By Judy Davie

"I was wondering what an average calorie/kilojoule intake should be for me and my partner who are looking at losing weight and are both 26."
— Natalie

Without your current weight it's impossible to tell you off the top of my head. If you are both quite large, with a lot of weight to lose, your kilojoule intake is higher than someone with much less to lose. Your height is another factor as is the difference in sexes. A man's energy intake is usually greater than a woman's.

To find out exactly how many kilojoules your body burns to maintain its current weight you need to find your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is quite a complicated scientific calculation factoring in your age, height and weight. Free BMR calculators are available on the internet.

Once you have a figure from one of these calculators, deduct 2,000kJ or 500 calories to give you the amount of energy to consume for weight loss.

For further information about food and nutrition, visit Judy Davie's website at www.thefoodcoach.com.au