Calorie needs at age 25, male
TDEE is the number of calories you burn in a day. This page works it out for a 25-year-old man at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, then shows how it changes with activity.
How it works
Resting calories are 10 times weight in kilograms plus 6.25 times height in centimeters minus 5 times age. Add 5 for males or subtract 161 for females. Multiply by 1.2 for little exercise up to 1.9 for very hard training. For a man aged 25 at the lightly active level the age term takes 125 calories off.
Worked example
Convert first: 5 ft 10 in is 177.8 cm and 178 lb is 80.74 kg. Then 10 × 80.74 = 807.4 and 6.25 × 177.8 = 1111.25. Age 25 takes off 5 × 25 = 125. Add 5. Resting calories are 1798.65, which rounds to 1799. The lightly active factor is 1.375. 1798.65 × 1.375 = 2473.1, or 2473 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 25 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2158 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2473 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2788 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 3103 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3417 calories a day
Common questions
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 2723 calories a day for this 25-year-old man at the lightly active level.
Why does age 25 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 25 that is 125 calories. Without the age term this 25-year-old man would burn 1924 calories at rest, or 2645 a day at the lightly active level.
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 25-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2473 calories is 124 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 man aged 25 at 178 lb, BMR is 1799 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2473.
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 25-year-old man ranges from 2158 to 3417 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2473.