June 25, 2025 • 21 mins
Think your workout is the main thing fueling your metabolism? Think again. In this episode, we’re breaking down NEAT—non-exercise activity thermogenesis—and why it plays a much bigger role than you think. I’ll show you how simple, everyday movement adds up, how to increase your NEAT without overhauling your routine, and why this matters even more if you’re using GLP-1 medications.
And if the math is not sticking in your head–check out the graphic in this episode's artwork–it will help you keep all the acronyms straight in your head!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lisa (00:00):
this is the Eat Well Think.
(00:00):
Well Live Well podcast.
I'm Lisa Salisbury and this isepisode 153.
The secret half of yourMetabolism, you're probably
ignoring I.
Welcome to eat well.
Well, the podcast for busy womenwho want to lose weight without
constantly counting, tracking,or stressing over every bite.
(00:21):
I'm Lisa Salsbury, a certifiedhealth weight loss and life
coach, and most importantly, arecovered chronic dieter here.
You'll learn to listen to yourbody and uncover the reasons
you're reaching for food.
When you're not truly hungry,freeing you to focus on a
healthier, more fulfillingapproach to eating.
Hi, welcome back to the podcasteveryone.
(00:42):
Hoping you're having a, a greatsummer.
That always makes me think ofthe yearbook, you know, like,
have a great summer.
Anyway, uh, today I'm answeringtwo questions.
What is neat and how can youincrease it?
I'll give you a little spoilerupfront.
Walk more.
Is going to be a theme here, butthere's more to it than that.
(01:03):
You might be surprised by howmuch this kind of movement can
impact your weight loss effortseven more than your formal
exercise routine.
So let's get into it.
I've had some great gueststalking about exercise over the
years on this podcast, but noone has covered this topic.
So today's episode is based onmy own research and what I've
(01:24):
learned through my certificationprograms.
I covered this way back a fewyears ago.
But I knew it was time torefresh and discuss again
because this is such animportant topic.
Back when I was deep into faddieting, I spent a lot of time
thinking about how to limit theenergy coming into my body,
meaning counting and trackingcalories, food, macros, all the
(01:48):
things.
But I never really thought abouthow my energy got used.
So like many people, I only paidattention to my formal workouts
and assumed that that was themost important part of my energy
output and I was wrong.
I.
When we think about movement andexercise, I want you to separate
(02:08):
it from your nutrition.
Diet culture has welded thesetogether.
Diet and exercise.
Diet and exercise.
That's what you hear all of thetime, and it comes from the, you
know, calories in versuscalories out approach.
The truth is, while I don'trecommend this approach, you can
(02:28):
absolutely lose weight withoutexercise.
As long as your nutrition isdialed in now, what's less
likely is that you'll loseweight from exercise alone
unless you're alreadymaintaining your weight and the
only thing you change is addingin workouts.
If you're counting on exercisealone to lose weight, you'll
(02:49):
probably feel frustrated longbefore you see any real changes
because let's be honest, resultsfrom workouts don't show up in a
week or two.
And it's actually way easier toskip supersizing your next
takeout order, or skip thatrandom handful of crackers every
time you walk through thekitchen than to try to burn 500
(03:10):
calories through intenseexercise.
Plus, your body is smart.
And this is sometimesunfortunate, but it adjusts,
right?
So you might feel hungrier orstart moving less in other parts
of your day without realizing itif you're overdoing it in the
gym.
That's why exercise on its ownisn't the most effective weight
(03:30):
loss tool.
But the good news is exercisedoes give you some immediate
returns.
You feel more energized, yourmood improves, you sleep better,
and all those wins make it somuch easier to stick with your
healthy habits overall.
Think.
Nutrition here long-term.
It helps you keep your muscle,stabilizes your blood sugar, and
(03:53):
protects against chronicillness.
So remember that exercise isdoing a lot behind the scenes
that really matters.
So it a hundred percent is superimportant to include exercise in
your routine.
I mean, movement is essential,but we want to.
Uncouple it from food so wedon't fall into these patterns
(04:13):
of punishment or reward based onour workouts.
So today we're gonna be focusingon going beyond that formal
exercise time that you carve outfor yourself.
Okay?
So not only do I wanna uncouplethe formal exercise time, but
even what I'm gonna continue totalk about here today, which is
(04:35):
that.
Neat portion.
Okay, so what is neat?
That's what this episode isabout, right?
So most of my exercise typeepisodes have focused on that
formal movement.
Um, I've done several onresistance training, like the
one with Maverick Willett Kin 220 23.
I've had yoga instructors,Pilates instructors, Steph
Gaudreau on rocking, and just,you know, a myriad of personal
(04:57):
trainers.
But what about the other 23hours of the day?
