Which workout I do doesn't seem to matter...

[JackieB]

Originally Posted by mspina

I still have to go back and watch this, but I hope they were more definitive about the importance of NEAT! It's not "perhaps more important." Unless you are a professional athlete, your NEAT has the potential to contribute WAY more to your daily calorie burn than your exercise time.

The comparison of the waitress, businessman, and Michael Mosely addresses this. The waitress of course had the most NEAT. I always think about this, too....the pioneer people (etc) didn't worry about getting in a workout. An hour long workout and then sitting all day doesn't cut it.

[TinierTina]

Originally Posted by mspina

I still have to go back and watch this, but I hope they were more definitive about the importance of NEAT! It's not "perhaps more important." Unless you are a professional athlete, your NEAT has the potential to contribute WAY more to your daily calorie burn than your exercise time.

The problem with that is, there is no amount of fidgeting that does much for my post-meltdown metabolism ... except one, which nearly approaches seated, at-your-desk pilates

a.k.a.

the NEAT that makes you appear NUTS!

[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by Debbie S.

I saw this on AOL this morning:

http://www.lifescript.com/food/healt...d%3D-370339251

That was a good article. Thanks, Deb!

[Alan]

Originally Posted by mspina

I still have to go back and watch this, but I hope they were more definitive about the importance of NEAT! It's not "perhaps more important." Unless you are a professional athlete, your NEAT has the potential to contribute WAY more to your daily calorie burn than your exercise time.

I hadn't watched the program in a while so I didn't want to overstate their viewpoint, but I just went back and watched that segment and according to the obesity expert the best way to lose weight is to increase one's NEAT. You can watch that portion of the program starting at 31:30.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xz2...cise_lifestyle

[mspina]

Originally Posted by TinierTina

The problem with that is, there is no amount of fidgeting that does much for my post-meltdown metabolism ... except one, which nearly approaches seated, at-your-desk pilates

a.k.a.

the NEAT that makes you appear NUTS!

Again, I didn't see the documentary so I'm not sure what his definition of NEAT is, but it's not just fidgeting at your desk. It's NOT being at your desk at all. GET UP AND MOVE. Park farther way. Walk to work. Get up and walk to the farthest water fountain to get your water. Do a round of stairs mid-day for no reason. Take the stairs instead of the elevator....

[JackieB]

NEAT was not portrayed as "fidgeting". It was rather activity throughout the day. Comparing a waitress who is on her feet scrambling all day long to someone who sits at a desk and then gets in his "workout". The waitress wins every time.

I'm looking for creative ways to increase my NEAT. Walking the dog, playing at the playground or walking laps when I bring my kids (rather than sitting on a bench with my phone), climbing stairs, parking further.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

I read that guy's book. He expressed annoyance that NEAT became associated by the media as just 'fidgeting.' Non-exercise activity thermogenesis is moving around throughout the day. Not just twiddling your pencil at your desk!

[slysam]

Originally Posted by Alan

In the program the concept of "nonresponder" is in the context of aerobic fitness (VO2 max) so I would be careful not to generalize that to other things such as weight loss or changes in appearance. For weight loss/maintenance the program implies that overall activity (NEAT) is perhaps more important than scheduled exercise.

Yes, that is something that sometimes bugs me about some interpretations of the show. Most people do not think of VO2Max unless they are endurance athletes. Yet that was what they meant by "nonresponder". They weren't talking about what the average person would think in relation to fitness. As mentioned his glucose did improve. I remember looking on the BBC page shortly after the show was on in the UK and I seem to recall that the man in the documentary use to ride his bicycle to and from work. Then he changed locations and rode to the station and a little extra before going to work. Perhaps between his hiit and 2 cycle rides a day he got enough cardio even if it wasn't his goal.

I felt strength training was missing too, it is what I tend to let slide but is where I see the most results. Perhaps my body type tends to be okay in aerobic fitness but need extra work to maintain decent strength. (I do best aesthetically with bodyweight, moderately high reps but I lose fat best with circuits of lower rep heavyish weights). I really need to get back into it as I have only gained a few pounds but my clothes feel tight and I think I look a lot bigger. When I was doing Venus Index with heavyish weights (in the 10-15 rep range), I lost about 6 pounds in a couple months and everyone was complimenting me about losing "a ton of weight". I did drop a couple clothing sizes though. The sad thing is that I really don't like weight lifting that much.

