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Calories Needed a Day

By WLR Dietitian Juliette Kellow BSc RD

Q: My friend and I are the same height but I’m 2 stone heavier. We’ve both joined Weight Loss Resources and chosen to lose 2lb a week. Can you explain why I’m allowed more calories a day than my friend? Surely the heavier you are, the fewer calories you need to lose weight

A: This confuses a lot of people but in fact, the heavier you are, the more calories you can have each day while still losing weight.

Let me explain. That extra 2 stone you’re carrying is actually equivalent in weight to 28 packets of butter. Now imagine carrying those packets of butter around with you everywhere you go – up and down the stairs, to the local shops, in and out of the car, into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Hopefully, you can see it takes a lot more energy simply to move around when you’re carrying all that extra weight.

As a consequence, because you are heavier than your friend, you need more calories in a day to keep your weight steady. In turn, this means you will lose weight on a slightly higher calorie allowance. However, as your weight drops, you’re calorie allowance will also drop slightly as you’ll have less weight to carry around. This is why you should regularly update your Goals and Results.

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