rss feedsFrom The Blog
The One Thing You Must Avoid if You Want to Lose Weight…And No it’s Not Sugar
by Shin Ohtake on Thursday, May 13, 2010 • 42 Comments
There are many little things you can do to help improve your health and fitness. And I’m not talking about just exercising and eating well…that’s a given. I’m talking about small simple things, like taking the stairs instead of the escalator, or getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way to work.
Just simple things that take a little extra effort on your part, but it adds up to a lot, especially if you keep doing them on a regular basis.
Well, just as important, there are little things that you need to avoid, that can add up to a whole lot of bad. I’m not talking about things like avoiding sugars or fried foods. I’m talking about even simpler things that can amount to a profound difference.
Well, there’s one thing in particular that you need to avoid and it’s quite easy to do. The remarkable thing about it, is that studies have indicated that avoiding this one simple thing can help protect you from heart disease, help you burn more fat and increase your health and promote longevity. As they say it’s the little things that count!
Relatively speaking, it takes a while to gain weight and lose that lean, fit body you used to have. Those love handles and belly fat doesn’t come overnight. It’s a cookie here and an extra beer there. Just a little bit at a time and before you know it…one day you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror and you don’t recognize the person staring back at you. The lean and fit replaced by the soft and plump. How can I gain all this weight? And the truth is it takes months, if not years for you to actually get this way. You just don’t think about it, because in your mind nothing’s really changed. And nothing significant has changed…it’s just an accumulation of little things. Little things like sitting. Maybe you sit at work a little longer, maybe you commute a little longer, which means you sit in your car, bus or the train a little longer, maybe you sit a little longer watching TV. Whatever the reason may be, just sitting 2 - 2.5 hours longer each day can add up to a difference between being overweight and not being overweight. At least, that is according to a study done by the Endocrine Research Unit from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN.
Here’s what the study said.
Obesity occurs when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. Humans expend energy through purposeful exercise and through changes in posture and movement that are associated with the routines of daily life [called nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)]. To examine NEAT’s role in obesity, we recruited 10 lean and 10 mildly obese sedentary volunteers and measured their body postures and movements every half-second for 10 days. Obese individuals were seated, on average, 2 hours longer per day than lean individuals. Posture allocation did not change when the obese individuals lost weight or when lean individuals gained weight, suggesting that it is biologically determined. If obese individuals adopted the NEAT-enhanced behaviors of their lean counterparts, they might expend an additional 350 calories (kcal) per day.
During the study, all the people involved were fed meals prepared by the clinic in order to maintain their current weight. Each meal consisted of 45% carbohydrates, 35% fat and 20% protein. All people involved were asked to maintain their normal daily activities. So everything was identical between the overweight group and the lean group, except for their daily normal activities levels or NEAT.
NEAT, which stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, is the energy expended throughout the day outside of purposeful activities like exercising. This means standing, walking and anything that involves some type of voluntary muscle activation. So technically, everything but sitting and sleeping is NEAT.
It’s amazing to think that just 2 hours of sitting a day can add up to so much. And really, 2 hours isn’t much if you break it down through out the entire day. That’s like an extra 15 minutes of sitting to and from work, which is an additional 30 minutes. Add to that, an additional 1 hour of work…and maybe an additional 30 minutes of sitting in front of the TV winding down after a long day at work. And there you have it, an additional 2 hours of being seated or 350 calories less that you expend.
350 calories a day…that’s 2450 calories a week or 10500 calories a month. There’s 3500 calories per pound of fat, which means if you’re expending 350 calories less per day, it’s equivalent to gaining 1 pound of fat every 10 days. And if you keep it up, that’s 126000 less calories you burn per year or 36 pounds of fat you gain in one year! Assuming everything else is kept even, you’re looking at an ever expanding waistline.
These statistics go beyond just gaining weight as well. Other studies have indicated that the more you sit the higher your chances are of getting serious diseases like diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease.
The truth of the matter is that many of these extended sitting time, may be out of your control. If you commute long distances, that’s something you can’t change. You may not be able to change the long hours you work or the number of hours you spend sitting in airplanes traveling for work. But what you can change is everything outside of that. And the easiest and most effective place to start is by standing for longer periods of time. Yep, you heard it right…standing! I know it sounds odd, to think that standing makes any difference at all but hey…did you think that sitting 2 hours more per day would make you fat?
