Balancing Calories

There's a lot of talk about the different components of food. Whether you're consuming carbohydrates, fats, or proteins all of them contain calories. If your diet focus is on any one of these alone, you're missing the bigger picture.

The Caloric Balance Equation

When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight for a lifetime, the bottom line is – calories count!Weight management is all about balance—balancing the number of calories you consume with the number of calories your body uses or "burns off."

A calorie is defined as a unit of energy supplied by food. A calorie is a calorie regardless of its source. Whether you're eating carbohydrates, fats, sugars, or proteins, all of them contain calories.

Caloric balance is like a scale. To remain in balance and maintain your body weight, the calories consumed (from foods) must be balanced by the calories used (in normal body functions, daily activities, and exercise).

If you are maintaining your current body weight, you are in caloric balance. If you need to gain weight or to lose weight, you'll need to tip the balance scale in one direction or another to achieve your goal.If you need to tip the balance scale in the direction of losing weight, keep in mind that it takes approximately 3,500 calories below your calorie needs to lose a pound of body fat.1 To lose about 1 to 2pounds per week, you'll need to reduce your caloric intake by 500—1000 calories per day.2To learn how many calories you are currently eating, begin writing down the foods you eat and the beverages you drink each day. By writing down what you eat and drink, you become more aware of everything you are putting in your mouth. Also, begin writing down the physical activity you do each day and the length of time you do it. 

Calorie requirement for every individual is different and it depends on their activity pattern, their height and weight. Activity pattern classifies people as

  1. Sedentary worker (for e.g. teacher, tailor, barber, executives, shoemaker, priest, retired personnel, Landlord, peon, postman, executives, housewives, nurses etc)
  2. Moderate worker (for e.g. fisherman, basket-maker, potter, goldsmith, agricultural labor, carpenter, mason, rickshaw-puller, electrician fitter, turner ,welder, industrial labour, coolie, weaver, driver, maidservant, basket maker, etc )
  3. Heavy worker (for e.g. Stonecutter, Blacksmith, Mineworker, Woodcutter, etc)

Calories Requirement as per activity pattern

Activity Pattern                        Women (Kcal)                                Men (Kcal)

Sedentary Worker                    1400 – 1500                                   1600 – 1800

Moderate Worker                     1700 – 1800                                    2000 - 2200

Heavy Worker                           2000 – 2200                                    2400 - 2600