Fidget and Lose Weight

You've tried all sorts of diets, bought this or that lose weight book, and tried all kinds of exercises, machines and fitness equipment sold on TV. But you still can't seem to get rid of excess weight. Well, maybe you should fidget more.

New Weight-Loss Focus: The Lean and the Restless (by Denise Grady) tells of a study conducted by scientists at the Mayo Clinic. They study nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).

In other words, how you move naturally affects your weight.

(Exercise is not natural; otherwise, we wouldn't have to force ourselves to do it, right?)

It's not your being inactive that makes your overweight. It's your tendency to be inactive. Even if you actually lose weight, that doesn't mean you'll become less inactive. That's probably why you gain it all right back.

The trick is to blend calorie-burning activities in your daily tasks. For example, why not pace while talking on the phone? (Check out the treadmill desks mentioned in the article.)

What works for me? Getting a really short haircut. When I see my hair, I remember my CAT/ROTC/CMT days and that helps motivate me to take the stairs two steps at a time, do daily push-ups, or tie my shoelaces while standing up.

Anyway, happy fidgeting and good luck with attaining your desired body weight.
[ First posted on 05/24/2005 by Manuel Viloria ]