Here’s an interesting study done on lipoprotein lipase in rats. LPL is a fat burning enzyme that helps dictate whether fat is deposited in your body or not. According to this study, muscle inactivity suppresses lipoprotein lipase, but light voluntary muscle contractions like standing activates it. So essentially, by sitting you’re not only expending less calories, but you’re also stopping the fat burning process at the same time…talk about a double whammy!
Another study suggests that standing should be promoted in order to combat obesity. Here’s their reasoning:
Obese individuals appear to exhibit an innate tendency to be seated for 2.5 hours per day more than sedentary lean counterparts. If obese individuals were to adopt the lean “NEAT-o-type,” they could potentially expend an additional 350 kcal per day. Obesity was rare a century ago and the human genotype has not changed over that time. Thus, the obesity epidemic may reflect the emergence of a chair-enticing environment to which those with an innate tendency to sit, did so, and became obese. To reverse obesity, we need to develop individual strategies to promote standing and ambulating time by 2.5 hours per day and also re-engineer our work, school, and home environments to render active living the option of choice
Definitely an interesting perspective. I never thought of anyone having an innate tendency to sit. But it does make sense. I think being inactive perpetuates more sedentary behavior and so being active should (theoretically) promote more active behavior. And so from that perspective, standing can promote less sedentary lifestyles and increase NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) so that people can expend additional calories through out the day.
There’s another important benefit to standing as well…and that’s posture and preventing low back pain. I’ve mentioned in the past article about the negative effects of sitting on your low back, and by avoiding excessive lumbar flexion (bending of your low back) from sitting, you can significantly reduce the incidences of low back pain.
So by implementing standing more often, you can help maintain a healthy weight while preventing unnecessary low back pain. Not bad for something so easy.
So how can you implement more standing in your day?
The easiest way is to stand at work. I personally stand when I work. I find it extremely beneficial for my posture, low back and it gives me energy. It prevents me from slumping forward and falling asleep. If you can change up your work station so you can stand when you work…it would be very beneficial.
Now, if that’s not possible, then make sure to include frequent mini breaks at work so you can stand up and walk around as often as possible. The more you can be upright on your feet, the better it is for your weight and health.
Another thing that you may want to do, is to stand more at home. You can stand and work on your computer to answer emails, pay bills and even hang out and chat with your family. You can stand by the kitchen counter talking or drinking tea while enjoying the company of your friend and family.
You can also minimize TV time. Nowadays, watching TV’s mostly a waste of time anyways. Instead, do something more active like going for walks or I’ve even recommended doing a gentle stretching exercises or easy yoga movements to help your body wind down after a long day at work. And, if you have a favorite TV show that you can’t go without, you can always Tivo it (or use any other commercial free recording mediums) and watch it in less time, so you don’t have to literally waste your time sitting through commercials.
Lastly, as I stated in the beginning of this article, if you want to effectively lose weight…along with your daily workouts and your healthy eating, try and include as much walking into your day as you can. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or perhaps you can walk to do your errands, or arrive at work 10 minutes earlier so you can walk around the block a couple of times before going in. There are plenty of ways to implement walking into your daily routine.
So here’s a summary of what you can do, to effectively help increase your calorie burn, lose weight and achieve better health.
- Minimize sitting. The less you sit the better off you’ll be, to keep weight off, prevent low back pain and maintain optimum health.
- Replace sitting by standing. Even light muscle contractions like standing can activate fat burning enzymes and help burn more fat. If you can stand at work, even better.
- Walk as often as possible. If there’s an opportunity to walk during the day…do it. The more you can walk the higher your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and the faster you’ll lose weight, as well as helping prevent serious diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Have you noticed over the years that you’re spending more time sitting?
Have you noticed a slow but gradual decline of daily activities in the last few years?
What do you think about the article? I’d love to know your thoughts, so please post your comments below.
About The Author
Shin Ohtake is a widely recognized strength coach and fitness & fat-loss expert. His unconventional, no-nonsense approach to getting fit has made him the go-to source for fitness enthusiasts and trainers alike. Shin is also the author of the world famous, MAX Workouts book, which has transformed and reshaped the bodies of thousands of people across the globe - without requiring hours in the gym. To learn more about how MAX Workouts can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit maxworkouts.com.
