There is some basis of merit to your line of questioning. The current caloric measurements -- 9 for a gram of fat, 4 for a gram of carbohydrates or protein -- i

There is some basis of merit to your line of questioning. The current caloric measurements -- 9 for a gram of fat, 4 for a gram of carbohydrates or protein -- is based on oxidation measurement. That is, how many calories are released when the food is literally burned. Then some adjustments are made to estimate the inefficiencies. For instance, dietary fiber is a carbohydrate, but it's considered to provide less energy because it's not easily digestible. However, barring inaccuracies in these numbers, once a calorie has been consumed into your body, generally the only way to get rid of it is using it. Until such a time, it will be stored as sugar or fat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_energy