# How many calories should I eat a day? By age, sex and activity ![A plate with a grilled salmon fillet, a mound of white rice, roasted broccoli and sliced carrots, beside a glass of water on a wooden table](https://getdaypal.com/blog/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/hero.webp) Most adult women need about 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day and most adult men 2,000 to 3,000. Here is the table by age and activity, how to work out a number for your own body, and how to check it against real life. Published: 2026-11-13 · Updated: 2026-11-13 · https://getdaypal.com/blog/how-many-calories-should-i-eat ## Key takeaways - Most adult women need about **1,600–2,400 kcal a day** and most adult men about 2,000–3,000, depending on age and activity. - The US table assumes a **163 cm (5 ft 4 in), 57 kg (126 lb) woman** and a 178 cm (5 ft 10 in), 70 kg (154 lb) man, so a different body size moves your number. - The Mifflin-St Jeor equation predicts resting burn **within 10%** of the measured value for more adults than other common equations, but it can still be off for one person, so treat any result as a starting point. - For weight loss, the 2013 US obesity guideline usually prescribes **1,200–1,500 kcal a day for women** and 1,500–1,800 for men, adjusted to body weight. Agree anything lower with a doctor or dietitian. > **General information, not medical advice**: This article is general information. If you have a health condition, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of disordered eating, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before you change how you eat. ## How many calories should I eat a day? Most adult women need about **1,600 to 2,400 kcal**, and most adult men about **2,000 to 3,000 kcal**, according to [the Dietary Guidelines for Americans](https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf). Exactly how many calories you should eat a day depends on your age, your size and how much you move. In the UK, [the NHS uses 2,500 kcal for an average man and 2,000 kcal for an average woman](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/understanding-calories/), and adds that your own figure can differ with age, weight, height and exercise. A useful answer comes in 3 layers. Start with the government table, refine it with an equation that uses your own height and weight, then check it against what you actually eat and how your weight moves. This guide walks through each one. ## How many calories do you need by age and activity? For adults, the estimates fall slowly with age and rise with activity. A sedentary woman aged 31 to 35 needs about 1,800 kcal a day and an active man of the same age about 3,000, according to the [estimated calorie needs by age, sex and activity](https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf) in the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines. The table below gives every adult age band. *Estimated calories a day for adults (sedentary / moderately active / active)* | Age | Women (kcal) | Men (kcal) | | --- | --- | --- | | 19–20 | 2,000 / 2,200 / 2,400 | 2,600 / 2,800 / 3,000 | | 21–25 | 2,000 / 2,200 / 2,400 | 2,400 / 2,800 / 3,000 | | 26–30 | 1,800 / 2,000 / 2,400 | 2,400 / 2,600 / 3,000 | | 31–35 | 1,800 / 2,000 / 2,200 | 2,400 / 2,600 / 3,000 | | 36–40 | 1,800 / 2,000 / 2,200 | 2,400 / 2,600 / 2,800 | | 41–45 | 1,800 / 2,000 / 2,200 | 2,200 / 2,600 / 2,800 | | 46–50 | 1,800 / 2,000 / 2,200 | 2,200 / 2,400 / 2,800 | | 51–55 | 1,600 / 1,800 / 2,200 | 2,200 / 2,400 / 2,800 | | 56–60 | 1,600 / 1,800 / 2,200 | 2,200 / 2,400 / 2,600 | | 61–65 | 1,600 / 1,800 / 2,000 | 2,000 / 2,400 / 2,600 | | 66–70 | 1,600 / 1,800 / 2,000 | 2,000 / 2,200 / 2,600 | | 71–75 | 1,600 / 1,800 / 2,000 | 2,000 / 2,200 / 2,600 | | 76 and over | 1,600 / 1,800 / 2,000 | 2,000 / 2,200 / 2,400 | The guidelines define the 3 activity levels by walking. Sedentary means only the light activity of everyday independent living. Moderately active adds the equivalent of walking about 1.5 to 3 miles (2.4 to 4.8 km) a day at 3 to 4 miles an hour, and active means walking more than 3 miles (4.8 km) a day on top of daily life. The chart shows how much that difference is worth at one age. *Estimated calories a day at age 31 to 35* | | kcal | | --- | --- | | Women, sedentary | 1800 | | Women, moderately active | 2000 | | Women, active | 2200 | | Men, sedentary | 2400 | | Men, moderately active | 2600 | | Men, active | 3000 | US estimates for a reference body (163 cm, 57 kg woman; 178 cm, 70 kg man). ![A pair of worn grey walking shoes, a steel water bottle and a green apple on a wooden bench beside a shaded woodland path](https://getdaypal.com/blog/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/walking-shoes.webp) *Walking is the yardstick. In the US table, moderately active means walking about 1.5 to 3 miles a day on top of everyday life.