Calorie needs at age 53, male
This page estimates total daily energy use. The sample is a man aged 53 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, and the table shows every activity level.
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 53-year-old man uses a factor of 1.375 for the lightly active level.
Worked example
A man aged 53 is 177.8 cm tall and weighs 80.74 kg. Multiply weight by 10: 10 × 80.74 = 807.4. Multiply height by 6.25: 6.25 × 177.8 = 1111.25. Subtract 5 × 53 = 265. Add 5. The total is 1658.65, or 1659 calories at rest. Multiply 1658.65 by 1.375 for the lightly active level. That gives 2280.6, or 2281 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 53 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1990 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2281 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2571 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2861 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3151 calories a day
Common questions
Why does age 53 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 53 that is 265 calories. Without the age term this 53-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 53-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2281 calories is 114 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 53 at 178 lb, BMR is 1659 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2281.
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 53-year-old man ranges from 1990 to 3151 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2281.
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 1781 calories a day for this 53-year-old man at the lightly active level.