How Many Calories Should You Eat to Stay at 135 Lbs?

You’ve watched your calories, made good food choices and kept active. You’re at 135 lbs., a weight you want to maintain. Congratulations, you’re in a minority. Roughly 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the National Institutes of Health 1. You can stay at 135 lbs. by managing what you eat and how you exercise.

Caloric Need

Online calculators such as the one at MayoClinic.com, can estimate your caloric need -- the number of calories you need to consume daily to maintain your weight. Several factors affect the caloric needs of a 135 lb. person, including sex, height, age and activity level. Men need more calories than women, as do those who are younger, taller and more active than their older, shorter and less active counterparts.

Young, Tall, Active Male

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A 20 year-old, 5-foot, 10 inch tall male who actively exercises 30 minutes most days of the week requires 2,400 calories per day to maintain 135 lbs. If that same man became more active, he could require 2,800 calories per day, and if you're sedentary you would require only 2,000 calories per day, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Older, Shorter Woman

A 60 year-old, 5-foot, 4 inch woman who is sedentary requires 1,500 calories per day, 500 fewer than the taller, younger sedentary male who weighs the same 135 lbs. A moderately active 60 year old woman requires 1,800 calories per day, while if you're a very active woman you'll need 2,100 calories per day to maintain your 135 lbs.

Average People

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The Mayo Clinic reports that a somewhat active 40 year old man of average height requires 2,000 calories per day to maintain 135 lbs., while a somewhat active 40 year old woman of average height requires 1,800 calories to maintain 135 lbs.