Equalution put a slice of cheesecake against half a day of meals – and the results may shock you

Do you know which has more calories? Health experts put a slice of cheesecake against half a day of meals – and the results may shock you

  • After working out extremely hard, many dieters like to treat themselves
  • But your favourite dessert can contain just as much as half a day’s worth of meals
  • Founders of Equalution shows what calories really look like in different foods
  • The Sydney duo compared a slice of cheesecake to three different meals

After working extremely hard to retain a physique you are happy with, you decide to treat yourself to a slice of cheesecake. 

But your favourite dessert can contain just as much calories as half a day of meals.

Sydney founders of science-based nutrition program Equalution Jade Spooner and Amal Wakim have illustrated the comparisons in a graph to show you exactly what calories look like in different foods – and the results may shock you.

In an Instagram post titled ‘this or that?’, the pair found a slice of New York baked cheesecake (900 calories) contained as much calories as three meals (900 calories), which included fish and chips with salad, Nutella ricotta crumpets and banoffee pie.

Science-based nutrition program Equalution have illustrated the comparisons in a graph to show you exactly what calories look like in different foods – and the results may shock you

What your body need: 

Our body runs on three essentials for living and proper functioning:

1. Macro-nutrients: The nutrients that we need in large quantities for survival – protein, carbohydrates and fat – providing energy in the form of calories for our body.

2. Water: The staple for survival and the metabolism.

3. Micro-nutrients: The nutrients required in small quantities for survival. These are vitamins and minerals – most importantly fibre.

‘Did you know how a typical cheesecake dessert can equate to a half a day’s worth of meals?’ the duo said.

‘Now, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying your favourite dessert here and there – let’s remember, the body doesn’t recognise food as good or bad, instead, it’s seen as protein, fats and carbs.

‘While there are foods that are more calorie dense, and not as nutritious as others, this doesn’t prohibit them, it just means a greater caloric amount allocated to one meal.’

So if you’re trying to lose weight, the health experts said you need to keep track of what you consume so you don’t derail your diet or undo all your hard work.

‘It’s all about being more aware of what you consume and compensating throughout the day so you can avoid a calorie surplus,’ Jade explained. 

‘For a lot of dieters their typical cycle is a very clean, restrictive Monday to Friday, allowing a week of cravings to stew and build up. 

‘Come the weekend, meals like the cheesecake are a regular occurrence and a calorie dense binge is more likely to occur, where it doesn’t just stop at one dessert.’

Jade Spooner (right) and Amal Wakim (left) said you need to be more aware of what you consume in your  diet and compensating throughout the day so you can avoid a calorie surplus

Jade Spooner (right) and Amal Wakim (left) said you need to be more aware of what you consume in your diet and compensating throughout the day so you can avoid a calorie surplus

The pair urged dieters to be more mindful with ‘restricting’ themselves over weekdays as this can lead to overeating.

‘Consider your calories as money in the bank of which you have essential bills and  living expenses to pay and then your treats are simply your leftover dollars,’ they said.

‘So indulgent meals like cheesecake will just require you to be more thrifty during the day with your essential expenses.

‘Don’t restrict yourself all week long only to double or triple your daily intake over the weekend, then punish yourself after. 

‘Whether it’s cheesecake, alcohol, or some good old chocolate, the key is to maintain a more balanced approach and incorporate these as part of a flexible diet, as opposed to a continuous weekend blow-out cycle. 

‘Work smarter, not harder on your fat loss journey.’



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