WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR weight loss?
For many people, the beginning of a new year is associated with commitments. And it's probably no surprise that a large part of them are related to change of body and weight loss. Are you also one of the people who have been unsuccessfully aiming to lose a certain number of kilograms for several years now, and each year they only increase this number by their newly gained weight? Then it is time to make changes in your life that will really help you. And you may be surprised that just a little is enough for the hand on the scale to finally move downwards.
Have you ever heard of the acronym NEAT? If not, be careful. What lies behind it will finally help you understand the secret of weight loss and also explain why your friend can, exaggeratedly, eat an elephant without gaining weight, and you, on the other hand, have to think about almost every bite to gain weight. kept.
What all makes up our total daily energy expenditure
The energy that we intentionally or unintentionally expend during the day can be classified into 4 categories. Each of them contributes to our expenditure in a different way. In general, however, we can say that BMR (basal metabolism) has the largest share in expenditure, about 60-75% of total energy expenditure. Approximately 15% then consists of NEAT (non-exercise activities), 10% TEF (thermal effect of food) and 5% EAT (exercise activities). And what do these mysterious abbreviations actually mean?
1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - this figure expresses the number of calories that our body burns at rest to maintain basic life functions. These calories therefore keep our heart, lungs, nervous system, kidneys, intestines, genitals, muscles, etc. active. An easy way to estimate the value of basal metabolism without laboratory experiments is to use an equation for the calculation. One of the most accurate ways if you don't know your% body fat is to use Miffin-St. Jeor's equation. If you know this fat value, you can use the Katch-McArdl equation, for example. However, the easiest way for you will be to enter values into our calculator, which will do the calculation for you. Its value is affected by many factors, such as your age or body composition.
You can read more about how to calculate the BMR value in the article How to calculate the intake of energy and macronutrients for weight loss or muscle gain?
2. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) - this is the energy that our body needs to process the food we receive. It is also necessary to take into account that each macronutrient has a different thermal effect. Proteins have the highest thermal effect, namely about 20-30%. This means that out of 100 such calories, only about 70-80 kcal is absorbed into our body, depending on the type of protein taken. Worse are carbohydrates, whose thermal effect is somewhere between 5-10%, and fats in the range of 0-3%.
3. Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) - this is the number of calories your body will expend during exercise. This includes all sports activities that you perform, such as strength training, HIIT or any cardio.
4. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) - This is the number of calories your body spends during non-exercise activities. This includes, for example, going for a drink, stamping your feet nervously, combing your hair, and so on.
Why can NEAT be key in weight loss?
Although you may not believe it, your spending during the day can be greatly affected by small things that you don't normally pay attention to. The very position in which you spend most of the day has a significant impact, so there is a difference whether you lie down, sit down or stand still. Let's show it with the example of an 80 kg student who spends 6 hours a day learning.
In the first case, when he learns to lie down in silence and just read the curriculum, he burns approximately 624 kcal (including BMR) during this time.
In the second case, when he learns aloud sitting and stomping his feet, his expenditure can reach up to 864 kcal (including BMR) in the same time.
In the third case, when he learns aloud and walks around the apartment, throws a ball or performs another similar activity that helps him concentrate and talk about the topic, he burns about 1056 kcal (including BMR) during this time.
At first glance, the difference may not be so visible, but if we take into account that this student will learn during the exam for at least 3 weeks (5 days a week just mentioned 6 hours), burn recliners a total of 9360 kcal, seats 12960 kcal and standing 15840 kcal. The difference between standing and lying is 6480 kcal. Therefore, if our student changes the position of learning from lying to standing, he can burn less than a kilo of fat in 3 weeks of learning, because it contains 7700 kcal. And it pays off, doesn't it?
In addition to the reward in the form of weight loss, you will certainly be pleased with the more effectively learned substance, which you will perceive with more senses during loud renunciation, you will master it better and thanks to the higher supply of oxygen you will also remember.
Higher NEAT can reduce fat and improve health
Similar results, as we showed in the students above, were obtained by the researchers themselves. The relationship between fat gain and insufficient energy expenditure through NEAT was demonstrated, for example, in a study of twenty volunteers (10 lean and 10 obese). They were exposed to a similar environment, examining posture and movement to assess NEAT. Volunteers engaged in routine daily activities and did not exercise. The results showed that obese individuals sat more, specifically 2.5 hours longer. In addition, the researchers found that if obese individuals performed the same NEAT activities as lean ones, that is, if they did not resume this time, their expenditure would increase by 350 kcal per day.
However, a slimmer body is not the only benefit you get if you engage in more non-exercise activities. By living a more active life, you will reduce the incidence of chronic diseases, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and the like. However, if none of these diseases bother you, weight loss can be the main motivation for being more active.
How big a caloric deficit can occur due to NEAT?
