A calorie, which you may see written as 'kcal' is a unit of energy. In fact 1 calorie is actually defined as the amount of energy required to heat 1 gram of water by 1°C. 

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It is probably the most commonly used term in the health & fitness world. The 

basic premise is that we consume (eat + drink) calories which is our energy in. We

then expend or us energy through our daily activity, exercise and our body's cells 

going about their business to keep us alive. 

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It is just one measurement, one metric so whilst it is very important, it is not the 

only thing that matters. Let's say your goal is to lose body fat, then it makes sense we want our energy OUT to be a slightly higher number than our energy IN. If we were working to try and build muscle, increase bone density or slow decline in bone density with age then making sure our energy IN is greater than energy OUT is the best way to go. 

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Many calorie calculators like this one above also show numbers to aim for in order to achieve 'weight loss', 'muscle gain' etc. I think this can be a tad generic and a little extra personal thought should go into it for some individuals so I have left it as just a tool to get a rough estimate of your maintenance or ENERGY BALANCE.

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Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.