Calories for a sedentary routine
Activity changes daily calories more than most people expect. This page uses the sedentary level for a woman aged 30 at 5 ft 6 in and 160 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. Here the woman aged 30 has a height of 167.64 cm and a weight of 72.57 kg, at the sedentary level.
Worked example
Convert first: 5 ft 6 in is 167.64 cm and 160 lb is 72.57 kg. Then 10 × 72.57 = 725.7 and 6.25 × 167.64 = 1047.75. Age 30 takes off 5 × 30 = 150. Subtract 161. Resting calories are 1462.45, which rounds to 1462. The sedentary factor is 1.2. 1462.45 × 1.2 = 1754.9, or 1755 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same woman aged 30 at 5 ft 6 in and 160 lb, with the sedentary level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1755 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2011 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2267 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2523 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2779 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 30-year-old woman ranges from 1755 to 2779 calories a day, and the sedentary level gives 1755.
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 1255 calories a day for this 30-year-old woman at the sedentary 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 2005 calories a day for this 30-year-old woman at the sedentary level.
Why does age 30 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 30 that is 150 calories. Without the age term this 30-year-old woman would burn 1612 calories at rest, or 1935 a day at the sedentary 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 30-year-old woman, a 5 percent error on 1755 calories is 88 calories a day.