Calorie and deficit quick reference

Three short lookups take you from your basic stats to a daily calorie target, with no math beyond adding and multiplying. Find your BMR, adjust for how active you are, then adjust again for your goal.

Tip: to keep a copy, choose Save as PDF on the print screen (iPhone: tap Share, then Save to Files).

1

Find your BMR

This is the energy your body uses at complete rest. Pick your table, then find your weight and age bracket.

Weight (lb)18–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970+
1001,1901,1351,0851,035985935
1101,2351,1801,1301,0801,030980
1201,2801,2251,1751,1251,0751,025
1301,3251,2701,2201,1701,1201,070
1401,3701,3151,2651,2151,1651,115
1501,4151,3601,3101,2601,2101,160
1601,4601,4051,3551,3051,2551,205
1701,5051,4501,4001,3501,3001,250
1801,5501,4951,4451,3951,3451,295
1901,5951,5401,4901,4401,3901,340
2001,6401,5851,5351,4851,4351,385
2101,6901,6351,5851,5351,4851,435
2201,7351,6801,6301,5801,5301,480
2301,7801,7251,6751,6251,5751,525
2401,8251,7701,7201,6701,6201,570
2501,8701,8151,7651,7151,6651,615
2601,9151,8601,8101,7601,7101,660
2701,9601,9051,8551,8051,7551,705
2802,0051,9501,9001,8501,8001,750

These numbers assume a height of 5'4". Add 16 calories for each inch taller, or subtract 16 for each inch shorter.

2

Multiply by your activity level

Take the BMR from step 1 and multiply it by the number next to how you actually move through a typical week.

Activity levelWhat that looks likeMultiply BMR by
SedentaryDesk job, little to no exercise1.2
Lightly activeLight exercise 1 to 3 days a week1.375
Moderately activeModerate exercise 3 to 5 days a week1.55
Very activeHard exercise 6 to 7 days a week1.725
Extremely activePhysical job plus daily training1.9

The result is your TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure: the calories it takes to maintain your current weight.

3

Adjust for your goal

Add or subtract from your TDEE depending on what you're trying to do.

GoalDaily adjustmentApprox. rate
Aggressive−1,000~2 lb per week
Faster−750~1.5 lb per week
Steady−500~1 lb per week
Gentle−250~0.5 lb per week
Maintenance0Hold current weight
Lean gain+250~0.25 to 0.5 lb gained per week

Deficits beyond about 750 calories a day are rarely worth it without medical supervision. Loss that fast usually costs muscle along with fat, and a 1,000-calorie deficit can push many people below the minimum generally advised without a doctor's guidance (about 1,200 calories for women, 1,500 for men).

Worked example

A 150 lb woman, 35 years old, 5'6", moderately active, aiming for a steady pace of loss.

  1. Step 1: Women's table, 150 lb row, 30–39 column gives 1,360. She's 2" taller than the reference height, so add 32 for a BMR of 1,392.
  2. Step 2: 1,392 × 1.55 (moderately active) gives a TDEE of 2,160.
  3. Step 3: 2,160 − 500 (steady) gives 1,660 calories a day.

Target: about 1,660 calories a day.