Calorie needs at age 65, male
Daily calorie needs depend on age, sex, size and how much you move. Here is the sum for a 65-year-old man who is 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb.
How it works
Start with resting calories from Mifflin-St Jeor. Take 10 times weight in kilograms and add 6.25 times height in centimeters. Subtract 5 times age. Then add 5 for males or subtract 161 for females. Multiply by an activity factor to get daily calories. At 178 lb the weight term for this 65-year-old man is 807.4, at the lightly active level.
Worked example
For a man aged 65, weight is 80.74 kg and height is 177.8 cm. Weight gives 10 × 80.74 = 807.4. Height gives 6.25 × 177.8 = 1111.25. Age takes off 5 × 65 = 325. Add 5. Resting calories are 1598.65, or 1599 when rounded. Multiply by 1.375 for the lightly active level to get 2198.1. That rounds to 2198 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 65 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1918 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2198 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2478 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2758 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3037 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 65-year-old man ranges from 1918 to 3037 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2198.
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 1698 calories a day for this 65-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 2448 calories a day for this 65-year-old man at the lightly active level.
Why does age 65 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 65 that is 325 calories. Without the age term this 65-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 65-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2198 calories is 110 calories a day.