Calorie needs at age 70, female
Enter your age, size and activity to see how many calories you use each day. The example below is a woman aged 70 who is 5 ft 4 in tall and weighs 150 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. For a woman aged 70 at the lightly active level the fixed adjustment is minus 161.
Worked example
A woman aged 70 is 162.56 cm tall and weighs 68.04 kg. Multiply weight by 10: 10 × 68.04 = 680.4. Multiply height by 6.25: 6.25 × 162.56 = 1016. Subtract 5 × 70 = 350. Subtract 161. The total is 1185.4, or 1185 calories at rest. Multiply 1185.4 by 1.375 for the lightly active level. That gives 1629.9, or 1630 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same woman aged 70 at 5 ft 4 in and 150 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1422 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 1630 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 1837 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2045 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2252 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 70 at 150 lb, BMR is 1185 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 1630.
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 70-year-old woman ranges from 1422 to 2252 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 1630.
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 1130 calories a day for this 70-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 1880 calories a day for this 70-year-old woman at the lightly active level.
Why does age 70 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 70 that is 350 calories. Without the age term this 70-year-old woman would burn 1535 calories at rest, or 2111 a day at the lightly active level.