difference between Kcal and Calories
Do you know the difference between Kcal and Calories?
While the two terms may seem interchangeable, there’s actually quite a big difference between Kcal and Calories.
- You’ve been around the diet block enough times to know that counting calories and eating a nutritious, balanced diet are both important pieces of the weight loss puzzle.
- But have you ever wondered exactly what the difference between Kcal and Calories is?
- Here’s what you need to know about kcal vs calories. First, let’s start with what calories mean.
Calorie Versus Calorie: The Origins
The calorie was first introduced in the late 19th century by a French chemist. The word comes from the Latin calor, meaning heat.
A calorie is a unit of measurement that quantifies the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
In nutrition, we use two different types of calories: those derived from carbohydrates (4 kcal per gram), fats (9 kcal per gram), and proteins (4 kcal per gram).
The kilocalorie, on the other hand, is a unit of energy equal to 1,000 calories.
How Are They Different?
kcal stands for kilocalorie and is commonly used in the metric system. A calorie, on the other hand, is a unit of energy that is used in the imperial system.
One kcal is equal to 1,000 calories. The main difference between the two units is their size. Kcal are much larger than calories, so when you’re talking about food energy, it’s important to use the correct unit.
kcal are often used in nutrition labeling, because they’re a more accurate way to measure the energy content of food. When you see Calories on a food label, it’s actually kilocalories (kcal) that are being listed.
Why Is It So Confusing, Then?
The confusion likely arises because we tend to use the terms interchangeably, but in reality, they have different meanings.
A kcal (kilocalorie) is actually a unit of energy, not weight. A calorie, on the other hand, is a unit of measurement that’s typically used to measure the amount of energy in food.
When it comes to your weight, what you really want to pay attention to is the number of calories you’re consuming each day.
This will give you a better idea of how much energy you’re taking in and whether or not it’s enough to support your weight-loss goals.
If you are trying to lose weight, aim for 1,200-1,500 calories per day if you’re moderately active and 1,800-2,000 if you’re very active.
If you’re trying to maintain your current weight or gain some pounds, try aiming for 2,000-2,500 for moderately active people and 2,500-3,000 for those who are very active.
And Which Should We Trust?
The short answer is that we should trust both, but for different reasons. Here’s a breakdown of each:
Kcal is the abbreviation for kilocalorie and is commonly used in food labeling. A kcal is equal to 1,000 calories, so when you see something has 100 kcal, it means it has 100,000 calories.
Calories are actually a unit of energy, not weight. When we say something has x number of calories, we’re really saying it has x amount of energy.
So which should we trust? The answer is: both! Kilocalories (kcal) are useful when trying to determine how much energy we’re getting from our food.
Defining Calories as Abbreviated Calories
A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. The word calorie actually comes from the Latin word calor, which means heat.
In other words, calories are a way to measure how much energy food contains.
When it comes to food, we usually talk about calories in terms of how many a person should eat in a day. For example, the average person needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain their weight.
However, sometimes people will talk about kilocalories (kcal), which is a 1,000 times bigger than a regular calorie.
So when someone says they burned 500 kcal in their workout, they’re really saying they burned 500,000 regular calories.
Defining Kilocalories as Abbreviated Kcals
It’s important to remember that one calorie is not equal to another, no matter what country you’re in.
In America, we use the term calorie interchangeably with kilocalorie (kcal), but in other countries, they use kilojoule (kJ) instead.
A calorie is simply a unit of measurement, and the amount of energy that a food contains does not necessarily change depending on which country you’re in.
The only thing that changes is the way that the information is presented. For example, if you live in Canada, 1 kcal equals 4.184 kJ or for every 100 grams of watermelon, it will have about 12 kcal.
If you live in France, 1 kcal equals 4.1868 kJ or for every 100 grams of watermelon, it will have about 12 kcal. They both mean the same thing when converted into American measurements – just different names.
How Does All This Relate to Our Dieting Efforts?
When we’re trying to lose weight, we often focus on the number of calories we’re consuming. But what exactly is a calorie? And what is a kilocalorie? It turns out that there is quite a difference between the two.
A calorie (with a small c) is a unit of energy that measures the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
A kilocalorie (with a big C), on the other hand, is 1,000 calories and is used to measure the energy content of foods. So, when you see kcal on a food label, it’s actually referring to kilocalories.
Basically, in order to maintain your current weight, you need around 2,000-2,500 calories per day.
For every pound that you want to lose each week on average (about 500 calories per day), cut back 250-500 from your total daily intake – but don’t go below 2,000-2,500 for any reason because this will put your body into starvation mode and cause an unhealthy yo-yo effect with your weight loss goals.
Bottom Line on Calorie Versus Calorie
Though they are often used interchangeably, there is a big difference between a calorie and a kilocalorie.
A calorie (with a small c) is a unit of energy that measures the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
A kilocalorie (with a big C), on the other hand, is 1,000 calories and is used to measure the amount of energy in food.
In other words, when we say something has 200 calories, what we really mean is that it has 200,000 calories, or 200 kilocalories. The bottom line:
When it comes to calories, bigger is always better! But did you know that this rule doesn’t apply to both measurements?
One kilocalorie equals 1,000 calories and each kcal can provide about 4 times as much energy as each cal.
Generally speaking, people need about 2,000-2,500 kcal per day for most of their basic needs such as breathing and movement.
However, if your goal is weight loss then it’s best to go lower with your daily intake so that your body uses up more than it takes in every day.
For example, consuming 3,500 kcal per day would lead to weight gain because more than twice the necessary amount will be consumed for weight maintenance alone.