That's where NEAT comes in.
NEAT stands for non.
Exercise activity thermogenesis.
This is the energy you burn fromall of the little movement in
your day that isn't yourworkout.
So to understand why thismatters, let's break down your
(05:18):
total daily energy expenditure.
That is your TDEE.
Now, I'm gonna give you all ofthese percentages, but if you
are a visual person, I actuallycreated.
A little graphic, and it's thesame one you've seen like all,
uh, you know, all over theinternet.
The one that is most common isblack and white, but I just
created a little one, and I putthat as the artwork for the
(05:43):
cover of this.
Episode.
So instead of doing a cutelittle picture of me or some
stock photo or whatever Inormally use, this chart is
actually the artwork for the,for this episode.
So that way it was just like alittle freebie there for you.
You can look at that.
Most applications that you'relistening to your podcast in
will show that.
(06:03):
Um, but if not, just message me.
I'll, I'll send it to you.
Okay.
So for your total daily energyexpenditure, TDEE, 70% of this
is your basal metabolic rate,your BMR.
This is the energy that yourbody requires to stay alive.
This is like heart, lungs,brain, right?
(06:24):
It's the amount of energy itwould take to lay on the couch
all day and not move or.
Eat.
Okay.
This actually doesn't includeyour digestion.
This is obviously the majorityof your TDEE, your total daily
energy expenditure.
This is also known as your REEor your resting energy
expenditure.
(06:46):
Okay?
So then the next comes your NREEor your non resting energy
expenditure, which is made up inof three categories.
So we have 70% is that BMR?
So we have 30% left, right?
Okay.
So 10% then is thermic effect offood.
The TEF, this is the cost ofdigestion.
(07:08):
Okay?
5% is your exercise activitythermogenesis, your EAT.
This is your formal exerciseroutine and 15% is your neat.
The NEAT, the non-exercisemovement, so NEAT actually
contributes three times more toyour daily energy use than your
(07:32):
formal exercise.
Routine neat.
Also makes up about half of yournon resting energy expenditure.
So we're talking, walking,fidgeting, cooking.
These move the dial far morethan we give them credit for.
While we're talking about dailyenergy use here, I wanna touch a
little bit on taf, TEF andprotein.
(07:54):
Your body uses energy to digestfood, and it uses the most
energy to digest protein.
So fat is nine calories per gramand the T, the TEF on that is
zero to 3%, so the most caloriesper gram and it.
Is the least amount of work foryour body to digest it.
Carbs are four calories per gramand the TEF is five to 10% and
(08:19):
that's five to 10% of the totalcalories that you ingest eating
that.
Piece of fruit.
Okay?
Protein is also four caloriesper gram, but the TEF on protein
is 20 to 30%, so it requires 20to 30% of the calories in that
protein to digest it.
(08:39):
That's why meals with enoughprotein help you feel fuller
longer, and they burn slightlymore energy.
Um, uh, because it takes a longtime to digest'em, so it kind of
feels like, oh, well, if it'sburning that much energy, like,
why would it stick with you?
Be, but it's because like it's,it's going on for a long time.
Right.
I, I don't count macros withclients as far as dictating
(09:01):
their grams of fat and carbs andprotein.
I just emphasize includingprotein in every meal.
I do have protein calculators ifyou wanna know like how much
those are in my, my client baseprograms.
Um, I do have somerecommendations for protein
broken down in my new GLP oneSuccess Starter kit, and that is
a great place to start onnutrition even if you aren't
(09:21):
taking the medications.
Um, but if you are, there's alsosome extra, um, information for
you specifically on side effectsand what to do about the mindset
piece of weight loss.
So really that success starterkit is good for anyone, but
there is some, um, proteininformation in there as well.
Okay, so back to the neat here.
What counts as neat if it's 15%of our total, total daily energy
(09:47):
expenditure.
Um, that's a lot.
15% is actually a pretty largenumber, considering that NEAT
includes things like cooking andcleaning, walking upstairs,
carrying groceries, gardening,dog walks, playing with your
kids, um, even fidgeting.
Pacing on calls, knitting,crocheting, right?
(10:09):
Like anything you're moving yourhands.
Also, any job that keeps you onyour feet.
So restaurant, retail,construction, massage therapy,
you know, a lot of those things.
Pretty much anything but what Ido, which is like sit at my desk
and like write new programs andrecord podcasts.
Um, but when your doctor asksyou if you have an active
(10:29):
lifestyle, they mean.
This, they mean neat, not somuch your workout routine.
Typically that'll be a separateline item.
How many minutes of exercise doyou get?
And then do you have an activelifestyle?
These are like two differentthings.
