BMI Calculator: Complete Guide to Body Mass Index
BMI Calculator: Complete Guide to Body Mass Index Body Mass Index (BMI) is a screening tool that uses your height and weight to estimate whether you're at a healthy weight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy for most adults, while values above 25 indicate overweight and above 30 indicate obesity. Use our free BMI Calculator(/health/bmi-calculator) for an instant result with detailed health insights. When I first started counseling patients on weight management, I noticed that most people fixated on a single number — the scale. One patient came to me at 192 lbs, convinced she was "obese," when her BMI of 26.1 actually put her just barely into the overweight category. Another patient at 155 lbs assumed she was fine, but at 5'1" her BMI was 29.3 — nearly obese. The numbers tell a different story than our assumptions, and that's exactly why BMI matters as a...
Calories Burned Calculator: How Many Calories Does Exercise Burn?
Calories Burned Calculator: How Many Calories Does Exercise Burn? Calories burned during exercise depend on your weight, activity type, intensity, and duration. A 150-pound person burns approximately 100 calories per mile walking, 280 calories in 30 minutes of moderate cycling, or 400+ calories in 30 minutes of running. Heavier individuals burn more; lighter individuals burn less. As a certified trainer and marathon runner, I have tracked my calorie burn across hundreds of workouts over the past six years. I burned 2,400 calories during a single 20-mile marathon training run, and tracking my 1,800-calorie daily burn helped me lose 23 pounds in four months. Understanding how your TDEE(/blog/tdee-calculator-guide) and exercise calories interact is the key to sustainable results. Use our Calories Burned Calculator(/health/calories-burned-calculator) to get accurate estimates for any activity based on your weight and duration. How Your Body Burns Calories Understanding calorie burn helps you align exercise with your goals:...
Macro Calculator for Cutting and Bulking: How to Calculate Your Macros
Macro Calculator for Cutting and Bulking: How to Calculate Your Macros Macros (macronutrients) are protein, carbohydrates, and fat — the three sources of calories in your diet. For cutting (fat loss), a typical macro split is 40% protein, 35% carbs, 25% fat. For bulking (muscle gain), it's 25% protein, 50% carbs, 25% fat. But the right split depends on your calories, preferences, and goals. After years of trial and error with my own body composition, I finally dialed in my macros at 185g protein, 240g carbs, and 70g fat during a 12-week cut that took me from 198 to 181 pounds while keeping my bench press at 275 lbs. Tracking macros instead of just calories was the difference between losing muscle and losing only fat. If you are new to tracking, start by calculating your protein needs(/blog/protein-calculator-guide) first since protein is the most important macro for body composition. Use our...
One Rep Max Calculator: How to Find Your 1RM for Any Lift
One Rep Max Calculator: How to Find Your 1RM for Any Lift Your one rep max (1RM) is the maximum weight you can lift for a single repetition with proper form. Rather than actually testing your max (risky without experience), you can estimate it from submaximal lifts. If you can bench press 185 lbs for 5 reps, your estimated 1RM is approximately 208 lbs. I have been strength training for over eight years, and knowing my 1RM changed how I program every workout. My current estimated maxes are a 315-lb bench press, a 425-lb squat, and a 495-lb deadlift, all calculated from submaximal sets rather than risky true max attempts. Pairing 1RM-based programming with proper protein intake(/blog/protein-calculator-guide) is what finally pushed my bench past the 300-lb plateau after two years of stalling. Use our One Rep Max Calculator(/health/calories-burned-calculator) to estimate your max from any weight and rep combination. What Is...
Protein Calculator: How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?
Protein Calculator: How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day? For muscle building and active individuals, aim for 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. A 180-pound person focused on building muscle needs 126-180 grams of protein daily. For general health, 0.36 grams per pound (the RDA minimum) is sufficient, but most active people benefit from more. At 185 pounds, I spent my first two years of lifting eating only 80 grams of protein per day and wondering why I was not gaining muscle. Once I bumped my intake to 170 grams daily, split across four meals, I gained 12 pounds of lean mass in six months while keeping my body fat at 14%. Dialing in protein was the single biggest change I made alongside tracking my macros(/blog/macro-calculator-guide) for the first time. Use our Protein Calculator(/health/protein-intake-calculator) to get personalized recommendations based on your weight, goals, and activity level....