I'm probably not surprised by the information that the day is 24 hours. If we count on the ideal, then one sleeps 8 hours of it. We have 16 hours left, which is crucial if we are trying to lose weight. It is up to each of us how we use them. Let's take a closer look at the example of 2 women - Jana and Lucie. Jana is unhappy because she would like to lose a few pounds, unfortunately she is not doing well. Silence envies Lucia, who can indulge in what she likes, and does not gain weight. How is it possible? Suppose they both weigh 65 kg and eat the same food. To what extent can their daily energy expenditure differ?
Jane
sleep (8 hours) - 494 kcal
getting ready for work, preparing breakfast and preparing food for the whole day, easy cleaning of the apartment (1 hour) - 143 kcal
way to work (15 min. walk, 30 min. bus ride) - 83 kcal
office work behind the computer (8 hours) - 780 kcal
way from work (15 min. walk, 30 min. bus ride) - 83 kcal
running at a speed of 8 km / h (40 min.) - 360 kcal
lying in front of the TV in the evening (3 hours) - 195 kcal
other activities such as eating, showering and other non-demanding activities (2 hours) - 286 kcal [10]
Jana's total expenditure, including basal metabolism, could be approximately 2424 kcal for the day.
Luccy
sleep (8 hours) - 494 kcal
getting ready for work, preparing breakfast and preparing food for the whole day, easy cleaning of the apartment (1 hour) - 143 kcal
way to work on foot (45 min.) - 244 kcal
job performance - maid (8 hours) - 2080 kcal
way from work on foot (45 min.) - 244 kcal
running at a speed of 10 km / h (1 hour) - 637 kcal
garden planting (1.5 hours) - 487 kcal
household cleaning (1 hour) - 214 kcal
other activities such as eating, showering and other undemanding activities (1 hour) - 143 kcal
bedside reading (1 hour) - 85 kcal [10]
Lucie's total expenditure, including basal metabolism, could be approximately 4277 kcal for the day.
Sure, Luccy's example is a bit exaggerated, and most of us probably don't have that much free time to be so active, but what did we mean by that? When Jana and Lucia sit down for coffee and talk about their lifestyle, they can live on the assumption that their activity is about the same - they both go to work, they both take care of the household, and they even go for a run. Based on this information, Jana may get the impression that Lucia has miraculous genetic equipment, thanks to which she can eat what she wants and not gain weight. However, this is not the case. It's just that Lucia has a lot to spend on non-sport activities (NEAT). In general, it should be borne in mind that people who have a manual job and do so in their free time often burn many times more calories than those who live a sedentary lifestyle. That's why more active people can simply eat more and don't gain weight.
Try to think about what your day looks like compared to Lucie's expenditure. Do you still feel that life is unfair and gain weight from the air, or do you find that you are not as active as you thought? You may also be one of the people who neglect the others due to purposeful sports activities. Well, on purpose - have you ever stretched out on the couch instead of cleaning or walking with your family, because you knew that you would be training for the afternoon, so you wanted to gain strength for it?
If you have self-critically acknowledged that there is room for improvement on your daily days, this is a great first step in becoming more active and losing weight more easily. You can be inspired by our 7 tips on how to do it.
7 tips to promote weight loss and move more naturally
1. Walking
We probably don't have to go into detail about the fact that walking is our most natural movement. You've probably also heard that each person should go through 10,000 steps a day. If you have no other movement and steps are almost the only activity you engage in, then this magical frontier may be ideal for you. According to the study, there is a part of the population with low daily activity, which goes through only about 2000-2500 steps per day. These people should try to increase their number. However, if you are active in other ways, go to the gym, swim or do any other sport, it is not necessary to strictly adhere to 10,000.
However, you should definitely not avoid walking, as it has quite a few positive benefits. It uses more than half of the body muscles. The degree of their involvement depends on the speed and slope of the terrain. At the same time, it will improve your physical condition, cardiovascular health or blood pressure. However, this type of movement also has a positive effect on our mental health. The phrase "I'm going to vent my head" when you go for a walk, so it definitely didn't come about by chance.
How to involve more walking in a normal day?
Walk on at least part of the way to work.
Avoid the elevator or escalator.
Take at least a short walk during the day. Every extra minute counts.
Walk for shopping, lunch or a meeting with friends.
Instead of sitting in a cafe, take your coffee with you and go for a walk with friends.
Walk while listening to podcasts or meetings.
Instead of calling, go visit or call while walking.
There are many ways to involve more steps in your day. It's up to you what you choose. To motivate you a bit - an 80 kg person will burn 235 kcal in a 20-minute quick meeting on the stairs, which is realistic to fulfill every day if he treats every step honestly. If we do not take into account the adaptation of metabolism and other side factors, this person would burn 85775 kcal per year, and only thanks to the daily 20 minutes of fast walking up the stairs. Interestingly - in this way he could burn energy equivalent to about 11 kg of fat.