So there are some environmentaland seasonal effects that we
(10:50):
wanna be aware of when we'rethinking about our need.
And of course we're gonna talkabout increasing it.
So.
Of course the industrial andurbanization effects on Neat are
pretty huge if you live in acity and walk most places, as
opposed to those of us like mewho live in the suburbs and
drive everywhere I go.
Um, I'll go to drop somethingoff at a neighbor and I'll get
(11:12):
in my car like justautomatically.
And I have done this, like, Iliterally remember like I pulled
out.
And I'm like, wait, sheliterally like lives around the
corner.
What am I doing?
It's like less than a quarter ofa mile.
Um, so we have these like builtin habits.
So if you are someone like mewho lives in a suburb and is
just normally used to walking ornormally used to driving
(11:35):
everywhere you go, um, we haveto start developing some new
habits.
And, um, you know, walk, walk tothe neighbor's house if you can.
There's also seasonal effects onneat.
We tend to be less active in thewinter months for various
reasons, but naturally, if it'scold, we tend to walk outside
less.
Um, I was just looking at mystep count over time and on
(11:58):
average.
I walk about a thousand stepsless.
This is per week.
I look at my averages per week.
I walk about a thousand stepsless in the winter months than I
am in the summer months.
Like that's, that's a pretty bignumber.
Um, I tend to want to runerrands less.
I also get more steps in thesummer.
Because I tend to hike more inthe summer, so that'll bring up
(12:20):
like my monthly or weekly totalwhen I have a big hike day.
That's, you know, thousands andthousands of steps.
I think I'm also just morehunkered down in the winter.
I don't wanna move around asmuch, even in the house when I'm
cold and cuddled under ablanket.
So.
You don't have to be a gym ratto have an active metabolism,
but you do have to move andthink about these things and
(12:43):
think about the ways that youcan move throughout the day.
When you increase your neat,you're adding energy output
without typically the wear andtear, or sometimes the mental
effort of another full workoutin a day.
So I mentioned things that countfor neat, but what about ways to
(13:06):
increase it if you're like,okay, well I know all those
things count, but like maybe Ido all those things.
So there's some typical advice,right?
Take the stairs whenever.
Practical.
You've all probably seen those,um, images or videos of, um, the
stairs right next to escalatorsand the escalators are full and
the stairs are empty.
(13:26):
Take the stairs.
Really, truly, if you can, ifthere is a choice, take the
stairs park farther away whenyou're going on errands.
Um, you know, don't drive aroundand look for the very closest,
most, you know, best parkingspot.
Walk around during phone callsif you're talking to your
sister.
Like maybe even get out and walkaround the block.
(13:48):
Do some of your householddrawers?
I have to say, like I do have ahousekeeper that comes just once
a month to help me get on top ofthings.
And sometimes I get really lazyin the month and I like, don't
do as much of the likemaintenance as I should.
But, you know, vacuuming,mopping, straightening up,
(14:08):
carrying the laundry up and downstairs, all of those house
chores count and I often, um.
Think about this.
When I'm doing laundry, mylaundry is downstairs and my
bedrooms are upstairs, andthat's where I fold my laundry.
And so I will purposely takemore trips than it requires.
Like maybe I am trying to carryup my laundry basket and my
(14:29):
water bottle, and instead oftrying to get everything in one
trip, I'll just take the laundrybasket up, dump that out.
Walk back down, get my waterbottle, walk back up like one or
two extra.
You know, climbing of the stairscounts.
If you are an office worker oryou work at home, like I do
stand and stretch regularlyduring work hours.
(14:50):
As annoying as you know, Fitbitsand Apple watches and all of
those things can be, I gotta sayI leave on my stand reminders.
Those reminders that say like,you have not stood up for an
hour.
Like, come on now.
I'm like, oh yes, thank you.
I am actually so grateful forthose.
'cause sometimes I do get in thegroove and I'm just like working
(15:10):
and I don't stand up.
And so I do love to keep thoseon it.
Um, mine reminds me 10 minutesbefore, I think, I think it's 10
minutes before, so.
Use those kind of devices.
If you have, if you have afitness tracker, be sure that
those reminders are turned on.
use errands and grocery runs asstep opportunities.
(15:32):
So this actually like reallygoes against my nature to say
this, but you know, maybe.
Walk through the grocery storein a very inefficient manner.
If you have time like this, likepains me because I do not wanna
be in the grocery store longerthan I need to be.
And if I have to backtrack, I'mlike kicking myself.
But you know, you don't have tobe that efficient.
(15:53):
You can use that time to likewalk up and down the walk, walk
up and down every aisle, evenmaybe even if you don't need
something on that aisle.
but the other thing about usingerrands and groceries for a
chance to get in extra neat is.
