How Many Calories Should a Man Eat a Day?
The NHS says an average man needs about 2,500 calories a day to keep his weight steady. That’s an average across men, so it won’t match any one person exactly. Your own number depends on your age, height, weight and how active you are. For an adult man who is 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) and 85 kg (13 st 5 lb), it’s roughly 1,900 to 2,850 a day, depending on age and activity.
In brief
- You need a little less as you get older, and more if you're taller, heavier or more active.
- Activity matters more than age. Exercising 3 to 5 days a week adds about 550 to 650 calories a day compared with a desk job.
- To lose weight, the NHS suggests cutting around 600 calories a day. Our calculator uses a gentler 250 to 500.
- A calculator gives a starting point. Your weight trend over a few weeks shows your real number.
How many calories does a man need by age?
A man’s calorie needs fall by about 60 to 80 a day every ten years. These figures are estimates for a man who is 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) and 85 kg (13 st 5 lb or 187 lb).
| Age | Desk job, little exercise | Exercise 1 to 3 days a week | Exercise 3 to 5 days a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 2,200 | 2,550 | 2,850 |
| 35 | 2,150 | 2,450 | 2,800 |
| 45 | 2,100 | 2,400 | 2,700 |
| 55 | 2,050 | 2,350 | 2,600 |
| 65 | 1,950 | 2,250 | 2,550 |
| 75 | 1,900 | 2,200 | 2,450 |
For comparison, 50 years of ageing takes away about 300 to 400 calories a day.
We used the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, which comes from a 1990 study of about 500 adults aged 19 to 78. The activity levels are rough estimates, the same ones our calculators use, and we rounded to the nearest 50.
Does your weight change how many calories you need?
Yes. A heavier body burns more calories, even at rest. Here’s how it changes for a 35-year-old man who is 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) and exercises 1 to 3 days a week.
| Weight | Calories to stay the same weight |
|---|---|
| 70 kg (11 st or 154 lb) | 2,250 |
| 80 kg (12 st 8 lb or 176 lb) | 2,400 |
| 90 kg (14 st 2 lb or 198 lb) | 2,550 |
| 100 kg (15 st 10 lb or 220 lb) | 2,650 |
| 110 kg (17 st 5 lb or 243 lb) | 2,800 |
Height matters too, but less. A man who is 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) needs about 110 to 150 calories a day more than one who is 170 cm (5 ft 7 in).
How many calories should a man eat to lose weight?
To lose weight, eat a little less than your maintenance (the amount that keeps your weight steady). The NHS’s calorie counting advice suggests a cut of around 600 a day. Our calculator uses a gentler cut of 250 to 500. Pick the one you can stick with.
| Maintenance | Gentle cut (250 to 500 less) | NHS cut (about 600 less) |
|---|---|---|
| 2,200 | 1,700 to 1,950 | 1,600 |
| 2,500 | 2,000 to 2,250 | 1,900 |
| 2,800 | 2,300 to 2,550 | 2,200 |
Some people find a bigger cut harder to stick with because of hunger or tiredness. If that happens, eating a little more and losing a little slower is fine. We cover both in our posts on feeling hungry in a calorie deficit and feeling tired in a calorie deficit.
You’ll sometimes see 1,200 a day suggested as a diet target. For most men, that’s a much bigger cut than they need. Our post on whether 1,200 calories is too little explains what happens when you cut that far.
How do you find your own number?
Start with a calculator, then check it against your weight over a few weeks.
- Put your age, height, weight and activity into our maintenance calorie calculator.
- Eat close to that number for three or four weeks.
- Weigh at the same time of day, and compare weekly averages rather than single days.
- If your average holds steady, that’s your maintenance. If it keeps rising, eat 100 to 200 less a day. If it keeps falling, eat 100 to 200 more. The formula is an estimate and can be off for any one person.
Our guide to finding your maintenance calories goes through this step by step. Want to lose or gain? Use the calorie deficit or weight gain calculator instead.
If you have a medical condition, follow a special diet for your health, or have (or have had) an eating disorder, talk to a GP or healthcare professional first.
Where Ori fits
Ori gives you a starting target. With Premium, Ori checks your weight trend each week and adjusts your target if your weight isn’t moving as expected. A free mode called Stealth Health hides calorie and weight numbers and tells you how things are going in plain words. You can try Ori here.
Related reading
- How many calories should a woman eat a day?
- How much weight can you lose in a month?
- Does a calorie deficit make you lose muscle?
Sources
- NHS. Understanding calories. Page last reviewed 17 April 2023, checked 30 October 2026.
- NHS Better Health. Calorie counting, checked 30 October 2026.
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990.
A gentle safety note
Ori supports general wellness. It is not medical care. If you have a history of disordered eating, are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medicines that affect weight or appetite, or have a clinical nutrition need, speak with a qualified healthcare professional before changing your intake or weight goal.
Read Ori's Health Disclaimer