NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis and is basically all of the energy - or calories (because calories are just energy) we expend on activities outside of our exercise (and actually outside of sleeping and eating as well because there are more specific terms for the energy expended on those).
NEAT includes energy expended from activities like walking, standing, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, performing chores around the house, fidgeting, sitting at your desk etc!
When we think of burning calories, we usually think of intentional movement - like exercising or what we are doing at the gym. But NEAT is actually a larger contributor to our total daily energy expenditure than calories burned through exercise! 🤯
If losing body fat is your primary goal (yes, even if your goal is to lose body fat and gain muscle) – then paying attention to your NEAT is essential to your success! For example, one pound of body fat contains approximately 3500 calories of energy. So, increasing your NEAT by 200 cals/day (about the equivalent of walking 2 miles or 30-40 min daily) – paired with a calorie deficit, AKA hitting your macros over the course of a week (if they are calculated to be a calorie deficit!), is enough of an energy expenditure to eliminate a pound of fat! 🙌🏼
While this might seem small, making an effort to change your daily habits by adding more NEAT along with hitting your macros will create a healthy, sustainable foundation for long-lasting results!
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