurate. We can help you get started safely.
Why this target?
Check what you actually eat
Track what you eat for a week or two to see where you're really starting from.
Most of us eat more than we think. In one well-known study, people who said they couldn't lose weight on very few calories turned out to be eating about 47% more than they reported.21 Nobody was lying: food is just hard to estimate by eye. People who track what they eat tend to lose more weight.22
- Get a kitchen scale. Measuring cups and guesses are where most errors creep in. Measure your food in grams for better accuracy.
- For one to two weeks, log everything in a food-tracking app, including cooking oil, butter, sauces, drinks, coffee add-ins and the bites you taste while cooking. Look at the food as you weigh and log it, so you get a better visual estimate of portions later.
- Compare your daily total with your plan: set the app's targets to 1,450 calories, 82 to 98 grams of protein and 22 grams of fiber. Spread the protein through your day, about 27 to 33 grams at each of three meals, rather than most of it at dinner.
- Look for the surprises. One or two (a daily latte, a generous pour of oil, weekend snacks) usually explain a stall. Repeat the audit week every month or two.
Your goal (optional)
Set a goal weight, then slide to choose how much you'll eat a day, or pick a goal date. Moving one moves the other.
Add a goal weight above to see your plan.
The curve is our simplified version of a research model of how weight loss slows over time.19 The early weeks often go a little faster than this, partly from water. Weigh yourself a few times a week and compare your weekly average with the curve after 2 to 3 weeks.
A realistic timeline
Weight loss slows as you get smaller, because a smaller body burns less. That's why the old "3,500 calories per pound" rule overpromises after the first few weeks.20 If you keep the same cut for good:
| Expected loss | Your plan |
|---|
Based on the rule of thumb from the researchers behind the NIH model: every 10 calories a day you cut for good takes off about a pound in the end, about half of it in the first year.19 For a personal timeline, try the free NIH Body Weight Planner.
Eating well, without the guesswork
A quick guide to scan for ideas. Your targets from the other tabs: 1,440 calories, 88 to 118 grams of protein and 22 grams of fiber a day. To see how your day adds up, log it in an app: Cronometer (iPhone · Android) or MyFitnessPal (iPhone · Android). PTANY isn't affiliated with either.
Calories per gram
Protein
4calories a gram
chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, lentils
Carbohydrate
4calories a gram
oats, rice, bread, potatoes, fruit, beans
Fat
9calories a gram
olive oil, butter, nuts, avocado, cheese
Fat has more than twice the calories per gram, so small amounts add up fast.
Easy cuts
Everyday items that quietly carry a lot of calories.
| Instead of | Try | Saves |
|---|---|---|
| Large bagel with 2 tbsp cream cheese about 450 | English muffin with 1 tbsp cream cheese about 185 | ~265 |
| Starbucks grande latte with whole milk about 230 | Grande Americano, black 15 | ~215 |
| McDonald's medium fries 320 | Frozen fries cooked in an air fryer, same amount about 175 | ~145 |
| Chipotle chicken burrito with white rice, black beans, salsa, cheese and sour cream about 1,085 | The same as a bowl about 765 | 320 |
| Two slices of cheese pizza, 14-inch pie 570 | One slice, plus a side salad (2 cups romaine, 1 tbsp Italian dressing) about 335 | ~235 |
| Large blueberry muffin 521 | A small one 248 | 273 |
| 12 oz cola 155 | Sparkling water 0 | 155 |
| 12 oz glass of orange juice 167 | A medium orange, with 3 g of fiber 62 | 105 |
| Two 5 oz glasses of red wine 250 | One 125 | 125 |
At Chipotle, guacamole adds 230 and queso 120; fajita veggies (20) and lettuce (5) add bulk for almost nothing. Numbers are calories, from USDA, the Starbucks and McDonald's menus and Chipotle's nutrition calculator. The whole-milk latte is worked out from Starbucks' standard latte (made with 2% milk) and USDA milk values.
Good for you, but calorie-dense
Eat them, and measure them.
| Food | Portion | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | 119 |
| Avocado | half of a medium one | ~160 |
| Almonds | 1 oz, about 23 almonds | 164 |
| Walnuts | 1 oz, about 14 halves | 185 |
| Peanut butter | 2 tbsp | 191 |
| Cheddar | 1 oz slice | 115 |
| Granola, homemade | ½ cup | ~300 |
A free pour of oil is easily 2 or 3 tablespoons: 240 to 360 calories before the food goes in.
See your portions
- For one week, weigh and log what you normally eat (steps on the Weight loss tab).
