NEAT Improvement Strategies to Improve Weight Loss
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Dang. I need a nap after reading that.
Oh I'm tired
It's just the way I've always been though. In a way it's kind of depressing because I think about how much I can eat now and lose, and now I know how much I had to be eating in the past in order to get to over 200 pounds despite all the added activity.
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My job is super sedentary so I use one of those under desk epiltical machines and probably pedal on that for three to four hours every weekday. I like it because I can easily do it while focusing on other things.
I’m the opposite of a fidgeter in public and instead practice “statue” moves where I purposely engage a set of muscles while remaining still (mostly core or glute) for as long as possible. For example, I’ll sit in a meeting with both feet/legs off the floor by an inch or so using my lower core to keep them up for several minutes at a time. Or I’ll practice engaging my posterior chain (like at the top of a deadlift) while I am standing in line. As a bonus, it also gives me impeccable posture and makes me extra aware of my muscle engagement when I am actually working out.10 -
Rocking recliner/rocking chair. Heh, I'm rocking those extra calories! ::ducks:: (Sorry, couldn't help it!)5
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Some of the successful MFP weight losers/maintainers here have increased TDEE by a reported hundreds of calories daily by increasing NEAT. A couple of common examples are parking further from the door at stores, and taking stairs more often instead of elevators.
What non-exercise strategies are you using to increase movement in your daily life, to burn more calories via NEAT? Share them below!
(I'll add mine in a reply)
@WinoGelato I always think of you but never remember the details - I know you increased your steps considerably and can eat a good amount of calories despite being 5'2" or 5'3".1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »...
Some of the successful MFP weight losers/maintainers here have increased TDEE by a reported hundreds of calories daily by increasing NEAT. A couple of common examples are parking further from the door at stores, and taking stairs more often instead of elevators.
What non-exercise strategies are you using to increase movement in your daily life, to burn more calories via NEAT? Share them below!
(I'll add mine in a reply)
@WinoGelato I always think of you but never remember the details - I know you increased your steps considerably and can eat a good amount of calories despite being 5'2" or 5'3".
Thanks! Yes when I started I was pretty Sedentary, Office job and occasionally a 30 minutes walk if the weather was nice and I felt like exercising. After finding MFP and figuring out that by increasing activity I could eat more, I started making those evening walks more regular and then getting up in the morning and then walking on breaks at work, parking in the back of the lot at work and the grocery store, taking the long way around, etc. now I average 12-15 K steps a day at 5’2 and 118 lbs my maintenance cals are about 2100-2200. I’m a huge believer in increasing NEAT through small but meaningful improvements. I also do some circuit training a few days a week.25 -
My job is super sedentary so I use one of those under desk epiltical machines and probably pedal on that for three to four hours every weekday. I like it because I can easily do it while focusing on other things.
I’m the opposite of a fidgeter in public and instead practice “statue” moves where I purposely engage a set of muscles while remaining still (mostly core or glute) for as long as possible. For example, I’ll sit in a meeting with both feet/legs off the floor by an inch or so using my lower core to keep them up for several minutes at a time. Or I’ll practice engaging my posterior chain (like at the top of a deadlift) while I am standing in line. As a bonus, it also gives me impeccable posture and makes me extra aware of my muscle engagement when I am actually working out.
Which brand of those under desk ellipticals do you have? I want one that doesn't bang knees....
I've read that the standing desks burn one more calorie per minute than sitting. So 480 more calories per day (assuming no other activity, i.e. sitting person never gets up lol).
I can't see myself standing and working though. The under desk elliptical might be good though...
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WinoGelato wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »...
Some of the successful MFP weight losers/maintainers here have increased TDEE by a reported hundreds of calories daily by increasing NEAT. A couple of common examples are parking further from the door at stores, and taking stairs more often instead of elevators.
What non-exercise strategies are you using to increase movement in your daily life, to burn more calories via NEAT? Share them below!