Like this post? Help me spread the word!
42 Comments
Posted by Carol Vanselow on 05/13 at 07:54 AM
Interesting article. Quite apropos in my case. My weight gain after surgery for cancer. Before this time I had a fairly active lifestyle, a lot of walking, using the stairs in place of the elevator, bicycling. While doing the therapy after the operation, I had zero energy and did almost nothing all day but sleep. When I went back to work people were amazed that I had gained 10 pounds. I wasn’t the gaunt stereotype that people imagine in the case of cancer.
Posted by Linda E. Paxton on 05/13 at 08:02 AM
Hi Shin Yes I believe that little steps in eating sleeping and physical fitness promote good health. I am working at it as my meds are making me sick. So I believe its time to change them. I watch what I eat. I know that makes a difference in how I feel. I know excercise makes my head feel GREAT. And I know proper rest also gives me a boost for the day. It all adds up.
Linda:)
Posted by Rebecca on 05/13 at 08:29 AM
Great info, and something I’ve always believed! Nice to see it in print!
Posted by Ivan on 05/13 at 08:46 AM
Hello Shin, good article, as always. This is so true, we eat and sit 10 times more than we used to and we are 10 times less active, so the extra has to go somewhere… I’m in good shape but I do sit a lot due to my work so there’s a small but visible waist cushion that bugs me. I try at least to get up every half hour and walk around a bit when I am working, and I am avoiding snacks between meals, instead I take some water… 
Posted by Lili from Malta on 05/13 at 08:48 AM
Hi Shin. Great article! I know that the ocean is made of water drops, but I did not apply the rule to my everyday sitting habits! So - with this help of yours it seems that the time to change has come…
Every week I can not wait to see what news you have, and you never disappoint me! Thank you.
Posted by Ted Stahl on 05/13 at 08:50 AM
This is so true. When I was doing technitian work, sitting at a work bench, my weight had skyrocketed to around 300 lbs. Since working at a job that is mor physically demanding, exercising, and watching what I eat, I’m down to 239.
Thank you for excellent articals like this one to help us keep focused.
-Ted
Posted by Loyal Hoag on 05/13 at 09:29 AM
Excellent article…I work out and eat right and still not losing the amount of weight I would like. I think you have hit the nail on the head with this one for me!! Thank you, Shin, I always look forward to your emails…keep it up…you have the soundest advice that I have found yet
Posted by Ajit on 05/13 at 10:01 AM
Golden nuggets, truly exhaustive, very well presented research and advice in true American tradition !
anyone who reads it will benefit in small or big way
depending on individual..
thanks for such an enlightening article.
Posted by Allan Hunt on 05/13 at 10:02 AM
I follow most of these suggestions except standing more. I run in the morning, health club 2-3 times after work, 1-2 times on weekends. No booze, quit cigs, doing well but can’t get the gut busted, damn. I will start standing and maybe do some “Keigles” as well.
Thanks
Allan
Posted by Dan on 05/13 at 10:09 AM
Hi Shin. This is a brilliant and informative article. I did not know that to avoid obesity one needs to purposefully exercise and change posture and movement associated with the routines of daily life. However, what amazed me most is to learn that just sitting 2 hours a day can add up to so much and what one needs is to minimize sitting, replace sitting by standing and walking as often as possible. Im starting right a way to use these simple but useful tips. Thanks alot.
Posted by Sheldon on 05/13 at 10:49 AM
Hey Shin! I love reading your articles (and will ensure that my wife gets me your book the next time that she thinks I deserve a good gift or feels that my gut is looking too flabby!). This article makes me think of the evolution cycle depiction (you know the one that starts from a bent over ape to an upright human?)in reverse. When we are young and agile, we do everything at pace and on our feet. As we get older (or more technically “advanced”) we slow down and do things seated and then eventually die - prone position. Anyway, thanks for the constant reminders to keep busy and maintain healthy lifestyles. Love your work, man!
