GLOSSARY

Chronic Energy Surplus is a sustained pattern of intake exceeding expenditure over time. It differs from a high-intake day that compensates for earlier expenditure or prepares for subsequent demands.

Over a defined interval, a difference between metabolizable energy intake and energy expenditure changes stored body energy. This principle does not imply that daily scale weight directly reveals energy balance. Water, glycogen and gut contents also contribute to body mass. Intake and expenditure influence each other through behavior and physiology, so projecting the same daily deficit indefinitely creates unrealistic predictions. Interpret the energy equation together with its timescale and the composition of the tissues changing.

Total expenditure includes energy needed at rest, the thermic effect of food and physical activity. Planned exercise is only part of activity expenditure. Work, walking and spontaneous movement can also matter. When an estimate already includes a component, adding it again double counts energy. Establish whether an exercise value is gross or net of resting expenditure, and use the same convention when comparing days or combining wearable estimates with a daily energy model.

Energy expenditure can change during weight loss because a smaller body costs less to maintain and move, and because additional adaptive responses may occur. These explanations should be distinguished rather than calling every reduction a damaged metabolism. Appetite and spontaneous movement can also change. The size and persistence of adaptation vary. Reassess trends and recovery under comparable conditions instead of assuming that an equation's initial prediction remains the correct maintenance intake throughout a changing training and weight-loss period.

Energy requirements depend on body size and composition, activity, life stage and physiological circumstances. A maintenance estimate is a starting point for a defined situation rather than a permanent personal calorie ceiling. Training load, recovery, appetite and changes in body mass help evaluate its usefulness. Growth, illness or a change in training schedule may require reassessment. Adequate energy also needs appropriate carbohydrate, protein, fat and micronutrient provision; matching a calorie total alone does not guarantee a balanced sports diet.

Body mass includes fat, lean tissues, water, glycogen and material in the digestive tract. A rapid increase after carbohydrate-rich eating or a fall after a sweaty session does not establish fat gain or loss. Weighing under comparable conditions and examining a trend can reduce misinterpretation. Interpret repeated measurements alongside food, fluid, bowel habits and training. A meaningful change in tissue mass usually requires more evidence than a difference between two isolated readings on a bathroom scale.

Food records and recalls can omit items, misjudge portions or alter eating behavior. Underreporting and overreporting describe differences between reported and actual intake, not proof of deliberate dishonesty. A low reported value may reflect a genuinely short-term deficit as well as measurement error. Review methods, recording days and weight stability before interpretation. Energy expenditure can help validate intake under appropriate assumptions, but expenditure during a changing-energy-store period is not identical to actual intake.