A NEAT way to increase your metabolism.

SideSteel
SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Rather than give you bogus information about meal frequency, or hot sauce, or a crash diet....


NEAT: Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It's the stuff you do when you're not in the gym. It's the walking your dog, or the cleaning of the house, or the mowing of the grass. It's the energy expenditure that you create when you're just being active and doing things OTHER than laying around on your *kitten* (I said that just for Sara).

NEAT is something that, by end of day, can comprise a significant energy expenditure.

Ever hear people give those recommendations like:

"Park your car really far away so you have to walk further"
"Get up from your desk every 20 minutes"
"Move around with that book instead of sitting"
"*kitten*"


They're right.


So instead of thinking about whether or not you should buy those keytones, or whether or not you should load your breakfast with cinnamon and hotsauce, or whether or not you need to eat every 1.8 hours -- How about instead, you get up from your desk and move around?


Don't disregard this rather trivial advice. Increase your NEAT, increase your success.
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Replies

  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
    Completely agree, great post Side :)
    NEAT allows me to maintain on 3000 calories. Why deprive yourself when using the stairs instead the elevator allows you to pig out LIKE A BOSS ?
  • Ms2Cents
    Ms2Cents Posts: 1
    THANK YOU! That was the most informative and inspirational bit of information/advice I have read on these boards since I joined MFP.
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
    My new guy is going to make me so skinny!
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    Inspired by this I'm going to walk to a toilet a long way from my desk and *kitten* right now. Double the NEAT burn.
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
    Too much common sense in this post!

    I took this advice six or seven months ago....and it works!!!
  • AstyPasty
    AstyPasty Posts: 70 Member
    Great post - NEAT is what I use every day so that I can eat that little bit more. I now run up the stairs at work rather than plod up!
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    Yup, sounds about right... People look at me like I'm crazy when I park at the very back of the Wal-Mart parking lot or take the laundry up the stairs in more than one trip but hey, I'm a girl eating almost 2000 calories a day and losing weight... So what's the problem with that?
  • 41nb
    41nb Posts: 2
    one dilema tho! (ohhh and here comes the negative bird with too much time on her hands!!) I am disabled, I can't walk far, nor stand for long either... any ideas for the waist upwards???
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    The little things add up. Thanks for the reminder.
  • wrbiii
    wrbiii Posts: 151
    one dilema tho! (ohhh and here comes the negative bird with too much time on her hands!!) I am disabled, I can't walk far, nor stand for long either... any ideas for the waist upwards???

    Entirely joking, but walk on your hands? :-P

    Find something and constantly keep your hands moving some. Even if you only burn an extra 3 or 4 calories an hour this way you are burning more than you do without the movement!
  • CallMeMink
    CallMeMink Posts: 1
    Excellent post. People are always after a weight loss "secret" or a special workout.

    We've had a great tool all along: just get up off the couch!
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    bump
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    MOST of my calorie burns are from NEAT.
  • Mcctin65
    Mcctin65 Posts: 507 Member
    Brilliant!
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    :happy:
  • k2quiere
    k2quiere Posts: 4,151 Member
    one dilema tho! (ohhh and here comes the negative bird with too much time on her hands!!) I am disabled, I can't walk far, nor stand for long either... any ideas for the waist upwards???

    My best friend is in a non-motorized wheel chair; she has cerebral palsy. She goes for walks (that she calls her runs). There are also side bends from wherever you are seated. Truthfully, just the act of standing and sitting (for YOU) expends more energy than it does for someone who is not disabled. The basic point of my dear friend's post is to do something more than sit there with your hands on the keyboard exercising your fingers only. Good luck to you.
  • RubyWare
    RubyWare Posts: 51 Member
    Bump
  • elenathegreat
    elenathegreat Posts: 3,988 Member
    Such an intelligent and yet common sense post for such a pretty torso...
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    Totally agree! I have 2 young children (16 months and 3) and I run around like crazy with them, always up and down like a yo-yo, chasing them, going for walks, playing, pushing the swings etc. Plus we live in a 2nd floor flat with no lift, so that must burn a few calories.