We have used a lot of servicesfor this.
So, you know, grocery pickupservices and, um, you know,
(16:15):
DoorDash and all kinds ofdelivery.
Now, I, I hate to say this,like, don't do that anymore
because number one, I don't havelittle kids anymore.
I think if I had three littlekids, like trying to cram in a
cart, I probably would be usinggrocery pickup as well.
So, for you, you're gonna haveto, you know, increase your meat
in other ways, because I get,you don't wanna take, you know.
(16:38):
A, a boatload of kids into thegrocery store.
But if you are able to run yourown errands, like do that as an
opportunity to increase your,um, you know, your activity
during the day, you can stretchduring TV shows in the evening.
caring for house plants or asmall garden outside.
(16:58):
I have a small garden.
I have three small, grow boxes.
I mean.
My tomatoes don't, didn't getthe message that they are in a
small space.
Uh, they are like going crazy.
They're.
I have a couple of tomato plantsthat are like over eight feet
tall right now.
Um, but anyway, side note tothat, you know, just the weeding
and going out and picking thetomatoes and tucking in the
(17:21):
branches and just like thelittle tending that I do, like
the, the major thing was theplanting day.
And then because I have boxes,they're pretty like low
maintenance, but also caring forhouse plants, like carrying them
back and forth to the sink forwatering.
And then.
Um, even just fidgeting, likethis is also against my nature.
I'm not really a fidgeter.
I tend to sit pretty still whenI'm watching tv, um, or
(17:43):
otherwise just talking tosomeone.
But fidgeting does count forneat.
I can't also like bounce my legor anything like that because it
drives my daughters nuts.
But one thing that I can do.
Instead of fidgeting because I'mjust not naturally a fidgeter is
have hand work in my lap.
Things like crocheting orknitting, if you like that, do
(18:04):
that while you're watching tv.
That's a another great way tojust get in a little bit of
upper body movement.
Um, but ultimately any way thatyou can stand versus sit.
That's gonna be a win.
Anytime you can do a few extrawalking things, that's going to
increase your non-exerciseactivity.
(18:25):
Thermogenesis.
Our lives are just so efficientthat we've removed a lot of this
everyday movement.
By no means do I wanna go backto, you know, hauling water and
washing my clothes by hand on awashboard.
I don't wanna do that.
But because we're not doingthose things, we do have to be
(18:45):
intentional about upping ourdaily movement.
So some final thoughts for you.
The title of this episode saysthis is the secret half of your
metabolism you're probablyignoring.
To be fair, it's not quite half,but you'll be surprised how much
easier it is to meet your weightloss goals when you increase
(19:06):
this movement, and where I getthe half is it's half of your
exercise activity thermogenesis,right?
So check that chart in thelittle icon if, um, if the math
isn't math in your brain, but Ijust want you to think about.
Not dismissing the take thestairs type advice.
(19:27):
Those small choices matter.
And if it feels like old schooldiet advice, just remember you
aren't earning your food bydoing these things.
There's so much more to dailymovement from a health
perspective, and it is so muchmore than earning food.
That's not what it is about.
At all.
Like I said in the beginning,let's separate out our exercise
from our nutrition, and that isgonna be the healthiest mindset
(19:50):
to have.
Whether you're navigating weightloss naturally or if you're
using GLP one medications, yourneat movement will benefit you
no matter what.
If you feel stuck, increasingdaily movement could be your
missing piece.
If something in today's episodemade you think differently or
gave you that little nudge thatyou need, that's exactly why I
(20:11):
do this.
And if you are ready to take itfurther, I'd love to support
you.
Start with a couple of myfreebie.
Number one, if you'reconsidering GLP one medication
or if you are already on it.
I have a brand new GLP onesuccess.
Starter kit GLP ones are a greattool to assist you with your
weight loss, and so I'vedeveloped a program that is
specifically for people who areon these medications, so check
(20:33):
that out.
It's free.
It'll give you an idea of how Iwill coach you and how it might
be a little different if maybeyou have been a past client or
checked me out before, but nowyou are using medication.
I have really added a lot to myrepertoire and, um, in
developing that new coachingprogram and it is benefiting
both sides of my clientpractice.
(20:54):
So if medication is not up youralley, that is perfectly fine.
My new knowledge I will tell youis going to really benefit you
as well.
if you are a person that youfind you are overeating too many
times in a week to see lastingweight loss.
Then I want you to grab my Whatto do when you Overeat.
Course.
This has a reset and recoverguide and a video series that
(21:14):
goes with it, and it just helpsyou figure out how to reduce
your overeats and not beatyourself up about it.
Of course, I'd love for you toschedule a free consult session
to see if my one-on-one coachingprograms are right for you.
