You may want to start with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermic_effect_of_food http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermic_effect_of_food. Thermodynamics are mostly u

You may want to start with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermic_effect_of_food http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermic_effect_of_food. Thermodynamics are mostly useless when you look at nutrition, even if they are true. The same amount of calories from different sources get metabolized differently, have different effects on satiety, insulin, and a whole host of other factors. Nutrition is biochemistry, not physics. Sure, you will lose weight if you reduce calories. But that information is about as useful as general relativity when you want to throw a ball to another player.