Calorie needs at age 24, female
Daily calorie needs depend on age, sex, size and how much you move. Here is the sum for a 24-year-old woman who is 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb.
How it works
The page works in two steps. Step one is resting calories with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 times kilograms plus 6.25 times centimeters minus 5 times age, plus 5 for males or minus 161 for females. Step two multiplies by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9. Here the woman aged 24 has a height of 162.56 cm and a weight of 68.04 kg, at the lightly active level.
Worked example
Convert first: 5 ft 4 in is 162.56 cm and 150 lb is 68.04 kg. Then 10 × 68.04 = 680.4 and 6.25 × 162.56 = 1016. Age 24 takes off 5 × 24 = 120. Subtract 161. Resting calories are 1415.4, which rounds to 1415. The lightly active factor is 1.375. 1415.4 × 1.375 = 1946.2, or 1946 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same woman aged 24 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1698 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 1946 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2194 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2442 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2689 calories a day
Common questions
How accurate is a calorie estimate?
It is a starting estimate. Track your weight over two or three weeks and adjust the target up or down based on what actually happens. For this 24-year-old woman, a 5 percent error on 1946 calories is 97 calories a day.
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 woman aged 24 at 150 lb, BMR is 1415 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 1946.
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 24-year-old woman ranges from 1698 to 2689 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 1946.
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 1446 calories a day for this 24-year-old woman 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 2196 calories a day for this 24-year-old woman at the lightly active level.