Understanding the percentage of total body weight you lose on your diet or exercise plan can help motivate you to stay fit, or simply give you a feeling of accomplishment. If you are clinically obese, losing 5 to 10 percent of your starting weight can improve your long-term health, according to the Mayo Clinic staff. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute defines obesity as having a high amount of extra body fat, a condition that increases your risk of certain severe health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and difficulty breathing.
Step 1
Subtract your current weight from your starting weight. For example, if you now weigh 180 lbs. and you started at 200, subtract 180 from 200 to get 20.
Step 2
Divide the number of pounds you lost by your starting weight--for example, 20 divided by 200. This gives you the decimal equivalent of your percent of weight lost. In this case, the result is 0.1.
Step 3
Convert the decimal to a percentage by moving the decimal point two places to the right. A decimal result of 0.1 equals 10 percent, so your total body weight lost is 10 percent.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
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