How are calories calculated?

A calorie is a unit of energy. Technically, it’s the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.

How does this calorie calculator work?

The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation is a formula used to estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the number of calories your body needs at rest to maintain basic functions like breathing and circulation.

How many calories per day for women to lose weight?

Government recommendations for the ‘average’ Australian intake is 8,700 kilojoules, which is around 2,000 calories. Those on a weight loss journey will need to consume fewer calories. For example, to lose half a kilogram of weight in a week, you’ll need to consume around 2,000 kilojoules or 480 calories a day less than you use.

Is 1500 calories okay for a deficit?

It can be, but 1,500 calories may be too low for some people. Calorie needs vary, so it's best to calculate your personal requirements or consult a dietitian.

Body Fat Calculator

Knowing your body fat percentage allows you to make informed decisions about your health. Using basic metrics, like your height and waist circumference, our calculator estimates what percentage of your total body weight is body fat.

Your body fat percentage is

35%

This figure is an estimate of your total body fat.

Body fat percentage is a key indicator for general health and longevity, with a high body fat percentage potentially leading to an increased risk of certain diseases¹. For more personalised advice, please chat to your healthcare provider.

This calculator offers an estimate and is not personalised to your specific circumstances. It’s for informational use only and not medical advice.

Calculating body fat percentage

How to use a body fat percentage calculator?

To start, you’ll need to gather some information. Using a digital scale, weigh yourself to obtain your current weight.
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Then, using a flexible measuring tape, measure the circumference of your waist, neck and for women, hips.
When measuring, the tape should be firm against your skin but not so tight that it cuts in.
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The waist circumference measures the smallest part of your waist, usually around the navel, while the neck circumference should estimate the widest part of your neck.
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For women, the hip measurement is from the widest part.
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Input this information, alongside metrics like your height and age, into our calculator and you’ll receive an estimated body fat percentage.

Why measure body fat percentage?

Measuring your body fat provides you with important health data.
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For starters, those with a high fat percentage are at greater risk of several health conditions¹. Knowing your body fat percentage allows you to take steps accordingly and change unhealthy habits before they lead to something more serious.
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Additionally, the number you see on a traditional scale is only one way to measure progress while on a weight loss journey. This figure doesn’t take fat vs muscle into account.
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By calculating this, you can see what portion of your weight is body fat and set more tailored goals to your body composition.
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From here, you can monitor your progress more closely and discern if you’re losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time.
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This makes it more straightforward and motivating to track how your body is changing on a weight loss journey.

BMI vs body fat percentage

Your body fat percentage can provide more of an accurate snapshot of your general health than your body mass index (BMI).
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While the BMI is a crucial indicator in the classification of obesity, body fat percentage calculations better predict visceral fat mass in the body, which is a risk factor for more serious conditions².
Plus, BMI doesn’t differentiate between fat and muscle.
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While weight gain corresponds with an increase in BMI, it doesn’t take into account that this gain could be attributed to several factors including an increase in muscle mass or bone density.
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Body fat percentage gives you a clearer picture of your body composition.

What is the recommended female body fat percentage?

Body fat is divided into 2 different types: essential body fat and storage fat.

Essential fat is found in nerve tissues, organs and bone marrow and is the minimum amount your body requires for physiological functioning. This accounts for about 12-15% of body fat in women, and 5-7% in men³.

Women naturally require higher levels of essential body fat than men to support hormonal balance and childbearing needs, and as a result, their total body fat percentage (essential and storage) is higher.

Storage fat, on the other hand, works like a backup battery for your body — it builds up when you take in more energy than you use and shrinks when you burn more energy than you consume.

Storage fat is made up of subcutaneous fat (this sits beneath the skin and accounts for most body fat) and visceral fat (which is stored in the abdominal cavity, surrounding organs).

There is currently no validated threshold of body fat that technically defines obesity⁷, although there are general guidelines^3,4. For personalised advice on your body fat percentage, consult your healthcare provider.