All the links are in the shownotes.
Remember, it's not just aboutthe food.
It's about empowering yourselfwith choices that truly serve
you.
Have a great week and as always,thanks for listening and sharing
(21:37):
the Eat Well Think Well LiveWell podcast.
this is the Eat Well Think.
(00:00):
Well Live Well podcast.
I'm Lisa Salisbury and this isepisode 153.
The secret half of yourMetabolism, you're probably
ignoring I.
Welcome to eat well.
Well, the podcast for busy womenwho want to lose weight without
constantly counting, tracking,or stressing over every bite.
(00:21):
I'm Lisa Salsbury, a certifiedhealth weight loss and life
coach, and most importantly, arecovered chronic dieter here.
You'll learn to listen to yourbody and uncover the reasons
you're reaching for food.
When you're not truly hungry,freeing you to focus on a
healthier, more fulfillingapproach to eating.
Hi, welcome back to the podcasteveryone.
(00:42):
Hoping you're having a, a greatsummer.
That always makes me think ofthe yearbook, you know, like,
have a great summer.
Anyway, uh, today I'm answeringtwo questions.
What is neat and how can youincrease it?
I'll give you a little spoilerupfront.
Walk more.
Is going to be a theme here, butthere's more to it than that.
(01:03):
You might be surprised by howmuch this kind of movement can
impact your weight loss effortseven more than your formal
exercise routine.
So let's get into it.
I've had some great gueststalking about exercise over the
years on this podcast, but noone has covered this topic.
So today's episode is based onmy own research and what I've
(01:24):
learned through my certificationprograms.
I covered this way back a fewyears ago.
But I knew it was time torefresh and discuss again
because this is such animportant topic.
Back when I was deep into faddieting, I spent a lot of time
thinking about how to limit theenergy coming into my body,
meaning counting and trackingcalories, food, macros, all the
(01:48):
things.
But I never really thought abouthow my energy got used.
So like many people, I only paidattention to my formal workouts
and assumed that that was themost important part of my energy
output and I was wrong.
I.
When we think about movement andexercise, I want you to separate
(02:08):
it from your nutrition.
Diet culture has welded thesetogether.
Diet and exercise.
Diet and exercise.
That's what you hear all of thetime, and it comes from the, you
know, calories in versuscalories out approach.
The truth is, while I don'trecommend this approach, you can
(02:28):
absolutely lose weight withoutexercise.
As long as your nutrition isdialed in now, what's less
likely is that you'll loseweight from exercise alone
unless you're alreadymaintaining your weight and the
only thing you change is addingin workouts.
If you're counting on exercisealone to lose weight, you'll
(02:49):
probably feel frustrated longbefore you see any real changes
because let's be honest, resultsfrom workouts don't show up in a
week or two.
And it's actually way easier toskip supersizing your next
takeout order, or skip thatrandom handful of crackers every
time you walk through thekitchen than to try to burn 500
(03:10):
calories through intenseexercise.
Plus, your body is smart.
And this is sometimesunfortunate, but it adjusts,
right?
So you might feel hungrier orstart moving less in other parts
of your day without realizing itif you're overdoing it in the
gym.
That's why exercise on its ownisn't the most effective weight
(03:30):
loss tool.
But the good news is exercisedoes give you some immediate
returns.
You feel more energized, yourmood improves, you sleep better,
and all those wins make it somuch easier to stick with your
healthy habits overall.
Think.
Nutrition here long-term.
It helps you keep your muscle,stabilizes your blood sugar, and
(03:53):
protects against chronicillness.
So remember that exercise isdoing a lot behind the scenes
that really matters.
So it a hundred percent is superimportant to include exercise in
your routine.
I mean, movement is essential,but we want to.
Uncouple it from food so wedon't fall into these patterns
(04:13):
of punishment or reward based onour workouts.
So today we're gonna be focusingon going beyond that formal
exercise time that you carve outfor yourself.
Okay?
So not only do I wanna uncouplethe formal exercise time, but
even what I'm gonna continue totalk about here today, which is
(04:35):
that.
Neat portion.
Okay, so what is neat?
That's what this episode isabout, right?
So most of my exercise typeepisodes have focused on that
formal movement.
Um, I've done several onresistance training, like the
one with Maverick Willett Kin 220 23.
I've had yoga instructors,Pilates instructors, Steph
Gaudreau on rocking, and just,you know, a myriad of personal
(04:57):
trainers.
But what about the other 23hours of the day?
That's where NEAT comes in.
NEAT stands for non.
Exercise activity thermogenesis.
This is the energy you burn fromall of the little movement in
your day that isn't yourworkout.
So to understand why thismatters, let's break down your
(05:18):
total daily energy expenditure.
