No two people have the exact same body. Thus, estimating the caloric needs of a 51-year-old woman is impossible without first knowing more about her. The Harris-Benedict Equation uses age, height, weight, gender and activity level to figure out a person's daily caloric needs.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the rate by which your body consumes calories for basic metabolic functions, such as repairing tissue, pumping blood and breathing. To put it simply, BMR is the rate by which your body burns calories at rest. Figuring out this number is the first step in determining your daily caloric need. Use the calculator at bmi-calculator.net to calculate your BMR.
Activity Level
Next, figure out which activity level best suits you and multiply the corresponding factor by your BMR. If you never exercise, multiply by 1.2; for light exercise of 1 to 3 days per week, multiply by 1.375; for moderate exercise of 4 to 5 days per week, multiply by 1.55; for heavy exercise of 6 to 7 days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.725.
Doing the Math
Elizabeth is 51 years old. She is 5'7" and weighs 152 lbs. Using the BMR calculator, we determine that she has a BMR of 1,391. Because she never works out, we multiply her BMR by 1.2, giving her a daily caloric intake of 1,669.
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