Calorie needs at age 35, male
Daily calorie needs depend on age, sex, size and how much you move. Here is the sum for a 35-year-old man who is 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb.
How it works
The page works in two steps. Step one is resting calories with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 times kilograms plus 6.25 times centimeters minus 5 times age, plus 5 for males or minus 161 for females. Step two multiplies by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9. This 35-year-old man uses a factor of 1.375 for the lightly active level.
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 35 takes off 5 × 35 = 175. Add 5. Resting calories are 1748.65, which rounds to 1749. The lightly active factor is 1.375. 1748.65 × 1.375 = 2404.4, or 2404 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 35 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2098 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2404 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2710 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 3016 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3322 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 1904 calories a day for this 35-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 2654 calories a day for this 35-year-old man at the lightly active level.
Why does age 35 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 35 that is 175 calories. Without the age term this 35-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 35-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2404 calories is 120 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 35 at 178 lb, BMR is 1749 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2404.