2. Help others
Surely you have someone in your area who will be happy to use your help. As a result, both the person you make your job easier and you will be satisfied, even twice as much. This is because you increase your energy expenditure, which will make it easier for you to lose weight, and in addition, you may feel warm at the heart that you have helped someone. Again, you have many ways to get involved:
Watch someone's children. The crumbs will be happy for a change, the parents will relax and you will spend an active day - a win in all aspects.
Take the dog outside. Sure, there is someone near you who can't walk so much anymore, but his pet would like to take a longer trip. Give it to him.
Offer to go shopping. This offer will be appreciated both by people from the area who can no longer handle it themselves, as well as by your loved ones who do not want or do not have the time.
Help with the reconstruction. Every hand is suitable for this work. And to scratch a wall, paint, take away old furniture or assemble a new one you are sure to master.
Help at home or in the garden.
Sweep the snow across the street.
Did you know that an 80 kg person can burn up to 600 kcal per hour with intense hourly snow throwing?
These volunteer activities can often be done part-time, so in addition to the calories burned, you can also earn some money.
3. Don't waste time waiting
Do you have friends who never come anywhere on time, so you spend tens of minutes sitting and waiting for them? Review your approach. Even a twenty-minute walk in the area suddenly counts. You can also spend time waiting for a bus or train if you are going for a long time. And when you know it will come in a few minutes, you still don't have to sit on a bench and stare blankly in front of you. You can also walk after those few meters at the stop, or you can walk to the next stop and connect there to the means of transport.
4. Take care of the household
In connection with housework, people are divided into two groups - some enjoy them and cannot wait for further vacuuming, others hate them and delay their execution as much as possible. Ideal as long as someone else does it for them. But guess who has more NEAT spending? Yes, those who go into them and are able to devote a few hours a week to them. Such a 70 kg woman burns an average of 210 kcal (including BMR) per hour with housework. It may seem like nothing to you, but when you consider that such a clever housewife can spend 2 hours a day in these activities, suddenly we have 2940 kcal per week, which is energy hidden in 550 g (5.5 tables) of milk chocolate. . And that's a decent amount, isn't it? If you regularly do active cleaning, you can easily put a line of chocolate with your coffee, and still be in deficit and lose weight. So hide the automatic vacuum cleaner, which will do all the work for you, back in the box, give it to someone who no longer has the strength to clean it himself, and get to work nicely.
And if you want to increase your energy expenditure during cleaning, try to come up with such a small cleaning workout. Alternate individual activities with squats, cranks or English. You will see that you put your body in an hour, and if you play your favorite music, you will certainly enjoy it.
5. Work in the garden
By gardening, we definitely don't mean to get on a garden tractor, which will do all the work for you (although you will burn more energy while operating the tractor than if you were just lying down).
However, there are many more effective activities you can do in the garden. How about trying grooming?
Compared to lying down, this activity will increase your expenditure up to fivefold. An 80 kg man burns a beautiful 400 kcal per hour. You can also start pruning shrubs or weeding, which will increase your spending by about fourfold.
6. Have a mini workout whenever possible
Are you waiting for your girlfriend to finally release the bathroom in the morning before you leave? Use the time and make a few squats and handles. This will stimulate the blood in the body, and you will also easily increase your expenditure. You can just as effectively use a commercial break for your favorite evening movie or kill time before you cook pasta, for example. Maybe people around you will look at you strangely at first, but when they see how these little things have a positive effect on your character, they will understand and maybe they will join you.
7. Lie only at night
As we said at the beginning of the article, just whether you are lying or sitting has a significant impact on your overall energy expenditure. If you are trying to increase NEAT, try to spend only time lying down (about 8-9 hours). Also try to sit at the TV, and if you have it in the kitchen, for example, or you are watching TV from a laptop, you can also stand by your favorite series and use the time to prepare food for the next day. It is also true that if you are reading or learning, it is better to spend time sitting in order to increase your spending. You can also sit on the ball, thanks to which you can involve several muscle parts. And there are even people who learn best when walking, so you can try it too. It's up to you to what extent you deal with these changes. In time, you may not even think that you should sit on the bus.
What do you get out of it?
Let's be honest with each other. If almost all of your activity during the week is that you drive to the gym three times a week for an hour, and you think you're active, that's not the case. NEAT, which represents the calories burned by normal activities other than exercise, is a more important item for our spending than the sport itself. This, of course, is not to say that you have to cough up strength training. However, try to focus on what you do the rest of the time. A day has 24 hours, if you sleep 8 hours and 8 hours on average at work, it's up to you how you spend the remaining 8 hours. You can start by walking more, lying less, not sitting on the bus, getting more involved in cleaning, or helping someone around you. There are a lot of options. Whatever you do, you will see that over time, these activities will affect both your health and your body change.
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