On 6th April 2020, Captain Sir Tom Moore began walking laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS. Captain Tom successfully completed his target of 100 laps, burning off plenty of energy along the way. Please join us in celebrating the life and achievements of Captain Sir Tom Moore by taking part in our 100 kcal energy balance challenge over his birthday weekend.
Between Friday 30th April and Monday 3rd May, we challenge you to balance the energy you consume in snacks by burning off the equivalent amount of energy through physical activity. You should eat breakfast, lunch and an evening meal as normal, and you can continue your usual activities alongside this challenge.
What is energy balance?
We need energy to stay alive and to keep our organs working. Energy balance is the balance between the calories (energy) you consume in food and drink (energy in) and the calories you burn through physical activity (energy out). The balance between energy in and energy out affects your body weight and health.
To maintain a constant body weight, the energy you consume through food and drink needs to be equal to the energy you use up through physical activity and normal bodily functions, such as breathing.
1 kilocalorie (kcal) is made up of 1000 calories. Adult males need to consume approximately 2,500 kcal daily through food and drink and adult females need approximately 2,000 kcal daily.
Positive energy balance
Consuming more calories than we need leads to weight gain.
The body will store excess energy as fat.
Negative energy balance
Consuming fewer calories than we need leads to weight loss as the body will use up the body’s fat stores for energy.
100 kcal Energy Balance Challenge
Choose your snacks
Choose up to three healthy snacks each day. Each snack should contain 100 kcal or fewer. See our healthy snack ideas below. Try to avoid snacks that are high in fat, sugar or salt (e.g. crisps, chocolate, sweets ice-cream, cake and biscuits).
Choose your physical activities
Choose some 100 kcal-burning physical activities that you can do to burn off the calories consumed in your snacks. See our ideas for activities you could do below.
Be prepared
Plan when you will eat your snacks and do your physical activities each day. To maintain energy balance, the number of 100 kcals snacks and the number of 100 kcals energy-burning activities you include each day should be equal. Pop to the shops for any ingredients you need for the snacks. Check you have the equipment or clothing you need for the activities.
- 1 oatcake with 2 tsp low-fat cream cheese and 5 grapes
- 1 small banana
- 1 orange and 5 almonds
- 125g fat-free natural yogurt with 100g strawberries, chopped
- 50g sliced apple with 1tsp peanut butter
- 1 medium carrot, cut into sticks with 40g low-fat hummus and half a walnut
- 1 rice cake with 50g ricotta cheese and chopped chives
- 10 sugarsnap peas with 40g reduced fat hummus and 2 pitted black olives
- 1 apple and 70g low fat cottage cheese
- 1 pear and 2 brazil nuts
You can find more 100 kcal snack ideas from the NHS
- 8 mins – Skipping with a rope
- 10 mins – Running
- 10 mins – Walking up and down stairs
- 10 mins – Rowing
- 15 minutes – Cycling
- 18 mins – Dancing
- 25 mins – Gardening
- 30 mins – walking
- 30 mins – Housework
- 30 mins – Weight lifting
Check out other activities you could get involved with to help us celebrate Captain Sir Tom Moore’s life and his 101st birthday here.
