30 Seconds SummaryEnergy balance myths: Why you can gain fat in a deficit
- Energy balance does not directly dictate weight changes due to factors like water weight, mineral adjustments, and various physiological conditions.
- It's possible to lose bodily mass on a maintenance diet, particularly on a ketogenic diet due to water loss, without an energy deficit.
- Not all weight changes are linked to changes in stored body energy, debunking the myth that calorie intake and expenditure alone govern weight.
- Weight stability can occur even in a caloric deficit if muscle gain offsets fat loss, highlighting the complexity of body composition changes.
- One can gain weight in a deficit if muscle gain exceeds the rate of fat loss, as demonstrated through specific scientific studies and client data.
- Conversely, one can lose fat in a caloric surplus if muscle gain is sufficiently rapid to use up more energy than fat provides.
- The concept of 'maintenance calories' may be misleading as body recomposition can occur during energy deficits, suggesting personalized diet needs.
- The article challenges traditional views by showing that changes in body composition and weight can occur under atypical energy balance conditions.
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Menno Henselmans