When Did I Conceive? Understanding Conception Dates and Calculations
When Did I Conceive? Understanding Conception Dates "When exactly did I get pregnant?" Whether you're curious about that romantic getaway, need to know for medical reasons, or are simply piecing together your pregnancy timeline, determining your conception date is a common question. The answer involves a bit of biology and math. Quick answer: Conception typically occurs about 14 days before your next expected period, or roughly 2 weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) for those with 28-day cycles. From your due date, you can calculate backwards: conception occurred approximately 266 days (38 weeks) before your due date. When I got pregnant with my first, I was determined to figure out exactly when conception happened. My LMP was January 3rd, my cycles averaged 30 days, and I had been tracking ovulation with OPKs -- I got my positive surge on cycle day 17. Working backwards from...
Due Date Calculator: How Accurate Is Your Due Date Really?
Due Date Calculator: How Accurate Is Your Due Date Really? Your due date feels like everything. It's the day you circle on the calendar, count down to, plan around. But here's the reality check most pregnancy books gloss over: Only about 5% of babies are born on their exact due date. Your due date is better understood as a due "window"—most babies arrive sometime between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. The standard 40-week calculation gives you a target, but your baby will arrive when they're ready. I learned this firsthand with both of my pregnancies. My first due date was set for October 12th based on my LMP, then moved to October 8th after my 8-week ultrasound -- and my daughter arrived on October 17th, a full 9 days past the adjusted date. With my second, the due date was March 22nd and he came at 38 weeks and...
Implantation: Timeline, Symptoms, and What to Expect
Implantation: Timeline, Symptoms, and What to Expect The two-week wait. If you're trying to conceive, you know this period all too well—those nail-biting days between ovulation and when you can finally take a pregnancy test. During this time, something remarkable may be happening inside your body: implantation. Quick answer: Implantation typically occurs 6-12 days after ovulation (DPO), with most implantation happening between days 8-10. This is when the fertilized egg (now a blastocyst) attaches to your uterine wall, marking the true beginning of pregnancy. During my own two-week wait on the cycle I conceived, I noticed very faint pink spotting at 9 DPO that lasted less than a day -- nothing like my usual pre-period spotting which was always brown and started at 12 DPO. I also had mild, pulling cramps low in my abdomen at 8 DPO that felt distinctly different from my normal PMS cramping. I tested at...
How to Track Ovulation: Complete Guide for TTC Success
How to Track Ovulation: Complete Guide for TTC Success "When do I ovulate?" This single question sends millions of women to Google every month. And I get it—when you're trying to conceive, pinpointing that fertile window feels like cracking a code that could change your life. Here's the direct answer: Most women ovulate 12-16 days before their next period starts. For a typical 28-day cycle, that's around day 14. But here's what many resources don't tell you—individual patterns vary significantly, and even your own cycle can shift from month to month. I tracked my ovulation for 11 consecutive cycles before conceiving, using OPKs, BBT charting, and cervical mucus monitoring simultaneously. My cycles ranged from 26 to 33 days, and I discovered that I consistently ovulated on cycle days 15-19 rather than the textbook day 14. In one particularly frustrating month, my LH surge came on day 12 but my BBT...
Complete Pregnancy Journey: From Conception to Due Date Calculator Guide
Complete Pregnancy Journey: From Conception to Due Date Two pink lines. A digital "Pregnant." That moment when your whole world shifts. Whether you've been trying for months or this came as a surprise, you probably have one burning question: when is my baby due? The short answer: pregnancy typically lasts 40 weeks (280 days) from the first day of your last menstrual period, or about 38 weeks from conception. For most women, that means a due date roughly 9 months and 1 week from when your last period started. After 14 months of tracking my own cycles with OPKs and BBT charts, I finally saw those two pink lines on cycle day 29. My cycles ranged from 26 to 33 days, which made the standard "day 14 ovulation" assumption basically useless for me. I spent my entire 39-week pregnancy cross-referencing every milestone against three different apps and my OB's ultrasound...
Pregnancy Week by Week: Complete Trimester Guide and Fetal Development
Pregnancy Week by Week: Complete Trimester Guide Every week of pregnancy brings new developments. From a cluster of cells smaller than a poppy seed to a fully-formed baby ready for the world, the transformation is nothing short of miraculous. Quick orientation: Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks and is divided into three trimesters. The first trimester (weeks 1-13) is when all major organs form. The second trimester (weeks 14-27) is when baby grows rapidly and you start feeling movement. The third trimester (weeks 28-40) is when baby gains weight and prepares for birth. During my own pregnancy, I obsessively checked what was happening each week -- I first felt flutters at week 19, had my anatomy scan at week 20 (everything looked perfect), and started kick counts religiously at week 28 after my OB recommended it. My daughter arrived at 40 weeks and 3 days, and looking back, the week-by-week tracking helped...
