It is no brainier that one needs to create a negative energy balance(calorie deficit) for fat loss. In order words energy expenditure has to be more than energy intake in order to lose weight. So how do ensure that you create a negative energy balance?
- Diet- consuming less than daily calorie requirement/maintenance level to create a deficit.
- Have small meals at regular intervals with high intake of fibre, veggies & fruits which are nutrient dense( not calorie dense)
- Have daily calorie requirement & create a deficit through increased physical activity
So what do we do on Saturday? We hit the gym every morning & do a high intense cardio followed by equally exhausting weight training. After the workout, we either go home & take a good nap. Happy with our workout session, we have kale salad &/or healthy high protein breakfast & spend rest of day in hibernation mode. Once we get up in the evening so check how much we have burnt, we are shocked to see that number on the weight scale has not gown down. We are wondering what have we missed? We did not have any sugar or fried stuff. This is puzzling you. So what has happened? You have missed out non-exercise activity thermogenesis(NEAT).
So what is NEAT?
Active thermogenesis can be broken down into two categories.
- Exercise activity thermogenesis is energy expended when we intentionally engage in physical activity either in the gym, running or jogging which results in calories burned.
- Non exercise activity thermogenesis(NEAT) is energy expended when we are not sleeping or exercising. Mowing the lawn, washing clothes or utensils & climbing the stairs while going to office are great examples of (NEAT). These activities burn calories more than you can think.
Our jobs & careers have profound impact on NEAT. Occupational NEAT is active thermogenesis resulting from work. Nurses, waiters, gym trainers, travelers, sales professionals or any profession/occupation that requires you to be on your feet moving here & there- would have high level of NEAT.
For the rest of us who spend Monday to Friday sitting on desk, sending emails, attending meetings & conferences, our level of NEAT are generally low. Difference in energy expenditure between active & sedentary lifestyle runs into hundreds of calories. However having sedentary lifestyle does not mean that your level of NEAT will be low. You can indulge in NEAT throughout the work day or leisure NEAT, physical activity you do during spare time. However, hard fact is you overlook NEAT
Working out in gym for 60 to 90 minutes in no way compensates for sitting 8 to 12 hours everyday on your office desk without any movement. You may not realize that combination of calories burned through non exercise related activities such as mowing the lawn, going to the market to buy groceries or climbing stairs shall outdo the calories burnt in a gym. Just by moving around or being on your feet you could burn additional 2000 calories which in itself a huge number of energy expended on a daily basis.
Consider example of a finance professional whose occupational NEAT involves only moving from desk to the washroom, for lunch break or going to a colleagues desk for a coffee can result in daily calorie burn of 300. They return home after long & stressful day & view TV for a few minutes before dozing off. This shall result in leisure NEAT of 30 calories burn. Now compare this with someone engaged in farming. He might burn more than 2200 calories in a day through occupational NEAT.
Our sedentary lifestyle is new age health syndrome which is eating up our life expectancy. Sitting is the new drinking. One third of world’s population is obese & overweight. The foods which we eat are pushing these numbers up. However, being inactive is a major reason for our deterioration in health.
So how do you increase NEAT?
- Replace elevator with stairs.
- Join an aerobic or dance class.
- Get a standing desk: We spend large time sitting on our desk. Having a standing desk will give us an opportunity to move around which shall increase occupational NEAT.
- Break up your day with short walks & trips. Make sure that you make some movement every 2 hours
- Do your chores: Prefer going to physical stores to buy groceries rather than ordering online. If you want to buy some toys or books for your son, better go to a book shop & buy a physical copy rather than buying a digital version of a book or ordering toys online
If you’re willing to transform you life by getting in shape, then speak to us about our online calisthenics training program.
