Calorie needs at age 44, female
Use the form to estimate your maintenance calories. For the sums, read the worked example for a woman aged 44 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. For a woman aged 44 at the lightly active level the fixed adjustment is minus 161.
Worked example
A woman aged 44 is 162.56 cm tall and weighs 68.04 kg. Multiply weight by 10: 10 × 68.04 = 680.4. Multiply height by 6.25: 6.25 × 162.56 = 1016. Subtract 5 × 44 = 220. Subtract 161. The total is 1315.4, or 1315 calories at rest. Multiply 1315.4 by 1.375 for the lightly active level. That gives 1808.7, or 1809 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same woman aged 44 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1578 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 1809 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2039 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2269 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2499 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 44-year-old woman, a 5 percent error on 1809 calories is 90 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 44 at 150 lb, BMR is 1315 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 1809.
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 44-year-old woman ranges from 1578 to 2499 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 1809.
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 1309 calories a day for this 44-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 2059 calories a day for this 44-year-old woman at the lightly active level.