That is your TDEE.
Now, I'm gonna give you all ofthese percentages, but if you
are a visual person, I actuallycreated.
A little graphic, and it's thesame one you've seen like all,
uh, you know, all over theinternet.
The one that is most common isblack and white, but I just
created a little one, and I putthat as the artwork for the
(05:43):
cover of this.
Episode.
So instead of doing a cutelittle picture of me or some
stock photo or whatever Inormally use, this chart is
actually the artwork for the,for this episode.
So that way it was just like alittle freebie there for you.
You can look at that.
Most applications that you'relistening to your podcast in
will show that.
(06:03):
Um, but if not, just message me.
I'll, I'll send it to you.
Okay.
So for your total daily energyexpenditure, TDEE, 70% of this
is your basal metabolic rate,your BMR.
This is the energy that yourbody requires to stay alive.
This is like heart, lungs,brain, right?
(06:24):
It's the amount of energy itwould take to lay on the couch
all day and not move or.
Eat.
Okay.
This actually doesn't includeyour digestion.
This is obviously the majorityof your TDEE, your total daily
energy expenditure.
This is also known as your REEor your resting energy
expenditure.
(06:46):
Okay?
So then the next comes your NREEor your non resting energy
expenditure, which is made up inof three categories.
So we have 70% is that BMR?
So we have 30% left, right?
Okay.
So 10% then is thermic effect offood.
The TEF, this is the cost ofdigestion.
(07:08):
Okay?
5% is your exercise activitythermogenesis, your EAT.
This is your formal exerciseroutine and 15% is your neat.
The NEAT, the non-exercisemovement, so NEAT actually
contributes three times more toyour daily energy use than your
(07:32):
formal exercise.
Routine neat.
Also makes up about half of yournon resting energy expenditure.
So we're talking, walking,fidgeting, cooking.
These move the dial far morethan we give them credit for.
While we're talking about dailyenergy use here, I wanna touch a
little bit on taf, TEF andprotein.
(07:54):
Your body uses energy to digestfood, and it uses the most
energy to digest protein.
So fat is nine calories per gramand the T, the TEF on that is
zero to 3%, so the most caloriesper gram and it.
Is the least amount of work foryour body to digest it.
Carbs are four calories per gramand the TEF is five to 10% and
(08:19):
that's five to 10% of the totalcalories that you ingest eating
that.
Piece of fruit.
Okay?
Protein is also four caloriesper gram, but the TEF on protein
is 20 to 30%, so it requires 20to 30% of the calories in that
protein to digest it.
(08:39):
That's why meals with enoughprotein help you feel fuller
longer, and they burn slightlymore energy.
Um, uh, because it takes a longtime to digest'em, so it kind of
feels like, oh, well, if it'sburning that much energy, like,
why would it stick with you?
Be, but it's because like it's,it's going on for a long time.
Right.
I, I don't count macros withclients as far as dictating
(09:01):
their grams of fat and carbs andprotein.
I just emphasize includingprotein in every meal.
I do have protein calculators ifyou wanna know like how much
those are in my, my client baseprograms.
Um, I do have somerecommendations for protein
broken down in my new GLP oneSuccess Starter kit, and that is
a great place to start onnutrition even if you aren't
(09:21):
taking the medications.
Um, but if you are, there's alsosome extra, um, information for
you specifically on side effectsand what to do about the mindset
piece of weight loss.
So really that success starterkit is good for anyone, but
there is some, um, proteininformation in there as well.
Okay, so back to the neat here.
What counts as neat if it's 15%of our total, total daily energy
(09:47):
expenditure.
Um, that's a lot.
15% is actually a pretty largenumber, considering that NEAT
includes things like cooking andcleaning, walking upstairs,
carrying groceries, gardening,dog walks, playing with your
kids, um, even fidgeting.
Pacing on calls, knitting,crocheting, right?
(10:09):
Like anything you're moving yourhands.
Also, any job that keeps you onyour feet.
So restaurant, retail,construction, massage therapy,
you know, a lot of those things.
Pretty much anything but what Ido, which is like sit at my desk
and like write new programs andrecord podcasts.
Um, but when your doctor asksyou if you have an active
(10:29):
lifestyle, they mean.
This, they mean neat, not somuch your workout routine.
Typically that'll be a separateline item.
How many minutes of exercise doyou get?
And then do you have an activelifestyle?
These are like two differentthings.
So there are some environmentaland seasonal effects that we
(10:50):
wanna be aware of when we'rethinking about our need.
And of course we're gonna talkabout increasing it.
So.
Of course the industrial andurbanization effects on Neat are
pretty huge if you live in acity and walk most places, as
opposed to those of us like mewho live in the suburbs and
drive everywhere I go.
