Calorie needs at age 26, female
This page estimates total daily energy use. The sample is a woman aged 26 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, and the table shows every activity level.
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. This 26-year-old woman uses a factor of 1.375 for the lightly active level.
Worked example
A woman aged 26 is 162.56 cm tall and weighs 68.04 kg. Multiply weight by 10: 10 × 68.04 = 680.4. Multiply height by 6.25: 6.25 × 162.56 = 1016. Subtract 5 × 26 = 130. Subtract 161. The total is 1405.4, or 1405 calories at rest. Multiply 1405.4 by 1.375 for the lightly active level. That gives 1932.4, or 1932 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same woman aged 26 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1686 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 1932 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2178 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2424 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2670 calories a day
Common questions
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 26-year-old woman ranges from 1686 to 2670 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 1932.
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 1432 calories a day for this 26-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 2182 calories a day for this 26-year-old woman at the lightly active level.
Why does age 26 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 26 that is 130 calories. Without the age term this 26-year-old woman would burn 1535 calories at rest, or 2111 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 26-year-old woman, a 5 percent error on 1932 calories is 97 calories a day.