(I'll add mine in a reply)
@WinoGelato I always think of you but never remember the details - I know you increased your steps considerably and can eat a good amount of calories despite being 5'2" or 5'3".
Thanks! Yes when I started I was pretty Sedentary, Office job and occasionally a 30 minutes walk if the weather was nice and I felt like exercising. After finding MFP and figuring out that by increasing activity I could eat more, I started making those evening walks more regular and then getting up in the morning and then walking on breaks at work, parking in the back of the lot at work and the grocery store, taking the long way around, etc. now I average 12-15 K steps a day at 5’2 and 118 lbs my maintenance cals are about 2100-2200. I’m a huge believer in increasing NEAT through small but meaningful improvements. I also do some circuit training a few days a week.
I was up early enough to garden this AM but went back to bed and read instead. And now it is raining, and will be all day
I'm going to try to use you to motivate myself to do before work gardening.2 -
I am so sedentary it’s ridiculous. My office building is small. It’s only a few steps from my car to the door, my office is literally right around the corner, and it’s really close to both the bathroom and the kitchen lol. I am a foot shaker does that count? Haha. I have always tried to repress that because my mom is a foot wiggler and it annoyed the crap out of me growing up. She would even like, kick me all the time underneath the table from wiggling her foot so much.2
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I am so sedentary it’s ridiculous. My office building is small. It’s only a few steps from my car to the door, my office is literally right around the corner, and it’s really close to both the bathroom and the kitchen lol. I am a foot shaker does that count? Haha. I have always tried to repress that because my mom is a foot wiggler and it annoyed the crap out of me growing up. She would even like, kick me all the time underneath the table from wiggling her foot so much.
I hear you on the eccentricity and possible audience annoyance factors of true fidgeting (foot wiggling, toe-tapping, pen-clicking, . . . .). It definitely counts, though, and adds up. 3 -
I love NEAT!
I wear a step counter to track at least that portion of my NEAT.
I take the stairs more now, especially at work (3rd floor).
Walk my son to school rather than driving - often I carry my toddler on my back in a carrier to do so.
Go outdoors to play with the kids after supper.
Pick away at household chores rather than sitting for hours on end
Park further away
And even simpler, smaller things like I continuously shift my weight from foot to foot if I have to stand around for a long while.2 -
This thread is Inspiring me to keep up with household chores better 13
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Would hitting 10k steps a day help. I'm mostly sedentary as I continue to recovery from breaking my ankle back in December. I lift about 4 to 5 days a week but have decided to include walk away the pounds to help me hit 10k steps a day3
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Great ideas here.
So far I get my steps in doing weekends volunteer work, walking my errands, and walkng instead of mass transit (which is usually a mess in NYC). I'm usually carrying a backpack, gym bag, or rolling grocery bag while doing this. I'm a believer in multitasking.
At home I do most of the chores. So it's repeated vacuuming, wiping down countertops, picking up clothes, and sweeping bunny poo (she kicks it out of her cage). At work, running up and down stairs from the 4th floor, using the furthest bathroom and copy machine, dropping off paperwork in person if possible, and calf raises or counter push ups while heating up lunch.2 -
I keep recipes up on the computer when I cook in the kitchen, instead of pulling them up on my phone... so I have to go to the other room to look up the next ingredients or step (that's where I keep all my recipes anyway).
I walk loops in my house when I'm on the phone. Might as well be active instead of doing nothing...
I avoid sitting in my couches and recliners unless I'm done for the day.. it's harder to get up from those than my old computer chair. I park a bit farther in parking lots and always take the stairs (and return my cart to the cart return, but that's a HUGE pet peeve of mine).
