Build your diet and fitness plan.

A gentle target is about 400 calories under your maintenance number, which this builder estimates from your age, sex, height, weight and activity using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula. For most adults that lands between 1,400 and 2,200 calories a day and loses roughly half a pound to a pound a week. Anything under 1,200 calories a day should only be done with medical supervision.

A practical range is 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, which is more than most people eat. The higher end suits weight loss and strength building because protein protects muscle. In food terms it means a palm-size portion of protein at every meal: eggs, fish, chicken, beans, lentils, yogurt or paneer.

The one you can repeat for a year. Studies comparing low-carb, low-fat and Mediterranean eating keep finding the same thing: adherence predicts results, not the diet name. Protein at every meal, half the plate vegetables, and fewer drinkable calories outperform any strict rule you will abandon by March.

The widely used target is 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, plus strength work twice a week. If you are starting from zero, even three 20 minute walks a week measurably improve blood pressure, blood sugar and mood. Build up gradually; consistency beats intensity.

Yes. The builder on this page gives a general plan from formulas. For a plan built around your labs, medicines, joints and daily routine, a doctor and a certified fitness coach prepare a written personal plan for $79, delivered within 24 hours, with one free adjustment in the first month.