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How-to guide

How to Calculate Target Weight: Formula, Steps & Examples

Learn how to calculate Target Weight — the formula explained step by step, with worked examples and a free calculator to check your answer.

By Dr. Neha Sharma, MBBS, MD (Nutrition) · Updated Jun 2026 · 2 min read

Calculating your target weight is straightforward once you know the Target Weight formula and what each input means. This guide explains the method in plain language, walks through a manual calculation, and gives worked examples you can follow — then you can do it instantly with the Target Weight Calculator.

What is Target Weight?

The Target Weight calculation tells you your target weight from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the target weight.

The Target Weight formula

The core formula is:

Target weight = Target BMI × ((Height ÷ 100) ^ 2)

Here is what each input means:

  • Height — a value measured in cm. Example: 170 cm.
  • Target BMI — a number. Example: 22.

How to calculate it step by step

  • Write down the height (for example, 170 cm).
  • Write down the target bmi (for example, 22).
  • Apply the formula above to get your target weight.
  • Double-check the result with the Target Weight Calculator.

Worked examples

Example 1

Input / OutputValue
Height170 cm
Target BMI22
Target weight63.6
Healthy range – lower (BMI 18.5)53.5
Healthy range – upper (BMI 25)72.3

With height of 170 cm and target bmi of 22, the target weight works out to 63.6.

Example 2

With height of 340 cm and target bmi of 22, the target weight works out to 254.3.

ResultValue
Target weight254.3
Healthy range – lower (BMI 18.5)213.9
Healthy range – upper (BMI 25)289.0

Example 3

With height of 85 cm and target bmi of 22, the target weight works out to 15.9.

ResultValue
Target weight15.9
Healthy range – lower (BMI 18.5)13.4
Healthy range – upper (BMI 25)18.1

Tips for an accurate result

  • Keep your units consistent — mixing, say, months with years or grams with kilograms is the most common source of error.
  • Round only at the very end. Rounding inputs early can shift the final answer noticeably.
  • Re-run the numbers whenever an input changes, rather than estimating from an old result.
  • These figures are general estimates, not medical advice — check with a qualified professional before acting on them.

Prefer not to do the maths by hand? — the Target Weight Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.

Continue exploring health calculators with these tools: BMI Calculator, Corrected Calcium Calculator, Anion Gap Calculator, QTc Calculator (Bazett), Maintenance Fluid Calculator (4-2-1 Rule).

Calculators in this guide

Frequently asked questions

The formula is: Target weight = Target BMI × ((Height ÷ 100) ^ 2). With height of 170 cm and target bmi of 22, the target weight works out to 63.6.

Gather each input, apply the formula step by step keeping your units consistent, and round only at the end. You can verify your answer instantly with the Target Weight Calculator.

It uses the standard formula with exact arithmetic, so the result is correct for the inputs you enter. Bear in mind that real-world outcomes can still differ when underlying assumptions change.

Dr. Neha Sharma · MBBS, MD (Nutrition)

Dr. Neha Sharma is a physician specialising in nutrition and preventive health, with over a decade of clinical experience helping patients understand body metrics and healthy lifestyle targets.