Um, I'll go to drop somethingoff at a neighbor and I'll get
(11:12):
in my car like justautomatically.
And I have done this, like, Iliterally remember like I pulled
out.
And I'm like, wait, sheliterally like lives around the
corner.
What am I doing?
It's like less than a quarter ofa mile.
Um, so we have these like builtin habits.
So if you are someone like mewho lives in a suburb and is
just normally used to walking ornormally used to driving
(11:35):
everywhere you go, um, we haveto start developing some new
habits.
And, um, you know, walk, walk tothe neighbor's house if you can.
There's also seasonal effects onneat.
We tend to be less active in thewinter months for various
reasons, but naturally, if it'scold, we tend to walk outside
less.
Um, I was just looking at mystep count over time and on
(11:58):
average.
I walk about a thousand stepsless.
This is per week.
I look at my averages per week.
I walk about a thousand stepsless in the winter months than I
am in the summer months.
Like that's, that's a pretty bignumber.
Um, I tend to want to runerrands less.
I also get more steps in thesummer.
Because I tend to hike more inthe summer, so that'll bring up
(12:20):
like my monthly or weekly totalwhen I have a big hike day.
That's, you know, thousands andthousands of steps.
I think I'm also just morehunkered down in the winter.
I don't wanna move around asmuch, even in the house when I'm
cold and cuddled under ablanket.
So.
You don't have to be a gym ratto have an active metabolism,
but you do have to move andthink about these things and
(12:43):
think about the ways that youcan move throughout the day.
When you increase your neat,you're adding energy output
without typically the wear andtear, or sometimes the mental
effort of another full workoutin a day.
So I mentioned things that countfor neat, but what about ways to
(13:06):
increase it if you're like,okay, well I know all those
things count, but like maybe Ido all those things.
So there's some typical advice,right?
Take the stairs whenever.
Practical.
You've all probably seen those,um, images or videos of, um, the
stairs right next to escalatorsand the escalators are full and
the stairs are empty.
(13:26):
Take the stairs.
Really, truly, if you can, ifthere is a choice, take the
stairs park farther away whenyou're going on errands.
Um, you know, don't drive aroundand look for the very closest,
most, you know, best parkingspot.
Walk around during phone callsif you're talking to your
sister.
Like maybe even get out and walkaround the block.
(13:48):
Do some of your householddrawers?
I have to say, like I do have ahousekeeper that comes just once
a month to help me get on top ofthings.
And sometimes I get really lazyin the month and I like, don't
do as much of the likemaintenance as I should.
But, you know, vacuuming,mopping, straightening up,
(14:08):
carrying the laundry up and downstairs, all of those house
chores count and I often, um.
Think about this.
When I'm doing laundry, mylaundry is downstairs and my
bedrooms are upstairs, andthat's where I fold my laundry.
And so I will purposely takemore trips than it requires.
Like maybe I am trying to carryup my laundry basket and my
(14:29):
water bottle, and instead oftrying to get everything in one
trip, I'll just take the laundrybasket up, dump that out.
Walk back down, get my waterbottle, walk back up like one or
two extra.
You know, climbing of the stairscounts.
If you are an office worker oryou work at home, like I do
stand and stretch regularlyduring work hours.
(14:50):
As annoying as you know, Fitbitsand Apple watches and all of
those things can be, I gotta sayI leave on my stand reminders.
Those reminders that say like,you have not stood up for an
hour.
Like, come on now.
I'm like, oh yes, thank you.
I am actually so grateful forthose.
'cause sometimes I do get in thegroove and I'm just like working
(15:10):
and I don't stand up.
And so I do love to keep thoseon it.
Um, mine reminds me 10 minutesbefore, I think, I think it's 10
minutes before, so.
Use those kind of devices.
If you have, if you have afitness tracker, be sure that
those reminders are turned on.
use errands and grocery runs asstep opportunities.
(15:32):
So this actually like reallygoes against my nature to say
this, but you know, maybe.
Walk through the grocery storein a very inefficient manner.
If you have time like this, likepains me because I do not wanna
be in the grocery store longerthan I need to be.
And if I have to backtrack, I'mlike kicking myself.
But you know, you don't have tobe that efficient.
(15:53):
You can use that time to likewalk up and down the walk, walk
up and down every aisle, evenmaybe even if you don't need
something on that aisle.
but the other thing about usingerrands and groceries for a
chance to get in extra neat is.
We have used a lot of servicesfor this.
So, you know, grocery pickupservices and, um, you know,
(16:15):
DoorDash and all kinds ofdelivery.
Now, I, I hate to say this,like, don't do that anymore
because number one, I don't havelittle kids anymore.
