Free tool
Ideal weight calculator
There is no single ideal weight — there is a range, and it is wider than most people expect. Enter your height for the healthy band, and a sensible midpoint if you want one number to aim at.
How this is worked out
The range is the weight that puts you between BMI 18.5 and 24.9 at your height. The single target is BMI 22 — comfortably mid-range, and the value BetterCal itself uses when suggesting a goal weight.
Older formulas like Devine and Robinson give a single number and were designed for drug dosing, not health. A range is more honest.
If you carry a lot of muscle, expect to sit above the range while being perfectly healthy. Body fat percentage will tell you more.
Worth saying
A target weight is a direction, not a destination.
Weight moves a kilo or two in either direction with water, salt, carbs and the time of day. Chasing an exact figure on the scale produces a lot of anxiety and very little information.
What is worth watching is the trend over weeks, and whether you can hold the habits that produced it. A weight you reach through something you cannot sustain is not a weight you keep.
Once you have a target, the calorie deficit calculator will tell you the daily intake and a realistic timeline to get there.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the healthy range so wide?
Because people of the same height differ enormously in frame size and muscle mass. At 170 cm the healthy band spans roughly 54–72 kg, and there are healthy people across all of it.
Should South Asian people use a lower target?
Several health bodies use lower BMI thresholds for South Asian populations, where metabolic risk appears earlier — overweight from about 23 rather than 25. If that applies to you, aim at the lower half of the range.
Does this account for age?
No. The healthy BMI band is the same for adults of all ages, though carrying slightly more weight in later life is associated with better outcomes. Body composition matters more than the number as you age.
Is losing weight always the right goal?
No. Plenty of people would be better served by building muscle at roughly their current weight. BetterCal supports lose fat, build muscle and maintain equally, and sets targets accordingly.
Next step
Getting there is a logging problem.
Free to start on iPhone and Android.
