Calorie needs at age 28, male
Use the form to estimate your maintenance calories. For the sums, read the worked example for a man aged 28 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb.
How it works
Daily calories equal resting calories times an activity factor. Resting calories come from Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 times kilograms plus 6.25 times centimeters minus 5 times age, with 5 added for males or 161 taken off for females. The factor runs from 1.2 to 1.9. This 28-year-old man uses a factor of 1.375 for the lightly active level.
Worked example
Say a man aged 28 is 5 ft 10 in tall and weighs 178 lb. That is 177.8 cm and 80.74 kg. The weight term is 10 × 80.74 = 807.4. The height term is 6.25 × 177.8 = 1111.25. The age term is 5 × 28 = 140. Add 5. The result is 1783.65 at rest. Times 1.375 for the lightly active level is 2452.5, which rounds to 2453 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 28 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2140 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2453 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2765 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 3077 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3389 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 28 at 178 lb, BMR is 1784 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2453.
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 28-year-old man ranges from 2140 to 3389 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2453.
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 1953 calories a day for this 28-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 2703 calories a day for this 28-year-old man at the lightly active level.
Why does age 28 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 28 that is 140 calories. Without the age term this 28-year-old man would burn 1924 calories at rest, or 2645 a day at the lightly active level.