The amount of energy in foods or drinks are measured in calories.
Why calories are important
We need energy from calories for our bodies to function properly.
To maintain the same body weight, the calories our bodies burn should be the same as the number of calories we’re consuming in a given day. If our body doesn’t burn the same number of calories, our body weight may change over time.
If we eat and drink more calories than our bodies burn, we’re likely to be gaining weight as our bodies will be storing the extra energy as fat. If we consume fewer calories than our bodies burn, we’re likely to be losing weight as our body will be using the stored fat for energy.
Daily calories
Calorie information is often given in kcals, which is short for kilocalories. It may also be given in kJ, which is short for kilojoules.
Calories, kilocalories and the symbols Cal, cal, kCal and kcal are used interchangeably and the preference could depend on where we might find yourself in the world. Thus 1 kJ could equal 4,184 calories or 4 184 calories dependant on our location.
As a guide, an average woman needs to consume between 1600 and 2400kcal a day and an average man needs between 2000 and 3000kcal a day to maintain their weight.
This could be different based on age, weight, height and activity levels.
How many calories per day to lose weight
When trying to lose weight, the average person should aim to reduce their daily calorie intake by about 600 calories.
That means reducing calories from the recommended daily allowance for woman to 1400 calories and for men from the recommended daily allowance to 1900 calories.
How many calories per meal to lose weight
Once we know roughly how many calories we are consuming, we can try using the amounts below as a general guide to help us stay on track.
Women
Based on an average of 1,400 calories per day:
Men
Based on an average of 1,900 calories per day:
BMI
To determine if a person has a healthy body weight, the medical profession now prefers using Body Mass Index (BMI). To calculate a person’s BMI, factors like height, weight, age, sex and activity level are used in a formula.
To work out your BMI, you can use the Health Project’s BMI calculator.
- If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range.
- If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the Healthy Weight range.
- If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the overweight range.
- If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range.
Munchies4U does not provide professional dietary advice. If you or someone you care for has special dietary requirements, medical needs or an eating disorder, please seek advice from a registered healthcare professional.
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