Barbell Medicine
Is It Really Just Calories In, Calories Out? Metabolism, Insulin, Hormones and Why Counting Fails
New
17 Jul 2026 · 31 min
Weight managementMetabolism & fasting
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About this episode
Is weight loss really just Calories in, Calories out? The equation is true, but "just count your Calories" is bad advice for most people, and almost every objection to it is pointing at something real. In part two of our energy balance series, Jordan Feigenbaum takes the biggest "it's not Calories, it's ___" claims (metabolism, thyroid, cortisol, PCOS, insulin, the type of food) and tests each against the best evidence. The verdict: none of them breaks the equation. Every one is a hand on a leve