I think if I had three littlekids, like trying to cram in a
cart, I probably would be usinggrocery pickup as well.
So, for you, you're gonna haveto, you know, increase your meat
in other ways, because I get,you don't wanna take, you know.
(16:38):
A, a boatload of kids into thegrocery store.
But if you are able to run yourown errands, like do that as an
opportunity to increase your,um, you know, your activity
during the day, you can stretchduring TV shows in the evening.
caring for house plants or asmall garden outside.
(16:58):
I have a small garden.
I have three small, grow boxes.
I mean.
My tomatoes don't, didn't getthe message that they are in a
small space.
Uh, they are like going crazy.
They're.
I have a couple of tomato plantsthat are like over eight feet
tall right now.
Um, but anyway, side note tothat, you know, just the weeding
and going out and picking thetomatoes and tucking in the
(17:21):
branches and just like thelittle tending that I do, like
the, the major thing was theplanting day.
And then because I have boxes,they're pretty like low
maintenance, but also caring forhouse plants, like carrying them
back and forth to the sink forwatering.
And then.
Um, even just fidgeting, likethis is also against my nature.
I'm not really a fidgeter.
I tend to sit pretty still whenI'm watching tv, um, or
(17:43):
otherwise just talking tosomeone.
But fidgeting does count forneat.
I can't also like bounce my legor anything like that because it
drives my daughters nuts.
But one thing that I can do.
Instead of fidgeting because I'mjust not naturally a fidgeter is
have hand work in my lap.
Things like crocheting orknitting, if you like that, do
(18:04):
that while you're watching tv.
That's a another great way tojust get in a little bit of
upper body movement.
Um, but ultimately any way thatyou can stand versus sit.
That's gonna be a win.
Anytime you can do a few extrawalking things, that's going to
increase your non-exerciseactivity.
(18:25):
Thermogenesis.
Our lives are just so efficientthat we've removed a lot of this
everyday movement.
By no means do I wanna go backto, you know, hauling water and
washing my clothes by hand on awashboard.
I don't wanna do that.
But because we're not doingthose things, we do have to be
(18:45):
intentional about upping ourdaily movement.
So some final thoughts for you.
The title of this episode saysthis is the secret half of your
metabolism you're probablyignoring.
To be fair, it's not quite half,but you'll be surprised how much
easier it is to meet your weightloss goals when you increase
(19:06):
this movement, and where I getthe half is it's half of your
exercise activity thermogenesis,right?
So check that chart in thelittle icon if, um, if the math
isn't math in your brain, but Ijust want you to think about.
Not dismissing the take thestairs type advice.
(19:27):
Those small choices matter.
And if it feels like old schooldiet advice, just remember you
aren't earning your food bydoing these things.
There's so much more to dailymovement from a health
perspective, and it is so muchmore than earning food.
That's not what it is about.
At all.
Like I said in the beginning,let's separate out our exercise
from our nutrition, and that isgonna be the healthiest mindset
(19:50):
to have.
Whether you're navigating weightloss naturally or if you're
using GLP one medications, yourneat movement will benefit you
no matter what.
If you feel stuck, increasingdaily movement could be your
missing piece.
If something in today's episodemade you think differently or
gave you that little nudge thatyou need, that's exactly why I
(20:11):
do this.
And if you are ready to take itfurther, I'd love to support
you.
Start with a couple of myfreebie.
Number one, if you'reconsidering GLP one medication
or if you are already on it.
I have a brand new GLP onesuccess.
Starter kit GLP ones are a greattool to assist you with your
weight loss, and so I'vedeveloped a program that is
specifically for people who areon these medications, so check
(20:33):
that out.
It's free.
It'll give you an idea of how Iwill coach you and how it might
be a little different if maybeyou have been a past client or
checked me out before, but nowyou are using medication.
I have really added a lot to myrepertoire and, um, in
developing that new coachingprogram and it is benefiting
both sides of my clientpractice.
(20:54):
So if medication is not up youralley, that is perfectly fine.
My new knowledge I will tell youis going to really benefit you
as well.
if you are a person that youfind you are overeating too many
times in a week to see lastingweight loss.
Then I want you to grab my Whatto do when you Overeat.
Course.
This has a reset and recoverguide and a video series that
(21:14):
goes with it, and it just helpsyou figure out how to reduce
your overeats and not beatyourself up about it.
Of course, I'd love for you toschedule a free consult session
to see if my one-on-one coachingprograms are right for you.
All the links are in the shownotes.
Remember, it's not just aboutthe food.
It's about empowering yourselfwith choices that truly serve
you.
Have a great week and as always,thanks for listening and sharing
(21:37):
the Eat Well Think Well LiveWell podcast.
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