Traditionally we’ve looked at weight loss and body composition through the lens of a pretty simple equation, calories in versus calories out. At its core, it’s still true. If you eat more than you burn, you’re in a surplus and you’ll gain weight. If you eat less than you burn, you’re in a deficit and your weight will likely drop. And if you’re burning and eating about the same, your body mass tends to stay the same. From a basic energy balance standpoint, that’s how the body works.
But like most things in physiology, it’s a little more complicated than that. Recent research into hunter gatherer populations, like the Hadza in Tanzania, has given us a deeper look at how the body actually manages energy. These people are incredibly active, they’re walking, gathering, hunting, and moving all day long. But here’s the interesting part, their total daily energy expenditure isn’t dramatically higher than ours. Even with all that activity, their bodies have adapted to keep their overall energy burn in check. What scientists are finding is that your body doesn’t just keep burning more and more calories because you’re more active. Instead, it starts reallocating energy elsewhere, doing everything it can to make sure it’s got enough left for the brain and vital functions.
One of the biggest areas where this shows up is NEAT, non exercise activity thermogenesis. These are all the small, unconscious movements you make throughout the day, fidgeting, standing, shifting your weight, even your facial expressions. When you go into a calorie deficit, your body will often reduce these movements without you even noticing. So even if you’re training hard and going for runs, the total number of calories you burn in a day might not actually increase the way you think it will. Your body finds sneaky ways to conserve energy, and NEAT is one of the first things it pulls back on.
This is where a lot of people run into frustration. You might be dieting, hitting your workouts, even going for a couple of extra miles on the treadmill, but you're not seeing the results you expected. Part of the issue is that the number of calories burned during exercise is often overestimated, especially by fitness trackers and smartwatches. Studies using caliometry testing found that a one mile run burns roughly 100 calories, give or take. That’s not nothing, but it’s also not a massive number. If you overeat by just 200 calories in a day, that’s two miles of running just to break even, and again, that doesn’t factor in the drop in NEAT when you’re dieting.
So no, you can’t outrun the fork. That’s the harsh truth. You can be training hard and doing everything right in the gym, but if you’re not paying attention to your intake, your body won’t respond the way you want it to. At AIM Athletic, whether you’re in our small group personal training, active rehab, one on one coaching, or hockey training sessions, we talk a lot about this. Movement is important, strength is important, but so is managing your intake. Your total daily energy burn isn’t fixed, it moves with you. And to really see results, you need to keep track of how things are changing week to week and adjust your intake accordingly.
The takeaway here is that while the calories in, calories out model gives us a good starting point, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Your body is always adjusting, always finding ways to maintain balance, even if that means subtly lowering your energy burn throughout the day. That’s why planned, consistent movement and mindful eating habits matter so much. Progress doesn’t happen by accident, it happens when you take the time to measure, adjust, and stay committed. That’s what we’re here to help you with at AIM.
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