Calorie needs at age 36, male
Use the form to estimate your maintenance calories. For the sums, read the worked example for a man aged 36 at 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 36-year-old man uses a factor of 1.375 for the lightly active level.
Worked example
For a man aged 36, 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 × 36 = 180. Add 5. Resting calories are 1743.65, or 1744 when rounded. Multiply by 1.375 for the lightly active level to get 2397.5. That rounds to 2398 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 36 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2092 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2398 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2703 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 3008 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3313 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 36-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2398 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 36 at 178 lb, BMR is 1744 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2398.
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 36-year-old man ranges from 2092 to 3313 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2398.
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 1898 calories a day for this 36-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 2648 calories a day for this 36-year-old man at the lightly active level.