* The table comes from the 2020–2025 edition. [The 2025–2030 edition](https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf) says the calories you need depend on your age, sex, height, weight and activity, and rather than printing an age-by-age table, [its companion serving-size chart](https://cdn.realfood.gov/Daily%20Serving%20Sizes.pdf) points to the [USDA DRI calculator for health professionals](https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/dri-calculator). The National Academies also [updated the energy reference values in 2023](https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/HMD-FNB-21-04/publication/26818). The table also assumes a particular body. It assumes a reference man 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) tall weighing 154 lb (70 kg) and a woman 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) tall weighing 126 lb (57 kg). If you are taller, shorter, heavier or lighter than that, your needs differ, and the table cannot tell you by how much. The equation further down uses your own measurements instead. ## Where does the 2,000-calorie figure come from? The 2,000-calorie figure is a labelling reference, not a personal target. [US nutrition labels use 2,000 calories a day](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-A/section-101.9) as the base for the % Daily Value, and the label footnote says that amount is used for general nutrition advice. It sits near the middle of the women’s range in the table. For a sedentary woman over 50 it is above her estimated 1,600 kcal, and for an active man it is well below his 2,400 to 3,000. ## How do you work out your own calorie needs? Estimate the calories you burn at rest, then multiply by how active your day is. For the first step, use the [Mifflin-St Jeor equation](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2305711/), built from measurements of 498 healthy adults aged 19 to 78, both normal weight and obese. It works out resting burn in kcal a day like this: - **Men:** 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age in years + 5 - **Women:** the same sum, but minus 161 at the end instead of plus 5 Take a 40-year-old woman who is 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall and weighs 70 kg (154 lb). Her resting burn is about 1,370 kcal. If she mostly sits, multiplying by 1.2 gives about 1,640 kcal a day, and if she is on her feet a lot, multiplying by 1.4 gives about 1,920. A 40-year-old man who is 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall and weighs 85 kg (187 lb) burns about 1,780 kcal at rest, so roughly 2,140 to 2,490 kcal a day across the same 2 activity levels. No formula knows your body. [A systematic review for the American Dietetic Association](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15883556/) found Mifflin-St Jeor the most reliable of the common equations, predicting resting burn within 10% of the measured value in more people than any other, but it still makes noteworthy errors for individuals. Older adults and US ethnic minorities were also underrepresented in the studies behind it. Our [free calorie calculator](https://getdaypal.com/tools/calorie-calculator) runs this equation for you. Its activity levels go from 1.2 for mostly sitting to 1.6 for heavy physical work all day, and they cover your job and daily life only. The calculator leaves workouts out on purpose, because a multiplier that already includes training would count each workout twice once you add it on top. ## Do you need fewer calories as you get older? Yes, a little. Calorie needs generally fall through adulthood because your resting metabolism slows, according to the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines. In the table, a moderately active woman goes from 2,200 kcal at 19 to 25, to 2,000 from 26, and to 1,800 from 51 onwards. Protein is the exception. Your protein needs do not shrink with your calories, and adults over 65 may need more per kilo, as our guide to [how much protein you need a day](https://getdaypal.com/blog/how-much-protein-per-day) explains. With a smaller calorie budget, protein-rich foods deserve more of the space on the plate. ## How many calories should I eat to lose weight? Eat somewhat less than your maintenance number. [The 2013 obesity guideline from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and The Obesity Society](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24222017/) describes 2 common ways to set that deficit, either 500 to 750 kcal a day below what you need, or a fixed intake of 1,200 to 1,500 kcal a day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 kcal for men. Our guide to [how big a calorie deficit is safe](https://getdaypal.com/blog/safe-calorie-deficit) shows how to size yours for your body and keep muscle while you lose. A deficit does not keep working the same way forever. [Modelling by NIH researchers in The Lancet](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21872751/) showed that the old rule of 3,500 kcal