How to Calculate Weight Loss as a Percentage With Excel

By Tricia Goss

Updated May 06, 2020

How to Calculate Weight Loss as a Percentage With Excel
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When you are trying to lose a significant amount of weight, the pounds may come off slowly but steadily. It might not feel like you are making much headway. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control, losing as little as 10 percent of your body weight can reap tremendous health benefits, such as lower blood pressure and blood sugar. You can create an Excel spreadsheet to track your weight loss and calculate percentages for you.

Open an Excel spreadsheet. In cell A1, enter the date of your first weigh-in. In cell B1, enter the =A1+7. This will give you the date 7 days later (do not weigh yourself more than once a week). Click cell B1 and drag the fill handle across the spreadsheet until you have the amount of dates you want listed. This will copy the formula, entering dates 7 days apart.

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Type your first weight in cell A2. Every week when you weigh yourself, enter that weight in the cell in row 2 under the date of the weigh-in.

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Enter the formula =(B2-A2)/ABS(A2) _-1 in cell B3. This formula tells Excel that you want to make the difference between cells B2 and A2 a percentage. Multiplying by negative 1 at the end simply makes the number positive. In cell C3 enter =(C2-A2)/ABS(A2) _-1, and in D3 enter =(D2-A2)/ABS(A2) *-1.

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Enter this formula in each cell in row 3. You can copy and paste the formula from cell B3. Simply change the "B" in the formula to the letter of the column.

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Format the cells to show a percentage. Select all of the cells with formulas in them. Right-click and choose "Format Cells." Go to the "Number" tab and select "Percentage" in the "Category" box. Change the "Decimal Places" to "1" and click "OK."

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Tips

To make your spreadsheet into a chart, select the cells with your mouse and press the F11 key. A graph will open on a new worksheet of the workbook.

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