BMR Explained: Understanding Your Basal Metabolic Rate
BMR Explained: Understanding Your Basal Metabolic Rate "I must have a slow metabolism." I hear this from clients almost daily. And I get it — when I was struggling with my weight at 19, I blamed my metabolism too. But here's what I learned in nutrition school: your metabolism isn't broken. You probably just don't know the numbers. Your BMR is the starting point for everything. Get this right, and weight loss becomes math instead of mystery. What is Your BMR? Use our free BMR calculator below to instantly determine how many calories your body burns at complete rest. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest to maintain vital functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production. For an average adult, BMR ranges from 1,400-1,800 calories per day, accounting for 60-70% of total daily calorie burn. A 30-year-old man (5'10", 180 lbs)...
Calorie Deficit: Complete Guide to Losing Weight Safely and Effectively
Calorie Deficit: Complete Guide to Losing Weight Safely and Effectively At 19, I weighed 185 pounds and had tried everything: keto, juice cleanses, the cabbage soup diet (yes, really). Every time I lost weight, I gained it back — plus a few extra pounds for my trouble. Then I discovered the science of energy balance. Not a fad. Not a shortcut. Just math that actually works. I lost 35 pounds in 8 months, kept it off through grad school, pregnancy, and a decade of life, and now I teach this to clients every day. This guide is the calorie deficit explanation I wish someone had given me at 19. How Many Calories to Lose Weight? Calculate Your Daily Calories →(/health/calorie-calculator) Use our free calorie calculator(/health/calorie-calculator) to instantly determine your daily calorie needs for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain. You can also check your TDEE(/health/tdee-calculator) (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) for...
Ideal Weight Guide: How to Find Your Healthy Target Weight
Ideal Weight Guide: How to Find Your Healthy Target Weight When I started my weight loss journey, I picked 125 pounds as my goal. Why? Because that's what I weighed in high school. It was completely arbitrary — and completely wrong for my 24-year-old body that now had muscle from the gym. After working with thousands of clients, I've learned that "ideal weight" is personal, flexible, and often not the number you have in your head. This guide will help you find a target that's actually right for you. Calculate Your Ideal Weight Use our free ideal weight calculator below to find your recommended weight range based on your height, age, and frame size. Your ideal weight isn't a single number - it's a range that accounts for your height, body composition, and frame size. For example, a 5'8" male has a healthy weight range of approximately 139-169 lbs, while...
Macro Tracking Guide: How to Count Macros for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain
Macro Tracking Guide: How to Count Macros for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain Tracking macros saved my sanity — and my social life. Before I learned this approach, every diet meant food rules: no bread, no dessert, no eating after 7 PM. Macro tracking let me eat pizza with friends (as long as it fit my numbers) and still lose 35 pounds. It's the reason I became a dietitian: I wanted everyone to know that sustainable weight loss doesn't require perfection or deprivation. Calculate Your Macros Use our free macro calculator below to get personalized protein, carbohydrate, and fat targets based on your goals. Macros (macronutrients) are the three main nutrients that provide calories: protein (4 cal/g), carbohydrates (4 cal/g), and fat (9 cal/g). For weight loss, a typical macro split is 30% protein, 35% carbs, and 35% fat. For a 2,000-calorie diet, this equals approximately 150g protein, 175g carbs,...
Protein Intake Guide: How Much Protein Do You Really Need?
Protein Intake Guide: How Much Protein Do You Really Need? If I could give one piece of nutrition advice, it would be this: eat more protein. When I was losing my 35 pounds, upping my protein from ~50g to 130g per day was the game-changer. I was less hungry, had more energy, and my body actually changed shape instead of just getting smaller. Now, as a dietitian who's worked with 2,000+ clients, I can tell you: protein is the most underrated tool in weight loss. Calculate Your Protein Needs Use our free protein calculator below to get personalized daily protein recommendations based on your goals and activity level. The optimal protein intake depends on your goals. For general health, 0.36g per pound of body weight (0.8g/kg) is the minimum. For weight loss while preserving muscle, aim for 0.7-1.0g per pound. For building muscle, 0.8-1.2g per pound is ideal. A 170-pound...
TDEE Calculator: How to Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure
TDEE Calculator: How to Calculate Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure The single most important number in nutrition? Your TDEE. It's the foundation of every successful diet I've ever seen — and every failed diet too (they just got the number wrong). I've calculated TDEE for over 2,000 clients. The ones who nail this number lose weight. The ones who guess? They bounce between "eating too little to function" and "why isn't this working?" Calculate Your Daily Calorie Burn Use our free TDEE calculator below to instantly determine how many calories you burn each day based on your stats and activity level. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period. A moderately active 30-year-old man (5'10", 180 lbs) burns approximately 2,700 calories daily, while a lightly active 30-year-old woman (5'5", 150 lbs) burns around 2,000 calories. Knowing your TDEE is...