Posted by RK on 05/13 at 10:49 AM
Going to implement the get to work 10-15 minutes earlier at least one day a week to start, written goal of 3 days. With a little over a hour commute one way, this would help stretch the legs if nothing else. Used to work with a guy who would leave the office and walk for 5-7 minutes twice a day, bought and kept a golfer’s umbrella and rain poncho if the weather was bad, kept himself lean for a 50+ year old desk jockey by trade. He did hit the weights, circuits with dumbbells ( and would often do jumping jacks or file cabinet/chair dips if he felt sluggish, stayed away from coffee, drank water and ate alot of carrot and celery sticks, apples,etc.. As the old saying goes”...a body in motion tends to stay in motion.”
Posted by Ani on 05/13 at 10:59 AM
Thank you very much for your inspiration,Shin Ohtake,!!!!!
Usually I avoid standing or walking long, so I’ll change my life-style and will walk as much as possible.
Thank you!!!
Posted by bds on 05/13 at 11:09 AM
Thanks for the affirmation. Students often ask me why I don’t sit down or why I stand so straigiht. I point to my very old and quite flat stomach and wink. It works. There are a few other small tricks. If you MUST watch TV (e.g. to moniitor your children, to get updates for work, etc.) do something active at the same time.
There are a couple of articles that I quote to friends who complain about their weight
One is that sumo wrestlers take a nap after they eat on purpose (enough said?).
The other is that you eat more when you haven’t had sufficient sleep. Just think about the all nighters and your body’s demand for food the next day. Ravenous.
Posted by Suzanne on 05/13 at 11:56 AM
What a great idea! I work from home and have a table that I bought on Craigslist which is 39” high. After I read your article, I plopped my laptop on the table and have been responding to emails standing up. Then, when a business call came in on my cell phone, I spoke while pacing around my living room rather than slouching on the sofa. I’m sure the weight I have put on over the years is due to too much sitting, and you have gotten me up off my duff! Not only that, I know this new approach will cut down on the lower-back pain that I sometimes suffer. Thanks so much!
Posted by Bob on 05/13 at 12:06 PM
Hmmm, I wonder why so many nurses are overweight. Nursing certainly is a job that keeps you on your feet…
Posted by Ermira on 05/13 at 12:36 PM
Thanks for the interesting information regarding the health.
Posted by anne on 05/13 at 12:37 PM
Ok, I am now going to stop reading this and get up from sitting in front of the computer, thanks for motivating me!
Posted by Douglas on 05/13 at 02:18 PM
Yes I fully agree. Activity does increase metabolism and conversly inactivity would slow down the metabolism.
Posted by Marco on 05/13 at 02:21 PM
Hi Shin,
As always you give great tips, you’re the best .
I started to follow your tips, and I’m feeling great, my best meal now is at lunch, I quited cakes and chocolates(wich I was almost addicted), my breakfast consists of two pieces of fruit, at the afternoon I get some yogurt and an apple, and before going to bed I eat another piece of fruit and a glass of milk. Honestly…this diet may be a bit exaggerated, but I feel great, and I keep getting leaner and feeling better, more energetic. Ah, and of course, I do exercise at the gym in a daily basis, except on Sundays.
It may be a bit difficult for me to follow this last tip, but I’ll try, after all, I’m a programmer and I work all day with my computer :(
thanks again Shin
Posted by Ellen on 05/13 at 08:40 PM
I once lost 15 pounds just from walking on my treadmill every time I watched TV instead of lying in bed. That was sometimes two hours every night. Unfortunately, my job has me sitting most of the day and I know it is unhealthy. I am now trying to walk on my lunch hour and back to the treadmill at night. I feel better already. Great info Shin.
Posted by luis perez on 05/13 at 09:13 PM
You are the best!! Great information, it’s amazing how the simple things are what matters!!!
Thanks Shin!!
Posted by Fidah on 05/13 at 10:59 PM
This is the BIG WHY that I am looking for.
My weight increased without knowing the actual reason. After reading the article only then I realized that my working environment has made me.
Previously I was working in 2 storey building with my office on the first floor and most of my works done on ground floor (and some on first floor but I need to stand at all time). I spent less than 2 hours in a day sitting on my desk.
After transfer to this new building which I spent only 2~4 hours on the production floor while the rest I sat on my desk and extended from 10 to 12~13 working hours, can’t imagine how much fat has been accumulated through past 6 months!
