Your numbers, worked out properly

BMI, and why there are two scales

Body mass index is your weight divided by your height squared. It is a quick screening tool, not a diagnosis. It can't tell muscle from fat. A WHO expert consultation found that people of South and East Asian ancestry develop diabetes and heart disease at lower BMIs than European populations. For them, it recommends treating 23 and above as overweight and 25 and above as obese, instead of the usual 25 and 30. Choose the scale that matches your ancestry.

Maintenance calories

Your resting energy use is estimated with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation. It is one of the most accurate equations for healthy adults, but it is still only an estimate. This is multiplied by an activity factor to give the calories you burn in a day. Treat the result as a starting point. If your weight doesn't change as expected over two to three weeks, adjust by 100–200 kcal.

Protein: three levels, not one

The calculator shows three reference points:

• 0.83 g per kg — the minimum for healthy adults, set by a joint WHO/FAO/UN expert consultation.
• 1.2 g per kg — Venva's everyday target. It's based on newer research using the indicator amino acid oxidation method, which suggests the minimum may underestimate what people actually need.
• 1.6 g per kg — for people who train regularly, are building muscle, or are losing fat. This is where a large meta-analysis found the benefit from resistance training levelled off.

If you have kidney disease, speak to your doctor before increasing protein.

Not medical advice

These numbers are general estimates for healthy adults. They don't apply during pregnancy, to people under 18, or to anyone managing a medical condition. In those cases, work with a doctor or registered dietitian.