You Won’t Keep Weight Off Unless You Know This
Have you ever seen one of those movies where there is a montage of the main character training to some upbeat rock music and all of a sudden they are the most muscular or fittest person you’ve ever seen? Think of Ralph Macchio from The Karate Kid going from a victim of bullying to a martial arts specialist, all within a few minutes.
I’m here to tell you that those types of movie montages are utter nonsense. In the real world, you can spend hours at the gym everyday and make little progress. Rather, a more holistic approach is required when embarking on a fitness journey, especially if that involves losing a few kilos. Therefore, the aim of this blog is to educate you on the science behind expending energy.
Firstly, let’s introduce your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE for short. As the name suggests, the TDEE simply refers to how much gross energy that you use in a day.
There are four major components of one’s TDEE
1)- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
The BMR accounts for 70% of your TDEE. Quite simply, your BMR relates to how many calories you burn from performing basic tasks. For example, if you were to sit behind a desk all day long without any exercise, you would still be burning some calories.
2)- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
NEAT is the second largest component of your TDEE, accounting for roughly 15%. This is perhaps the most overlooked or least understood component when trying to burn calories.
In essence, NEAT involves tasks that aren't intentionally related to physical activity. In other words, it is general movement throughout your day. It could involve taking the stairs instead of the escalator, or mowing the lawn rather than outsourcing it to a contractor.
3)- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
TEF accounts for approximately 10% of TDEE. TEF refers to the instinctive energy that your body expends when digesting, absorbing, and metabolising foods. Carb and fat-heavy foods such as pasta or sourdough bread take much longer for your body to process compared to cleaner or whole foods. This is one of the many reasons why our in house nutrition specialist at Lockeroom prescribes a high-protein diet to all our clients, as they increase the TEF in your body.
4)- EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)
Accounting for 5% of your TDEE, EAT relates to intentional exercise activities that you undertake throughout the day, such as going to the gym or taking a jog.
Key Takeaways
So what does all this actually mean?
Firstly, as a regular gym goer (non athlete) even if you were to invest a lot of time in the gym or run every single day to then just sit behind a desk, the reality is you still are only addressing 5% of your TDEE. A more appropriate approach is to follow the science.
In other words, Work Smarter, Not Harder.
Assuming that you are on track with your diet and have read other Lockeroom articles outlining a calorie deficit, I would suggest that you concentrate on your NEAT.
Rather than driving to work, maybe you could ride a bike or walk? If that’s not feasible, perhaps you can catch public transport and walk to and from the bus/train station?
Furthermore, instead of taking the elevator or escalator, try taking the stairs.
If you have a long virtual meeting, why not do it while you’re on a walk?
These tasks might seem obvious or even tedious, but in the long run, they can make a big difference to your fitness journey.
Come and Join the Lockeroom Community
At Lockeroom, our coaches understand the importance of the TDEE and how to best smash your goals. If you are a business executive in Sydney who is looking for some extra guidance on your fitness journey and join a state-of-the-art fitness community? Then Lockeroom is the place for you. Our gym is conveniently located in the heart of the Sydney CBD. If you feel like you are the right fit then don’t hesitate to get in touch.
