Calorie needs at age 56, female
TDEE is the number of calories you burn in a day. This page works it out for a 56-year-old woman at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, then shows how it changes with activity.
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. At 150 lb the weight term for this 56-year-old woman is 680.4, at the lightly active level.
Worked example
Say a woman aged 56 is 5 ft 4 in tall and weighs 150 lb. That is 162.56 cm and 68.04 kg. The weight term is 10 × 68.04 = 680.4. The height term is 6.25 × 162.56 = 1016. The age term is 5 × 56 = 280. Subtract 161. The result is 1255.4 at rest. Times 1.375 for the lightly active level is 1726.2, which rounds to 1726 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same woman aged 56 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1506 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 1726 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 1946 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2166 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2385 calories a day
Common questions
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 56 at 150 lb, BMR is 1255 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 1726.
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 56-year-old woman ranges from 1506 to 2385 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 1726.
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 1226 calories a day for this 56-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 1976 calories a day for this 56-year-old woman at the lightly active level.
Why does age 56 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 56 that is 280 calories. Without the age term this 56-year-old woman would burn 1535 calories at rest, or 2111 a day at the lightly active level.