Calorie needs at age 20, male
Enter your age, size and activity to see how many calories you use each day. The example below is a man aged 20 who is 5 ft 10 in tall and weighs 178 lb.
How it works
Start with resting calories from Mifflin-St Jeor. Take 10 times weight in kilograms and add 6.25 times height in centimeters. Subtract 5 times age. Then add 5 for males or subtract 161 for females. Multiply by an activity factor to get daily calories. At 178 lb the weight term for this 20-year-old man is 807.4, at the lightly active level.
Worked example
For a man aged 20, weight is 80.74 kg and height is 177.8 cm. Weight gives 10 × 80.74 = 807.4. Height gives 6.25 × 177.8 = 1111.25. Age takes off 5 × 20 = 100. Add 5. Resting calories are 1823.65, or 1824 when rounded. Multiply by 1.375 for the lightly active level to get 2507.5. That rounds to 2508 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 20 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2188 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2508 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2827 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 3146 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3465 calories a day
Common questions
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body burns at rest. TDEE adds the calories you use moving and exercising. It is always higher. For this man aged 20 at 178 lb, BMR is 1824 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2508.
Which activity level should I pick?
Pick the one that matches a typical week, not your best week. If you sit most of the day and train a few times, lightly or moderately active is usually closer than very active. Across the five levels this 20-year-old man ranges from 2188 to 3465 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2508.
How big a calorie deficit is reasonable for weight loss?
A deficit of 500 calories a day is a common starting point and works out to roughly half a kilogram a week. Smaller deficits are slower and easier to keep up. A 500 calorie deficit here means 2008 calories a day for this 20-year-old man at the lightly active level.
How big a surplus helps build muscle?
A modest surplus of about 250 calories a day is a common starting point. Larger surpluses tend to add more fat without adding muscle faster. A 250 calorie surplus here means 2758 calories a day for this 20-year-old man at the lightly active level.
Why does age 20 change the result?
The formula takes 5 calories off for every year of age, which reflects that resting burn tends to fall over time. At 20 that is 100 calories. Without the age term this 20-year-old man would burn 1924 calories at rest, or 2645 a day at the lightly active level.