Calorie needs at age 34, female
Use the form to estimate your maintenance calories. For the sums, read the worked example for a woman aged 34 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb.
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. At 150 lb the weight term for this 34-year-old woman is 680.4, 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 34 takes off 5 × 34 = 170. Subtract 161. Resting calories are 1365.4, which rounds to 1365. The lightly active factor is 1.375. 1365.4 × 1.375 = 1877.4, or 1877 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same woman aged 34 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1638 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 1877 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2116 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2355 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2594 calories a day
Common questions
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 1377 calories a day for this 34-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 2127 calories a day for this 34-year-old woman at the lightly active level.
Why does age 34 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 34 that is 170 calories. Without the age term this 34-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 34-year-old woman, a 5 percent error on 1877 calories is 94 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 34 at 150 lb, BMR is 1365 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 1877.