Tracking calories over a full week gives a more realistic view of energy balance than a single-day estimate, because appetite, training days, and social meals rarely line up in perfect 24-hour blocks. This weekly calorie calculator for women uses the validated Mifflin-St Jeor equation to first estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), then applies an activity factor and your chosen goal to calculate daily and weekly calorie targets.
Simply enter your age, weight, height, typical activity level, and whether you want to lose, maintain, or gently gain weight. The tool converts imperial or metric units automatically, so whether you think in pounds or kilograms and centimeters or inches, you get instant, consistent results.
Use the weekly figure for menu planning, grocery shopping, and weekly meal prep, while checking the optional macro estimate to see how a balanced protein, fat, and carbohydrate split might fit your target. The result is a practical starting point, not a medical prescription.
📅 Weekly Calorie Target for Women
Estimate your BMR, daily maintenance, and 7-day calorie target.
Step-by-Step Guide
Use this weekly calorie calculator for women as a planning tool, not a strict accounting system. Here is the quickest way to get a useful number:
- Enter your age. The equation uses age because metabolic rate gradually changes over the lifespan.
- Enter your weight and height in either imperial or metric units — the tool converts automatically.
- Choose your activity level. Be honest about your typical week; choosing a level too high is the most common source of error.
- Select your goal. A 20% deficit is generally considered a moderate, sustainable rate for weight loss, while a 10% surplus is a reasonable start for lean gain.
- Calculate. Read your estimated daily maintenance, daily goal, weekly goal, and optional macro breakdown.
The Math Behind This Calculator
This tool uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, one of the most widely validated formulas for estimating basal metabolic rate (BMR) in healthy adults. For women, the formula is:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age) − 161
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is then found by multiplying BMR by an activity factor that reflects your typical weekly movement. The daily goal becomes TDEE × goal factor, and the weekly target is simply that number multiplied by 7. The original equation is described in this 1990 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition paper, and it has since been validated in diverse populations, though individual variation remains.
Worked Example
Scenario: A 32-year-old woman weighs 68 kg, is 165 cm tall, trains moderately 3–5 days per week, and wants to maintain her weight.
- BMR = (10 × 68) + (6.25 × 165) − (5 × 32) − 161 = 680 + 1031.25 − 160 − 161 = 1390 kcal/day
- TDEE = 1390 × 1.55 = 2155 kcal/day
- Weekly maintenance target = 2155 × 7 = 15,085 kcal/week
If she switches the goal to 'Lose weight (20% deficit)', her daily target becomes 2155 × 0.8 ≈ 1724 kcal/day, and her weekly target ≈ 12,068 kcal/week — a deficit of about 3,017 kcal per week, or roughly 0.4 kg (0.9 lb) of fat per week.
Activity Level Reference
These are the standard activity multipliers used by many nutrition and health organizations. Pick the category that best describes an average week.
| Activity Level | Description | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Little or no exercise, desk job | 1.2 |
| Light | Exercise 1–3 days per week | 1.375 |
| Moderate | Exercise 3–5 days per week | 1.55 |
| Active | Exercise 6–7 days per week | 1.725 |
| Very active | Physical job or daily intense training | 1.9 |
Tips & Best Practices
- Recalculate after a 5 kg (11 lb) weight change, a significant change in training volume, or a big shift in daily activity.
- Log your food for at least 5–7 days before adjusting your intake; one day of data is rarely enough to identify a trend.
- Use the weekly total for practical decisions like writing a grocery list or planning a high-protein meal prep, then track your weight trend over 3–4 weeks.
- For weight loss, a 20% deficit is often more sustainable than a very low-calorie crash plan, because it preserves more lean mass and energy level.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is the weekly calorie number? The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is accurate to roughly ±10% for many adults, which means real daily maintenance can differ by 150–250 kcal from the estimate. Use the number as a starting point and adjust based on your weight trend.
Should I eat the same number of calories every day? Not necessarily. Many people prefer higher intake on training days and slightly lower on rest days, as long as the weekly average matches the target. This tool gives you the weekly total, which you can split in whatever pattern suits your schedule.
Why does the formula include age? BMR tends to decline with age, partly due to changes in lean body mass. Recalculating periodically keeps your target aligned with your current metabolism.