- Create a visual. A cup of cooked rice is 205 calories, a cup of cooked pasta is 220 calories, and a handful of peanuts (about 1 ounce) is 166 calories. See what it looks like and you might be surprised.
- Count it out once: 23 almonds, 14 walnut halves, 1 level tablespoon of oil.
Simple swaps
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| Sour cream, 2 tbsp 48 | Plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp about 20 |
| Ranch, poured 2 tbsp: 129 | Measure 1 tbsp, or a measured vinaigrette |
| Potato chips, 1 oz 149 | Air-popped popcorn, 3 cups 93 |
| Soda or juice | Sparkling water with fruit |
| A full plate of rice or pasta | Half the starch, plus vegetables or beans |
| A pastry | Greek yogurt with berries |
Recipe ideas
Meals of about 400 to 700 calories a serving, with plenty of protein and fiber. Numbers are per serving, as each recipe site states them. Ours is worked out from USDA food data.
| Meal | Calories | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oat and cottage cheese pancakes breakfast; oats, eggs, cottage cheese, blended | 492 | 37 g | not stated |
| Breakfast bowl breakfast; eggs, potatoes, peppers, cheese | 418 | 22 g | 3 g |
| High-protein overnight oats breakfast; oats, Greek yogurt, milk, chia; make it the night before, no protein powder needed | 582 | 36 g | 14 g |
| Greek chicken bowls chicken, brown rice or quinoa, chickpeas, vegetables, tzatziki | 668 | 50 g | 10 g |
| Salmon bowl salmon, rice or quinoa, edamame, avocado, cucumber | 659 | 45 g | 9 g |
| One-pot taco rice lean beef or turkey, rice, black beans, salsa | 451 | 29 g | 9 g |
| Rice cooker ginger-scallion chicken our recipe, below; chicken thighs, jasmine rice, shiitake, edamame, bok choy | 600 | 48 g | 5 g |
| Rice cooker ginger-scallion tofu vegan; the same recipe with tofu, below | 590 | 36 g | 9 g |
Our recipe: rice cooker ginger-scallion chicken (or tofu) Serves 4. With chicken, about 600 calories, 48 g protein and 5 g fiber a serving; the vegan version is at the end.
You'll need
- 1½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed until the water runs mostly clear
- Low-sodium chicken broth (see step 2)
- 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
- 1 lb baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, and 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (divided)
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (divided)
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (divided)
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Steps
- Put the rinsed rice in the rice cooker pot. Add broth up to your cooker's line for 1½ cups of rice, then pour off about 2 tablespoons, since the chicken and mushrooms release juice as they cook.
- Stir in the garlic, 1 tbsp of the ginger and 1 tbsp of the soy sauce.
- Rub the chicken with 1 tsp of the sesame oil and lay it on the rice. Scatter the mushrooms and edamame around it. Don't stir.
- Run the regular white rice setting.
- While it cooks, make the sauce: mix the green onions, the rest of the ginger, the rest of the soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil and the rice vinegar.
- When the rice is done, lay the bok choy on top, close the lid and let it steam on "keep warm" for 10 minutes.
- Check that the thickest piece of chicken has reached 165°F. Lift out the chicken and bok choy, slice the chicken, and fluff the rice with the mushrooms and edamame.
- Serve the chicken and bok choy over the rice, spoon on the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Lighter: use 1 cup of rice and another pound of bok choy for about 530 calories a serving, with the same protein. Chicken breast works too, with about the same calories and a little more protein, but it dries out more easily.
Brown rice works too: use the brown rice setting and water line, for about 2 g more fiber a serving.
Vegan: instead of the chicken, use two 14-oz blocks of extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes, and toss them with the 1 tsp of sesame oil. Use low-sodium vegetable broth and 2 cups of edamame. Tofu only needs to heat through, so skip the temperature check. About 590 calories, 36 g protein and 9 g fiber a serving.
Lighter treats that still bring protein:
- Chocolate cottage cheese mousse: about 15 g protein a serving.
- Frozen Greek yogurt bark with berries: 153 calories, 8 g protein a serving.
- Oat and silken tofu pancakes (no eggs): 125 calories and 5 g protein a pancake. A stack of three is 375 calories and 15 g protein.
- More to try: chia pudding made with Greek yogurt, silken tofu chocolate pudding, banana and cottage cheese "nice cream", Greek yogurt fruit pops.
PTANY isn't affiliated with these sites.
