Calories have received a bad reputation as the enemy, however, few people actually understand what a calorie is and why it is imporant to their bodies.  Essentially, calories are energy that fuels our bodies, similar to how cars require gasoline to function.  The recommended daily calorie intakes in Australia vary and are based on age, height, weight and physical activity level.  For instance, they range from 1624 calories to 2986 calories for a woman aged 31 to 50 who is 1.7m tall and weighs 63.6kg.  You can calculate an estimate of your own unique daily calorie needs here.  It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb., for example, If your body needs 2000 calories to maintain its current weight and you burn 500 calories each day for a week, then you should lose 1lb.  The smallest things can make the biggest difference when it comes to weight loss and therefore, it is interesting to put what you are actually consuming and burning into perspective.  Below you will find a list of what 200 calories of various foods looks like as well as what burning 200 calories looks like.


What 200 Calories of Food Looks Like:

Almonds – 28 almonds

Apples (Granny Smith) – 2½ medium sized apples

Avocado – ¾ cup

Bacon (uncooked) – 3 x 25g rashers

Broccoli (cooked) – approximately 4 cups 

Butter (salted) – approximately 2 tablespoons 

Carrots (chopped) – 4 cups

Celery (diced) - approximately 10½ cups 

Chocolate (Cadbury Dairy Milk) – 9 pieces

Coca Cola – 496ml

Cooked pasta – 1 cup

Doritos – 16 chips

Dried Apricots – Approximately 2/3 cup

Jelly Beans by Jelly Belly – 50 pieces

Potato chips (Lay’s Classic) – 1 x 35.4g package

Sliced Turkey – 12 slices

Spinach (raw) – 28 cups

Strawberries (halved) – 4 cups

Tuna (canned in water) – 1 x 165g can

What burning 200 calories looks like:

Skipping for 12-15 minutes

Spinning for 12-15 minutes

Tae Bo for 17-20 minutes

Jumping Jacks for 20 minutes

Swimming for 22-25 minutes

Resistance Training for 25-30 minutes

Jogging for 25-30 minutes 

Walking (5 mph) for 30-35 minutes

Dancing for 30-40 minutes

Pilates for 40 minutes

Washing your car for 40 minutes

Mowing with a push-mower for 1 hour

Painting for 1 hour

Mini-Golfing for 1 hour