A walkthrough, end to end.
- 1
Enter your height and current weight. The calculator finds your current BMI category.
- 2
If you're in the overweight or obese band, it shows how much weight to lose to reach BMI 24.9 (top of healthy).
- 3
Timeline estimates assume a sustainable 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lb) per week loss rate.
BMI categories
WHO classifications: Underweight <18.5 · Healthy 18.5–24.9 · Overweight 25–29.9 · Obese 30+. To get to the top of the healthy range, the target weight is 24.9 × height².
What you can do with this.
How much to lose to reach BMI 25
BMI 24.9 is the upper end of healthy. The calculator subtracts your current weight from this target. Even a 5–10% body weight loss has documented health benefits — you don't need to reach exactly 24.9 to see improvement.
Realistic timelines for weight loss
0.5–1 kg/week (1–2 lb/week) is the recommended sustainable rate. Faster loss tends to come with greater muscle loss and rebound. The calculator shows weeks needed at both rates.
When BMI overstates 'overweight'
Muscular athletes, some ethnic populations, and pregnant people can fall into the overweight band by BMI without elevated health risk. Consider waist circumference and metabolic markers alongside.
5% weight loss benefits
Even a 5% body-weight loss meaningfully improves blood pressure, lipid panel, blood glucose and joint pain. The calculator shows what 5% looks like for you — it's often less than people expect.
10% weight loss benefits
10% loss roughly halves risk of progressing from prediabetes to type-2 diabetes. For someone 200 lb, that's 20 lb — significant but not radical, and largely preserved if rate is moderate.
Calorie deficit math
1 lb of fat ≈ 3,500 kcal. A 500 kcal/day deficit ≈ 1 lb/week. Pair with the TDEE calculator for your maintenance number, then subtract 250–500 for sustainable loss.
Diet plus exercise
Studies consistently show diet drives ~70% of weight loss, exercise ~30%. Exercise's bigger contribution is preserving muscle and metabolic rate, plus mood and sleep — keep it part of the plan.
Plateau strategies
Plateaus around weeks 8–12 are normal — TDEE drops as weight does. Recompute every 5 lb lost; either tighten the deficit slightly or take a 1–2 week diet break to reset adherence and metabolism.
Overweight calculator 2026 — what's current
GLP-1 medications (semaglutide, tirzepatide) are reshaping obesity treatment with 15–22% average loss. Lifestyle methods still work and matter — most clinicians use medications alongside, not instead of, the calorie-deficit approach.
Frequently asked.
BMI 25–27 has minimal mortality difference from BMI 22–24 in most populations. Above 27, risks (cardiovascular, type-2 diabetes) start to climb meaningfully.
0.5–1 kg/week (1% of body weight per week max). Faster loss is possible but preserves less muscle and rebounds more often.
No need — 24.9 is fully healthy. Optimization toward the lower end isn't supported by health-outcome data for most adults.
Three common reasons: TDEE has dropped (recompute), tracking is drifting (re-weigh foods), or water/glycogen is masking fat loss (a 1-week trend matters more than a daily reading).
Yes for beginners, returning trainees, and people with substantial body fat to lose. Higher protein (2 g/kg+), strength training, and a moderate deficit (~250 kcal) make 'recomp' realistic.
No. Calculations run entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, no analytics on inputs, no cookies.