Fiber and filling foods
| Food | Portion | Fiber | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psyllium husk, whole | 2 level tbsp (10 g) | about 7 g | about 35 |
| Chia seeds | 1 oz, about 2 tbsp | 9.8 g | 138 |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 8.0 g | 64 |
| Lentils, cooked | ½ cup | 7.8 g | 115 |
| Blackberries | 1 cup | 7.6 g | 62 |
| Black beans, cooked | ½ cup | 7.5 g | 114 |
| Avocado | half | 6.7 g | 161 |
| Chickpeas, cooked | ½ cup | 6.3 g | 135 |
| Barley, cooked | 1 cup | 6.0 g | 193 |
| Pear | 1 medium | 5.5 g | 101 |
| Apple, with skin | 1 medium | 4.4 g | 95 |
| Oats, dry | ½ cup | 4.1 g | 154 |
| Sweet potato, baked | 1 medium | 3.8 g | 103 |
| Green peas | ½ cup | 3.6 g | 62 |
| Air-popped popcorn | 3 cups | 3.6 g | 93 |
| Almonds | 1 oz | 3.5 g | 164 |
| Broccoli, cooked | ½ cup | 2.6 g | 27 |
Bulk up the plate. Start with a broth-based vegetable soup: people ate 20% fewer calories at the meal. A big, light salad first cut 7 to 12%, but a rich one, heavy on dressing and cheese, added 8 to 17%. Fill half the plate with vegetables, and add beans to soups, salads and pasta.
Psyllium husk in your morning oats. Stir in a teaspoon or two (a level tablespoon of whole husk is about 3.5 g of fiber) and build up slowly. In a study, people taking psyllium felt fuller and less hungry between meals. Drink a full glass of water with it, at least 8 oz. Check with your doctor before using it every day, especially if you take other medicines, have diabetes or kidney disease, or have trouble swallowing.
Fiber from USDA FoodData Central (psyllium from the product labels it lists). Soup and salad results from studies by Barbara Rolls and colleagues (2004, 2007); psyllium and fullness from Brum and colleagues (2016); psyllium cautions from MedlinePlus.
- take diabetes medication or insulin
- are on a GLP-1 medication (such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound)
- have kidney disease, or a history of an eating disorder
- have osteoporosis or low bone density
- have joint pain that stops you from being active
Want help with the exercise side?
Strength training and staying active are what keep the weight you lose as fat, not muscle. If sore knees, hips or a back are getting in the way, that's what we do.
Sources
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Overweight and obesity management (NG246), recommendations 1.9.14 and 1.9.15. 2025.
- Ashwell et al. Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors. Obesity Reviews, 2012.
- Browning et al. A systematic review of waist-to-height ratio as a screening tool for the prediction of cardiovascular disease and diabetes: 0.5 could be a suitable global boundary value. Nutrition Research Reviews, 2010.
- Wing et al. Benefits of modest weight loss in improving cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 2011.
- Okorodudu et al. Diagnostic performance of body mass index to identify obesity as defined by body adiposity. International Journal of Obesity, 2010.
- World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight (fact sheet).
- Jensen et al. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults. Circulation, 2014.
- Shepherd et al. Body composition by DXA. Bone, 2017.
- WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. The Lancet, 2004.
- Frankenfield et al. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005.
- US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 (protein: 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight a day).
- Wycherley et al. Effects of energy-restricted high-protein, low-fat compared with standard-protein, low-fat diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2012.
- US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, Appendix 1 (fiber: 14 grams per 1,000 calories).
- Reynolds et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet, 2019.
- Miketinas et al. Fiber intake predicts weight loss and dietary adherence in adults consuming calorie-restricted diets: the POUNDS Lost study. Journal of Nutrition, 2019.
- Morton et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018.
- Bauer et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people (PROT-AGE). Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2013.
- Messier et al. Weight loss reduces knee-joint loads in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 2005.
- Hall et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. The Lancet, 2011. This is the model behind the NIH Body Weight Planner.
- Thomas et al. Can a weight loss of one pound a week be achieved with a 3500-kcal deficit? International Journal of Obesity, 2013.
- Lichtman et al. Discrepancy between self-reported and actual caloric intake and exercise in obese subjects. New England Journal of Medicine, 1992.
- Burke et al. Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2011.
- Herrmann et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024.
- Zibellini et al. Does diet-induced weight loss lead to bone loss in overweight or obese adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2015.
- Villareal et al. Aerobic or resistance exercise, or both, in dieting obese older adults. New England Journal of Medicine, 2017.
- Johnson et al. The effect of intentional weight loss on fracture risk in persons with diabetes: results from the Look AHEAD randomized clinical trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2017.