Calorie needs at age 44, male
Use the form to estimate your maintenance calories. For the sums, read the worked example for a man aged 44 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 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. This 44-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 44 takes off 5 × 44 = 220. Add 5. Resting calories are 1703.65, which rounds to 1704. The lightly active factor is 1.375. 1703.65 × 1.375 = 2342.5, or 2343 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 44 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2044 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2343 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2641 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2939 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3237 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 1843 calories a day for this 44-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 2593 calories a day for this 44-year-old man at the lightly active level.
Why does age 44 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 44 that is 220 calories. Without the age term this 44-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 44-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2343 calories is 117 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 44 at 178 lb, BMR is 1704 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2343.