Energy expenditure
The calories the body burns, including resting metabolism, activity, and the thermic effect of food.
Total energy expenditure is the sum of resting metabolic rate (the largest share), physical activity (including NEAT, the energy of everyday movement), and the thermic effect of food (energy used to digest meals). After weight loss, resting expenditure falls and stays suppressed, while appetite rises after a GLP-1, creating an energy gap. Protein (high thermic effect, muscle preservation), resistance training (muscle), and NEAT (movement) all act on energy expenditure to help close that gap.