And yeah... if I'm going to watch tv anyway (and have time for a shower afterwards), I'll get on the treadmill to do it...1 -
MissMingLeee wrote: »Would hitting 10k steps a day help. I'm mostly sedentary as I continue to recovery from breaking my ankle back in December. I lift about 4 to 5 days a week but have decided to include walk away the pounds to help me hit 10k steps a day
Absolutely! Every movement helps a little, and extra steps can add up to helping a lot. Also, extra steps are easier to measure, so easier to estimate calorie burn, than some of the other strategies. All the movement burns calories, but with the ones that are easier to estimate, we can make more informed choices about whether to eat those calories back or add them to our weight loss rate, if we're still in weight-loss mode. 1 -
MissMingLeee wrote: »Would hitting 10k steps a day help. I'm mostly sedentary as I continue to recovery from breaking my ankle back in December. I lift about 4 to 5 days a week but have decided to include walk away the pounds to help me hit 10k steps a day
10K steps is roughly equivalent to 5 miles...so I don't so how it couldn't0 -
I'm super twitchy. I can't sit still very long (I fall asleep) so I'm usually up and about. I walk to people when I need something and if it requires, follow up with email AFTER making the request. I'm a super fast walker -- my husband has to tell me to slow down all the time, though not sure that counts.
I take the stairs (+1 floor to my desk, +7 floors to the cafeteria), go for lunch walks, and sometimes go for dinner walks. Though I often FEEL sedentary but here I am bouncing my leg and thinking about how I can't stand still for long (I'll sway or weight shift from one foot to the other). I get steps, though usually about 6000ish a day on average, unless I'm REAL good about going for a walk. I used to aim for 10k/daily, but I got lazy about that. I should aim for that again now that it's nice outside for walkin'!
I don't know how all that adds up to NEAT shakeout, but hey, every little bit counts!
ETA: I have this little roller thing that used to be what my computer tower was on (before we all got laptops), and I've kept that thing through all our moves because it has wheels. I like to roll it around with my feet and do wheelies under the desk. Little wheelies, but my feet sure get to have more fun than me!3 -
dhiammarath wrote: »I'm super twitchy. I can't sit still very long (I fall asleep) so I'm usually up and about. I walk to people when I need something and if it requires, follow up with email AFTER making the request. I'm a super fast walker -- my husband has to tell me to slow down all the time, though not sure that counts.
I take the stairs (+1 floor to my desk, +7 floors to the cafeteria), go for lunch walks, and sometimes go for dinner walks. Though I often FEEL sedentary but here I am bouncing my leg and thinking about how I can't stand still for long (I'll sway or weight shift from one foot to the other). I get steps, though usually about 6000ish a day on average, unless I'm REAL good about going for a walk. I used to aim for 10k/daily, but I got lazy about that. I should aim for that again now that it's nice outside for walkin'!
I don't know how all that adds up to NEAT shakeout, but hey, every little bit counts!
ETA: I have this little roller thing that used to be what my computer tower was on (before we all got laptops), and I've kept that thing through all our moves because it has wheels. I like to roll it around with my feet and do wheelies under the desk. Little wheelies, but my feet sure get to have more fun than me!
Oh, man, I think I burned some calories just reading about all that motion: Good show, it's gotta be helping!2 -
Increasing my NEAT has become important to me too as my weight has reduced and I’ve learnt more about all this stuff!
I mostly do it through steps- I ensure I always get at least 10k per day- usually more (unless I’m sick), and have a Fitbit to track this.
I think all the things I do have already been mentioned- I often pace the house while waiting for things to cook or the jug to boil, instead of sitting down- I have a little lap I do around the house that is ab it 300 steps per lap. Pace while on the phone, park further away etc etc.
I’m a teacher, so already pretty active at work, but I’m now more intentional about walking around my classroom (going to the kids instead of getting them to come to me), taking trips to the copier or office more often, walking the long way round to get somewhere etc. Even things like walking up and down the sideline while supervising cross country training inst ad of just standing there (I have to supervise a section for safety reasons, so can’t run with them or anything!) But I now enjoy referring soccer games, and pacing the sideline while I support the school sports teams etc.
It all helps!2 -
Public service announcement: For folks monitoring this thread, there are some good NEAT-improvement ideas being interspersed in another thread here that's on a related topic. Check it out:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10676131/what-s-your-weird-exercise-habit6
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