How many calories should a 18-year-old female (lightly active) eat to gain muscle?
Answer
2,309 calories/day
BMR: 1,461 cal/dayTDEE (Lightly Active): 2,009 cal/dayGoal: Gain Muscle — TDEE + 300 cal surplus for lean muscle gainBased on 5'5", 150 lbs
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How We Calculated This
BMR = (10 × weight_kg) + (6.25 × height_cm) - (5 × age) - 161
BMR = (10 × 68.0) + (6.25 × 165.1) - (5 × 18) - 161 = 1461. TDEE = 1461 × 1.375 = 2009. Target = 2009 + 300 = 2309
Related Calculations
How many calories should a 18-year-old male (sedentary) eat to lose weight?1,711 calories/dayHow many calories should a 18-year-old male (sedentary) eat to maintain weight?2,211 calories/dayHow many calories should a 18-year-old male (sedentary) eat to gain muscle?2,511 calories/dayHow many calories should a 18-year-old male (lightly active) eat to lose weight?2,034 calories/dayHow many calories should a 18-year-old male (lightly active) eat to maintain weight?2,534 calories/day
Calculated using verified formulas. Last updated March 2026.