    I also work part time as a secondary school teacher, and it's very rare that I sit down while I teach.

    I honestly don't know what i'd do with myself if stayed at home all day, on my own! Well, washing, ironing, hoovering probably!
  • mandy_lynn
    mandy_lynn Posts: 165 Member
    You couldn't be more right! Even my kids ask my husband why he parks so close when he drives. My son says, "well mommy parks at the end of the lot so we get more exercise in our day!"
  • sassylilmama
    sassylilmama Posts: 1,493 Member
    Yep! One reason why at 5' I can eat like many of the women here that are 5'6" and up.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    I really like this post. I make sure I drink lots and lots of water in the office. As well as been good to keep me hydrated it makes me pee ALL the time lol. And I make sure I use the downstairs toilets so that I am up and down the stairs numerous times.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    :heart:

    REading this while boncing on my exercise bal at work......do I look weird ? Absolutly. Do I care? not at all :)
  • Ruthe8
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member
    or whether or not you should load your breakfast with cinnamon and hotsauce
    You should load your breakfast with hotsauce though. Not for weight loss, just on principal.
  • Ms_Steel
    Ms_Steel Posts: 125
    makes sense, after all, i do need to love myself as much as possible...
  • Pedal_Pusher
    Pedal_Pusher Posts: 1,166 Member
    Rather than give you bogus information about meal frequency, or hot sauce, or a crash diet....


    NEAT: Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It's the stuff you do when you're not in the gym. It's the walking your dog, or the cleaning of the house, or the mowing of the grass. It's the energy expenditure that you create when you're just being active and doing things OTHER than laying around on your *kitten* (I said that just for Sara).

    NEAT is something that, by end of day, can comprise a significant energy expenditure.

    Ever hear people give those recommendations like:

    "Park your car really far away so you have to walk further"
    "Get up from your desk every 20 minutes"
    "Move around with that book instead of sitting"
    "*kitten*"


    They're right.


    So instead of thinking about whether or not you should buy those keytones, or whether or not you should load your breakfast with cinnamon and hotsauce, or whether or not you need to eat every 1.8 hours -- How about instead, you get up from your desk and move around?


    Don't disregard this rather trivial advice. Increase your NEAT, increase your success.

    I see you've read Levine's study. Ever read anything by Joe Friel?
  • Shamrock_me
    Shamrock_me Posts: 161
    My video game guru likes to tell me:

    "Mom you don't need to bounce around so much and throw practices punches on the Wii playing Punch Out"

    Little does he know - I do!! But it makes him crazy to have to share the Wii AND put up with me taking up the whole living room to play!!! Thats *MY* NEAT work out
  • LadyIvysMom
    LadyIvysMom Posts: 391 Member
    Wait? What? Moving around burns more calories than sitting on the couch eating crisps and watching the Kardashians?? Surely you jest? :P:huh:
  • SeaChele77
    SeaChele77 Posts: 1,103 Member
    AWESOME advice!!!

    While it may seem trivial and/or common sense..... some people do like to find that spot as close to the door as possible or sit hours on end watching movies/playing games or something other than moving around. Sometimes a little reminder is good!! :happy:
  • LadyIvysMom
    LadyIvysMom Posts: 391 Member
    In all seriousness, I move around when I’m home a lot. It’s hard during the day when you are glued to a desk with someone watching your every move to make sure you don’t leave your desk for more than a minute to use the restroom. Exercise balls? Not sure what kind of places you all work in but in a very conservative insurance office those are a big no no.

    At home, I run around and play with my pets. I move around cleaning, doing laundry etc. There was an article in a recent issue of my ferret owners magazine that actually gave ideas for workouts you could do with your pets. My ferrets did not enjoy being used as light free weights though, so that didn’t work out. Haha.

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