Category	Men	Women
Essential fat	12–15%	5-7%
Athletic	16-20%	8-12%
Adequate	21–24%	14–17%
Moderate	25–31%	18–25%
Overweight	31-36%	21-24%
Obesity	<37%	<24%

Note that these are just general estimates. The term 'athletic' applies to sports where reduced body fat is an advantage.

Get started

Take the online quiz and an Australian practitioner will provide a more in-depth analysis of your weight.

FAQs

How to calculate body fat percentage?

Your body fat percentage can be calculated with the help of a formula and a few details (like your height and weight etc).
The formula to calculate body fat percentage for women is:
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%BF = 495 / (1.29579 − 0.35004 × log10(waist + hip − neck) + 0.22100 × log10(height)) − 450
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The formula to calculate body fat percentage for men is:
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%BF = 495 / (1.0324 − 0.19077 × log10(waist − neck) + 0.15456 × log10(height)) − 450
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However, this can be complicated so simply use our calculator instead!

How does this calculator work?

Our body fat calculator uses a formula developed in 1984 at the Naval Health Research Centre by Hodgdon and Beckett, commonly known as the U.S. Navy Method.

There are several ways to estimate body fat percentage, however the U.S. Navy Method is particularly straightforward and requires minimal equipment — all you need is a measuring tape and scales.

What is the ideal body fat percentage?

The general recommendations for body fat percentage varies between women and men, and it’s important to remember that this is an estimate and doesn’t replace personalised advice from your healthcare provider.
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While body fat percentage can indicate obesity, which increases one’s risk of serious health conditions, those who lead healthy and fit lifestyles can help in avoiding developing obesity-related conditions.
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According to general guidelines, a ‘good’ rating of body fat percentage for women is 15-20%, while for men it’s 11-14%. An ‘acceptable’ rating of body fat percentage for women is 24-30%, and for men, it’s 15-20%⁴.

How to lose body fat?

There are several ways to target body fat, with a combination of healthy habits, exercise and diet changes.

Eat a high-protein diet: Protein is more satiating than carbs or fat, which means it makes you feel fuller for longer. This can curb the desire to overeat or snack between meals, leading to an overall reduction in calories. Some of the best sources of protein include meat, poultry, eggs and dairy. If you're plant-based, opt for nuts, tofu, tempeh, and quinoa.
Reduce alcohol intake: Various studies have found a strong association between alcohol consumption and abdominal fat. It’s also been found to increase the production of cortisol, which can cause the body to cling to fat. Alcohol is also high in calories and provides little-to-no nutritional value to the body. Combine this with post-drink cravings, and it’s clear why it hinders fat loss.
Monitor your stress levels: When stress hits, your body can shift into survival mode and hold onto fat instead of burning it. If you find you're running on high alert, look for opportunities to prioritise your mental health, such as meditation, yoga or talking it out with a therapist.
Exercise is key: Exercise increases the amount of calories you burn and spikes the metabolism. Plus, exercise helps you increase and maintain lean muscle mass, which not only makes you look stronger and more toned but increases the number of calories you burn each day.
Prioritise sleep: There’s plenty of research supporting the link between sleep and body fat. One study found that when dieters cut back sleep over a 14-day window, the amount of fat they dropped by 55%, despite their calories staying the same⁵. Like stress, sleep deprivation boosts cortisol, can trigger survival mode and halt overnight fat burning.

How does fat exit the body?

There has long been conjecture over how fat leaves the body, with many experts believing it’s converted into energy or heat. However, according to a study from 2014, most of the mass is breathed out as carbon dioxide⁶.
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The researchers found that for every 10kg that is lost, around 8.4kg will be exhaled through the lungs as carbon dioxide. The remaining 1.6kg becomes water, which is then excreted in either urine, faeces, breath, sweat, tears or other bodily fluids [6]. So, when you’re losing weight, most of it’s being breathed out!

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