Examples of estimated caloric needs for women

	When not pregnant or breastfeeding			When exclusively breastfeeding ^*
	Inactive	Low active	Active	Inactive	Low active	Active
Person with healthy body weight^¶	2100	2300	2400	2500	2700	2800
Person who is overweight^¶	2200	2350	2500	2600	2750	2900
Person with obesity^¶	2400	2600	2700	2800	3000	3100

This table shows examples of estimated caloric needs. Your actual calorie needs vary depending on many factors, including your age, height, weight, changes in body weight, time since you gave birth, and how much milk you are producing. This assumes that you are keeping a stable body weight before pregnancy and that you lose approximately 8.5 pounds (3.8 kg) over the first 6 months after birth. Your calorie intake may need to be lower if you are trying to lose more than this amount of weight.

* Exclusively breastfeeding means that the baby gets only your breast milk and no formula or solid foods.

¶ These examples are calculations for a reproductive-aged female of average height (64 inches [163 cm]), using these weights:

Healthy body weight – 140 pounds (65 kg)
Overweight – 161 pounds (73 kg)
Obesity – 203 pounds (92 kg)

Reference:

Committee on Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy. Applications of the dietary reference intakes for energy. In: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, National Academies Press 2023. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26818/dietary-reference-intakes-for-energy (Accessed on January 26, 2024).

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Examples of estimated caloric needs for women