About VitalDash
TL;DR
VitalDash is a free privacy-first health calculator built by Gaston, a software builder in Belgium. It computes BMI, BMR, TDEE, body fat, ideal weight, calorie targets, and macros. Unlike older calculators, it adds CDC-based percentile rankings, a goal projection timeline, a BMI reality check for muscular users, and a personalized 7-day starter plan. All calculations stay in your browser.
Why this exists
Hi, I'm Gaston. I'm a software builder based in Belgium. I built VitalDash because every health calculator I tried online felt either ugly, cluttered, or vague.
The big ones (Calculator.net, BMI websites that have been around since 2005) work but feel like they were designed in 2008 and never updated. They throw a number at you and walk away. They don't tell you what it means, where you stand compared to others your age, or what to do next.
I wanted something that:
- Looks like a tool you'd actually want to use
- Shows the formulas openly with sources
- Goes beyond "your BMI is X" to give context
- Doesn't track you, doesn't require signup, doesn't sell your data
So I built it.
What's different about VitalDash
- Real CDC NHANES data powers our percentile rankings. When we say "your weight is higher than 68% of men your age," it's based on the actual National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, not a guess.
- A goal projection that updates live as you change inputs. You can see your timeline, not just your daily calorie target.
- A reality check that flags mismatches between BMI and body composition. BMI labels people with a lot of muscle as "overweight" all the time. We catch that.
- A simple 7-day plan built from your numbers, so the calculator doesn't end at "good luck."
- Past-self comparison so you can log weights over time and see where you came from.
What VitalDash isn't
It isn't medical advice. It isn't a fitness tracker. It isn't trying to compete with MyFitnessPal or Cronometer. It's a calculator that respects your time and tells you the truth.
Privacy promise
Everything runs in your browser. I don't have a server that knows you exist. The only "account" is your browser's localStorage. You can wipe it anytime. See the full Privacy Policy.
Future plans
Things I might add if people use the site:
- More demographic-specific landing pages with localized percentile data
- A weekly check-in so you can track weight and activity together
- Translations beyond English
Funding
The site is free. The Amazon affiliate links and (eventually) AdSense ads cover the domain and hosting costs. If those generate more than that, great. If not, the site stays anyway because it's cheap to run.
Contact
Bug reports, feature requests, or just hello: use the form at /contact.html.
Gaston