per pound ignores how the body adapts as weight changes. For an average overweight adult, the researchers' rule of thumb is that each 10 kcal a day of lasting change in intake eventually shifts weight by about 1 lb (0.45 kg), with about half of that reached in 1 year and nearly all of it in about 3 years. As your weight moves, your calorie needs move with it, so a target that suited you at the start needs rechecking. The [NIH Body Weight Planner](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp), built from the same research, lets you try a calorie level and see how your weight is predicted to change over time. ## Is it safe to eat less than 1,200 calories a day? Going below 1,200 kcal a day is a decision to make with a doctor or registered dietitian. It is the bottom of the fixed range the 2013 guideline usually prescribes for women, and the guideline adjusts even that to body weight. Below 800 kcal a day is a very-low-calorie diet, which the same guideline says should be used only in limited circumstances, in a medical setting with supervision. The [clinical guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute](https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/guidelines/ob_gdlns.pdf) explain why such diets are not recommended for weight loss. The deficits are too great, and nutritional gaps will occur unless the diet is supplemented with vitamins and minerals. The same guidelines found that low-calorie diets produce as much weight loss as very-low-calorie diets after 1 year. This is where a formula can mislead. The woman above who mostly sits has an estimated maintenance of about 1,640 kcal. Subtract a 500 kcal deficit and the result is 1,140, which is under 1,200. Our calculator uses 1,200 kcal as its floor, so it holds her target there instead and tells her that a lower one needs a doctor or dietitian. Very low intakes also leave little room for protein, which matters most when you are eating less. > **Going lower is a medical decision** > If you have been advised to eat less than 1,200 kcal a day, or you want to, agree the plan with a doctor or registered dietitian who can check that you still get the nutrients you need. ## How do you know if your calorie target is right? Test it against real life for 2 to 3 weeks. Log what you eat each day, weigh yourself under the same conditions a few times a week (first thing in the morning works well), and look at the trend rather than any single day, because the scale also weighs food, drink and water, as our guide to [why your weight fluctuates day to day](https://getdaypal.com/blog/weight-fluctuations) explains. If the trend does not match your goal, move your target by 100 to 200 kcal and give it another 2 to 3 weeks. ![A bowl of porridge topped with banana slices, a plate of sliced chicken with mixed salad leaves and a slice of seeded brown bread, and a bowl of pulse curry with spinach beside white rice, on a stone kitchen counter](https://getdaypal.com/blog/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/day-of-meals.webp) *One ordinary day of meals. Plain meals like porridge, a chicken salad and a curry with rice are exactly what a few weeks of logging should capture.* Your log only has to be consistent, not perfect. Our guide to [counting calories without weighing food](https://getdaypal.com/blog/count-calories-without-weighing-food) shows how to estimate portions with your hand and everyday objects, and a [free calorie tracker](https://getdaypal.com/features/free-calorie-tracker) keeps the daily totals for you. If your weight holds steady at your current intake, that intake is your real maintenance number, whatever the formula said. ### Check your estimate against what you really eat A formula gives you a starting number. Logging a few weeks of real meals in Day Pal shows whether that number holds for you. - Log a meal by snapping a photo, typing it, or saying what you ate in your own words. - Search 13,000+ foods grounded in USDA data. Food search and logging by hand are free forever. - See today’s calories, protein, carbs and fat, plus your water, weight and workouts. ## Who should ask a professional before choosing a calorie target? Some people need a target set with a doctor, midwife or registered dietitian rather than a calculator. That includes: - Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding. For someone who started pregnancy at a healthy weight, [the US estimates](https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf) add nothing in the first trimester, about 340 kcal a day in the second, about 452 in the third and 330 to 400 while breastfeeding, but your midwife or doctor’s advice comes first. - Anyone under 18, whose needs change as they grow. - Anyone with diabetes who takes insulin, kidney disease or another medical condition affected by diet. - Anyone with a history of disordered eating. Counting calories is not the right tool for everyone, and [NHS eating disorder support](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eating-disorders/overview/) explains where to get help. ## What is the simplest way to start? Pick a starting number, test it, and adjust. Three steps cover it: 1. Get an estimate from the table above or from our calorie calculator, using your own height, weight and daily activity. 