Calorie Calculator for Women
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Women generally need fewer calories than men of the same size because they carry less muscle. A 35-year-old woman who is 5’4″, 160 lb and lightly active needs about 1,930 calories a day to maintain her weight.
| Daily calories | |
| Maintain weight | 1933 kcal |
| Lose 0.5 lb (0.25 kg) a week | 1683 kcal |
| Lose 1 lb (0.5 kg) a week | 1433 kcal |
| Gain 0.5 lb a week | 2183 kcal |
| Details | |
| BMR (Mifflin–St Jeor, women) | 1406 kcal |
| Activity factor | 1.375 |
| Pregnancy or breastfeeding extra | none |
Show steps
- BMR = 10 × 72.57 + 6.25 × 162.6 − 5 × 35 − 161 = 1406 kcal.
- TDEE = BMR × 1.375 = 1933 kcal.
- A deficit of about 500 kcal a day is roughly 1 lb (0.45 kg) a week. Most women should not go below about 1,200 kcal without medical supervision.
How it works
The calculator estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation for women, BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161, then multiplies by an activity factor to get your total daily energy expenditure.
Calories during pregnancy and breastfeeding
The Institute of Medicine suggests no extra calories in the first trimester, about 340 extra a day in the second, about 450 in the third, and about 330 while breastfeeding in the first 6 months.
Safe weight loss
A deficit of 250 to 500 calories a day gives about 0.5 to 1 lb of loss a week. Very low intakes make it hard to get enough protein, iron and calcium.
Calorie Calculator for Women quiz: 10 questions
Test yourself with 10 multiple-choice questions. Choose an answer and press Submit to see if you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.
Quiz complete
Frequently asked questions
How many calories should a woman eat?
Most adult women need roughly 1,600 to 2,400 a day, depending on size, age and activity (Dietary Guidelines). The calculator gives a personal estimate.
How many calories to lose weight?
About 500 fewer than your maintenance number to lose roughly 1 lb a week.
Why do women need fewer calories?
On average women have less muscle and are smaller, so their BMR is lower.
Does menopause change calories?
Needs fall with age, mainly through muscle loss; strength training helps.
Is this accurate?
Mifflin–St Jeor is among the most accurate formulas, but individuals vary by about ±10%.
Sources
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