Calorie needs at age 38, male
This page estimates total daily energy use. The sample is a man aged 38 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, and the table shows every activity level.
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. Here the man aged 38 has a height of 177.8 cm and a weight of 80.74 kg, at the lightly active level.
Worked example
Say a man aged 38 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 × 38 = 190. Add 5. The result is 1733.65 at rest. Times 1.375 for the lightly active level is 2383.8, which rounds to 2384 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 38 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2080 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2384 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2687 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2991 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3294 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 38-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2384 calories is 119 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 38 at 178 lb, BMR is 1734 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2384.
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 38-year-old man ranges from 2080 to 3294 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2384.
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 1884 calories a day for this 38-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 2634 calories a day for this 38-year-old man at the lightly active level.