True or False: Your body burns calories ALL DAY LONG
Intentional exercise (that 5am spin class you wake up for every morning) isn't the only thing that burns calories.
In fact, that spin class is only about 10% of the total calories you burn each day. What you eat, where you park, and how much muscle you have, plays a role as well.
All the calories you burn in a 24 hour period is your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE. Your TDEE is comprised of:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - this is the energy expended (i.e.: calories burned), while your body is at rest, and is about 70%+ of your TDEE
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) - this is energy expended by everything you do that is not sleeping, eating, breathing or sports-like exercise (i.e.: walking to work, typing, performing yard work, etc.), and is about 15% of your TDEE (you have the most control over increasing your NEAT)
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) - this is energy expended during planned moderate to vigorous exercise (your 5am spin class)
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) - this is energy expended/rise in your metabolic rate, due to the processes of digestion, absorption and storage of food
This is why what you EAT plays such a crucial role in weight loss, in addition to planned and unplanned movement.
We all know that person at the gym who religiously attends spin class 5x week, yet we never see their body change. This spin class only burns about 10% of their daily calories, which demonstrates why exercise is only a small part of weight loss. Additionally, how many of you turn into a couch potato after you workout? Or have a desk job? Or work from home?
Your overall movement throughout the day MATTERS, and your 45 minute workout isn’t enough to outweigh sitting on your rear all day long. You need more activity throughout the day to help with fat loss and your overall health. Start shopping for your groceries instead of ordering them from Instacart, use the restroom furthest away from you, park far away, and always take the stairs instead of the elevator. These things add up!
While exercise is a valuable part of your overall health, when your goal is weight loss, you NEED to not only move, but focus on the food you're eating (we recommend starting with The Perfect Plate method), ensuring you're choosing whole foods over processed foods, prioritizing protein, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep and incorporating strength training into your daily routine.
Seem overwhelming? It is. However, you ARE CAPABLE of making small changes to incorporate these things into your life, and we would LOVE to help you!
