To lose fat you need to burn enough calories. Insight into the energy consumption of our body can help you with this.
FORMULA
There is a formula that is used to calculate the total daily energy requirement. That formula is as follows:
BMR + TEF + NEAT + TEA = TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)
BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate (energy expenditure for primary life functions)
TEF = Thermogenic Effect of Food (energy expenditure digesting food)
NEAT = Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (energy consumption during spontaneous movements)
EAT = Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (energy consumption during sports/conscious movement)
So all your movements in one day are EAT + NEAT.
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NEAT
The key component in the formula is NEAT, or Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis. That is the energy we burn through ‘spontaneous’ movements and not through targeted exercises. NEAT involves everyday movements that you are not so aware of, such as functional walking, standing, fidgeting, doing housework, typing and so on.
If you are cutting and you try to achieve an energy deficit for a longer period of time, your body will gradually cut back on your energy consumption (adaptive thermogenesis). It mainly does this by cutting back on the NEAT: without realizing it, you move less. That may even mean that you blink less often.
You can counteract this saving on NEAT to a certain extent by consciously moving spontaneously, as it were, for example by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or by walking to get your groceries instead of by car.
However, this cannot be prevented completely: sooner or later you will have to eat less and/or develop more targeted activities (TEA). If you can’t do that anymore, it’s best to ‘reset’ your energy consumption by taking a diet break .
EAT
Certainly when the formula is visualized, as in the figure above, it becomes clear that targeted exercise (cardio and sports) only accounts for a small part of the daily energy expenditure, the TDEE.
Do not attach too much importance to cardio when cutting / losing weight. It is fine to do some (more) cardio during your cut, but to create an energy deficit you should in principle eat less. In addition, try to increase your arsenal of spontaneous movements, NEAT, especially when you notice that your body is saving on energy, the adaptive thermogenesis.
Please note: strength training is of course very important during the cut, namely first and foremost for preserving muscle mass. In addition — and that’s a nice bonus — you also burn calories with strength training. How much exactly, you will learn in this article.
TEF
The other component is the thermic effect of food (TEF). You can increase this somewhat by getting a higher percentage of calories from protein. Proteins have a greater thermal effect than carbohydrates and fats.
However, TEF is also only small and you also need sufficient carbohydrates and fats during your cut. So don’t overdo it with those proteins; usually about 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is enough.
BMR
In principle, you cannot influence your basal metabolism, ie your BMR. In the past there were so-called fat burners that accelerated the BMR, Stackers for example, but these have been banned for years. The speed of your metabolism depends on genetic factors and age.