Most clients who come to me for help losing weight have been focusing on the wrong things for years. ⠀
They’ve literally spent years of their life (and hundreds of their dollars) focusing on keeping their calories in, low, and their calories out, high.⠀
That vicious cycle of diet, exercise, repeat.⠀
They’re so focused on the things they THINK influence their total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) that they miss out on the things that actually DO influence it.⠀
Weight loss and calories: what really matters?
Here are three other things that impact your TDEE that you might not be thinking about:⠀
BMR – basal metabolic rate – this is the number of calories you burn at rest and it is based on how much muscle you have (why I encourage choosing strength training over cardio) as well as the physical ‘shape’ your heart, lungs, and other organs are in. You CAN control how much muscle you have on your body to increase your overall rate. ⠀
TEF – thermic effect of food – this is the number of calories burned via digestion. Less processed, ‘whole’ foods and protein take more energy to digest, so, to get the most from the TEF, up the protein and eat fewer processed foods.⠀
NEAT – non-exercise activity thermogenesis – this is the calories you burn through your everyday movement. This can easily be increased through small actions like parking farther away from the grocery store entrance or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.⠀
These three factors, in addition to traditional exercise, all add up to determine your TDEE and ultimately your overall weight loss result. Focusing on these can positively impact the rate of weight lost and maintained.⠀
Exercise is great, but it’s a VERY small part of the TDEE equation, and you should really focus on the other stuff if you want to see significant fat loss.⠀
Did you know how important BMR, TEF, and NEAT are to improving your overall weight loss results, or is this news to you? Let me know in the comments!