[kalliope999]

I've just popped back into VF after months and months, and I can see we're all still trying to figure out the puzzle of our unique genetics and body types! (And I laugh because I think I tend to "rediscover" VF every year in the spring as I ramp up my fitness for the summer, haha...) Thanks for the link to the interesting documentary! I'll watch the rest of it later.

I'm another of the short (just shy of 5'5") and short-waited hourglasses, probably an endo-meso, medium-large frame. (Although the only reason I probably qualify as an hourglass is because of a bubble butt rather than curvy hips from the front.) I lose weight first in my waist and mid-section; it takes forever to lose my butt and thighs; my calves rarely budge much; and in general I carry weight sort of evenly on my frame and get a thick-limbed stocky look but never am overly heavy in any one place.

Anyway, I've realized I need a certain amount of high-energy cardio in my routine to see noticeable fat loss from exercise. My greatest successes in past years have been from 1) step-aerobics & walking when in college, 2) the pink Firms (the set that came with the weights), and from 3) Turbo Jam cardio (no sculpting) mixed w/ a 12-minute KB workout from Lauren Brooks.

When I've done only barre, or even a few weeks of a tough rotation of Ballet Beautiful!, I've just puffed up. To the extent of not fitting in my (stretchy) jeans. I know it's just water weight because when I stop it goes away within 4-12 days. Doing too many longer kettlebell workouts does the same. Gentle Ellen Barrett type stuff doesn't do much for me at all. TA muscular work and yoga don't puff me up, but they work more slowly.

So my general body shape might always be the same, but the type of exercise I do can definitely influence how balanced or lean my body looks! With NO exercise, I will gain a few pounds if I'm eating poorly and look and feel thick and blah, or I will be lighter and slightly smaller if I'm eating well but will also eventually get soft and lumpy and blah.

[TinierTina]

Originally Posted by kalliope999

I've just popped back into VF after months and months, and I can see we're all still trying to figure out the puzzle of our unique genetics and body types! (And I laugh because I think I tend to "rediscover" VF every year in the spring as I ramp up my fitness for the summer, haha...) Thanks for the link to the interesting documentary! I'll watch the rest of it later.

I'm another of the short (just shy of 5'5") and short-waited hourglasses, probably an endo-meso, medium-large frame. (Although the only reason I probably qualify as an hourglass is because of a bubble butt rather than curvy hips from the front.) I lose weight first in my waist and mid-section; it takes forever to lose my butt and thighs; my calves rarely budge much; and in general I carry weight sort of evenly on my frame and get a thick-limbed stocky look but never am overly heavy in any one place.

Anyway, I've realized I need a certain amount of high-energy cardio in my routine to see noticeable fat loss from exercise. My greatest successes in past years have been from 1) step-aerobics & walking when in college, 2) the pink Firms (the set that came with the weights), and from 3) Turbo Jam cardio (no sculpting) mixed w/ a 12-minute KB workout from Lauren Brooks.

When I've done only barre, or even a few weeks of a tough rotation of Ballet Beautiful!, I've just puffed up. To the extent of not fitting in my (stretchy) jeans. I know it's just water weight because when I stop it goes away within 4-12 days. Doing too many longer kettlebell workouts does the same. Gentle Ellen Barrett type stuff doesn't do much for me at all. TA muscular work and yoga don't puff me up, but they work more slowly.

So my general body shape might always be the same, but the type of exercise I do can definitely influence how balanced or lean my body looks! With NO exercise, I will gain a few pounds if I'm eating poorly and look and feel thick and blah, or I will be lighter and slightly smaller if I'm eating well but will also eventually get soft and lumpy and blah.

Oh, brother ... similar sentiments to yours, and I'm a little hippy and very chesty but my extremities are thin with hanging skin ... there is no substitute for high-energy low impact cardio with plenty of dietary provisos ... been the cardio-exercise-only-route for years [weight stays stable but quite high, and not a whole lot of muscle], been the non-cardio-muscular-endurance route [weight drops ever so slightly, more defined muscle] BUT - while the general shape stays the same, weight changes with vigorous cardio (and, as stated, I have to do low-impact) that, within reason, raises my respiratory rate ... my limitations being cardiovascular concerns ...