2. Log what you eat and watch your weight trend for 2 to 3 weeks. 3. Adjust by 100 to 200 kcal at a time, and never go below 1,200 kcal a day without a doctor or dietitian. The estimate gets you started, and the weeks of logging tell you the truth. If you want somewhere to keep that log, you can [download Day Pal for iPhone](https://getdaypal.com/#download) and start with the free food search. ## Questions people ask ### Is 1,200 calories a day enough? For most adults, 1,200 kcal is a weight-loss level rather than an everyday amount. The 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline usually prescribes 1,200 to 1,500 kcal a day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 for men, adjusted to body weight. Our calculator uses 1,200 kcal as its floor, and if you want to eat less than that, involve a doctor or registered dietitian. ### Is 2,000 calories a day a lot? It depends on who is eating it. US nutrition labels use 2,000 calories as a general reference, which sits near the middle of the women’s range. For a sedentary woman over 50 it is above her estimated 1,600 kcal, and for an active man it is below his 2,400 to 3,000. ### How many calories do I burn doing nothing? That is your resting or basal metabolic rate. With the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a 40-year-old woman who is 165 cm and 70 kg burns about 1,370 kcal a day at rest, and a 40-year-old man who is 180 cm and 85 kg about 1,780. Our [free calorie calculator](https://getdaypal.com/tools/calorie-calculator) works out yours. ### Should I eat back the calories I burn exercising? Only if your estimate left exercise out. The US table’s activity levels already include walking, and many calculators fold training into their activity multiplier, so adding workout calories on top counts them twice. Our calculator leaves workouts out of its activity levels for that reason. ### How many calories should I eat when pregnant? For someone who started pregnancy at a healthy weight, [the US estimates](https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf) add no extra calories in the first trimester, about 340 kcal a day in the second and about 452 in the third. Your midwife or doctor’s guidance comes first, especially if you started above or below a healthy weight. ## About Day Pal - Day Pal is an AI calorie tracker and macro counter, available on the App Store for iPhone. - You log meals by snapping a photo, typing or saying what you ate in your own words, or searching 13,000+ foods grounded in USDA data. - It tracks calories, protein, carbs and fat, plus water, weight and workouts. - An AI coach reads today’s diary to answer questions and suggest meals and workouts you can log in one tap. - Free to start: food search and logging by hand are free forever, and each device gets 10 free AI actions. - Day Pal Pro, monthly or annual, keeps AI logging and the coach going beyond the free actions under a fair-use policy. There is no free trial, and the App Store shows the price in your currency. - Available in 11 languages, Arabic included. - Meal photos are analysed and then dropped, never stored on Day Pal’s servers. - Day Pal is a wellness app, not medical advice. - Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6811881888 ## Sources 1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, Appendix 2: Estimated Calorie Needs, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf 2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf 3. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals (1990), American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2305711/ 4. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review (2005), Journal of the American Dietetic Association: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15883556/ 5. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, Circulation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24222017/ 6. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults (1998), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/guidelines/ob_gdlns.pdf 7. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight (2011), The Lancet: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21872751/ 8. Understanding calories, NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/understanding-calories/ 9. 21 CFR 101.9 Nutrition labeling of food, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-A/section-101.9 10. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030: Daily Servings by Calorie Level, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: https://cdn.realfood.gov/Daily%20Serving%20Sizes.pdf