We have always heard others complain about having to lower their calorie intake but what is it really?

The units of energy are known as calories and it’s needed by our bodies for it to function properly. For example, to heat a kg of water to 1 degree Celsius, it will take an energy equivalent to one calorie.

Men can have at least 2,500 calories per day while women, 2,000 calories are needed for a day. Extra calories would mean gain weight for us unless we burn it off through physical activities. The amount of energy we get from our food is measured by calories. Joules is another way in which we can measure the energy from food but this is usually used for higher levels. 1 calorie equals 4,184 joules. With such a high figures it’s easy to understand why companies opt for calories.

Our weight also has a bearing on the amount of calories that we can take in. Two people with one heavier than the other would lose weight at the same rate even if the heavier one would consume more calories. This is because the heavier person is carrying extra weight and he has to put in more effort in everything that he does because of his heavy weight thus, more energy is needed. Heavier people burn more calories than slighter ones.

As you can see, calories play an important part in your weight loss plan. In order to lose a pound, 3,500 calories must be burned but this should be done gradually. 3,500 calories are more than your daily allowance. We should not starve ourselves because it can lead to increased health risks. You shouldn’t cut your daily calorie intake to below 1,200.

We recommend that by cutting your calorie consumption by 250-500 calories a day, you can effectively lose weight at a rate that will enable you to then keep it off.

Read more about how many calories are in your food.