Calorie needs at age 30, male
Use the form to estimate your maintenance calories. For the sums, read the worked example for a man aged 30 at 5 ft 10 in and 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 30-year-old man is 807.4, at the lightly active level.
Worked example
For a man aged 30, 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 × 30 = 150. Add 5. Resting calories are 1773.65, or 1774 when rounded. Multiply by 1.375 for the lightly active level to get 2438.8. That rounds to 2439 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 30 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2128 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2439 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2749 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 3060 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3370 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 30-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2439 calories is 122 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 30 at 178 lb, BMR is 1774 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2439.
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 30-year-old man ranges from 2128 to 3370 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2439.
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 1939 calories a day for this 30-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 2689 calories a day for this 30-year-old man at the lightly active level.