Calorie needs at age 60, female
Enter your age, size and activity to see how many calories you use each day. The example below is a woman aged 60 who is 5 ft 4 in tall and weighs 150 lb.
How it works
The page works in two steps. Step one is resting calories with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 times kilograms plus 6.25 times centimeters minus 5 times age, plus 5 for males or minus 161 for females. Step two multiplies by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9. For a woman aged 60 at the lightly active level the fixed adjustment is minus 161.
Worked example
Convert first: 5 ft 4 in is 162.56 cm and 150 lb is 68.04 kg. Then 10 × 68.04 = 680.4 and 6.25 × 162.56 = 1016. Age 60 takes off 5 × 60 = 300. Subtract 161. Resting calories are 1235.4, which rounds to 1235. The lightly active factor is 1.375. 1235.4 × 1.375 = 1698.7, or 1699 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same woman aged 60 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1482 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 1699 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 1915 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2131 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2347 calories a day
Common questions
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 60-year-old woman ranges from 1482 to 2347 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 1699.
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 1199 calories a day for this 60-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 1949 calories a day for this 60-year-old woman at the lightly active level.
Why does age 60 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 60 that is 300 calories. Without the age term this 60-year-old woman would burn 1535 calories at rest, or 2111 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 60-year-old woman, a 5 percent error on 1699 calories is 85 calories a day.