Your BMI, or body mass index, gives you a quick insight into one aspect of your health: how heavy you are compared to how tall you are. It's used as a rough way to assess body fat levels. While it's a simple, fast method that has some 'back of the napkin calculation' value, it also has some key flaws.

If you've been trying to lose weight and struggling because you keep falling off the wagon … you get stuck for ideas on how to eat or exercise in an enjoyable way … your motivation keeps landing in the trash … help is at hand! Your best allies for winning at weight loss might be closer than you think.

How many calories should I eat a day to lose weight? It's a natural question to ask if you're chasing weight loss (and one we hear a lot). If it's on your mind, you're in the right place. Simply enter your details into our calorie calculator below, let the nutrition-math elves work their magic on the numbers, and poof! A daily calorie target just for you will emerge.

Fat loss vs. weight loss: They're not the same thing. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they mean something quite different, and it's more than just a linguistic distinction. Weight loss is what you see on the scale. It's the sum total of all the stuff in your body … and when you weigh less, you have less of all that stuff.

In this world of 30-day abs, Instagram filters, and juice cleanses, there's a ton of pressure to look a certain way — and to achieve that look as fast as possible — even if it means sacrificing your health and well-being. Knowing how to burn fat in a smart, sustainable way is quite the challenge.