Thanks Shin. Great enlighten to me.
I need to change my working style immediately!
Posted by michael on 05/14 at 12:36 AM
Hi shin I think its a bit silly to go to work early just to walk around, or stand when you could be sitting. Surely if you eat healthily, exercise regularly and have an active fun social life you should be healthy and slim. No disrespect to you but your suggestions are bordering on the obsessive and boring don’t you think.
Posted by Lee on 05/14 at 01:01 AM
I do have to spend time on my duff at work at times be it travalling or paperwork. I bought a stress ball and squeeze it when I can. And started flexing my abs while driving to try to break up the monotony of sitting in a seat. Does that help nurn calories or am I wasting my time?
Posted by Ken on 05/14 at 02:35 AM
Hey Shin,
I’m trying to gain more lean muscle. Should I keep weight training and my Interval training on separate days? Or is there something else I can do to build muscle while still keeping my cardiovascular fitness up?
Posted by lynda on 05/14 at 03:28 AM
Hi, thanks for a really interesting and useful article. My husband is a good example. He hardly ever sits down for long periods. He continually moves, dances while listening to music, walks etc and never accumulates weight even at nearly 50.
Posted by Arlene Badrudin on 05/14 at 04:22 AM
Thank you for your insightful articles. Even when I am extremely busy, I stop to make time to read them.
Posted by lynn mclean on 05/14 at 04:38 AM
really impressed by this artical just goes to show a little can go a long way, good information to pass on to clients as like me im sure they were unawre NEAT,good to learn new things everyday.
Posted by Dee on 05/14 at 09:20 AM
My husband went from sit down job to standing on his feet all day. Never has time to work out anymore so was worried he would gain weight. But just by standing on his feet all day at work he has lost about 20 pounds.
Posted by ruth mc carthy on 05/14 at 09:24 AM
great article. I work at a computer for 6 hours every day. am determined now to get up & walk around much more often. Thank you. as always your articles are so informative
Posted by Ali Najafi on 05/14 at 11:21 AM
Thanks for all the great tips Shin, I’m definetly going to start standing and walking more often. Hope to hear from you soon
Posted by Anne Nel Kooy on 05/14 at 12:12 PM
Thanks Shin for another interesting article. I do recognise the problem. My weight gain after two knee surgeries. Before the surgeries I had a rather active lifestyle, a lot of walking, using the stairs, bicycling, running, working out. After the operations, I was afraid to use my knees and stopped moving all together. I gained 20 pounds within no time. Thank God I came to my senses in time and started to work out again.
Posted by Miles on 05/14 at 03:52 PM
I hear what you say Shin and it makes perfect sense. The only problem is that my work involves long hours of Driving. I work 12 hour shifts and most of this time, apart from breaks for lunch etc, involves being seated in a car. There is no way of avoiding this. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to help with this matter?
Keep up the awesome and inspiring articles.
Posted by Amelia Hahn on 05/14 at 07:05 PM
Very good however it took me 3 hours sitting
just to read through the article.
! Maybe next try a video /DVD then can ride my bike while I watch !
Thanx all the same and good luck amelia
Posted by Domnic on 05/15 at 08:13 AM
I really thank you…. First think I did here at work is throwing the chair out of my way as i work 12h a day 5 days week and as I’m an active person outside from working the blame for not keeping my weight is because of sitting at work.. But now thanks’ to you I found a reason what to do to stop storing fat. Staring from NOWWW
Posted by dilruba on 05/15 at 12:27 PM
hey shin
thank you verymuch for this very simple and useful article. i always excited about your attractive article. and i try to fllow you. you are always great to me.
Posted by PAULH on 05/15 at 02:02 PM
Hi Shin once again great info, will try this out!!
Posted by Esha on 05/15 at 09:18 PM
But my feet hurt…
Posted by Domnic (Malta) on 05/16 at 08:05 AM
yeah they do but you can find a time and combine with the 2.5h sitting a day to rest, and in the end you`ll sleep better after the active day. being busy all day makes us tired and a good night sleep is what we will look for
then the next day you will feel better for not being lasy yesterday
Posted by Angela on 05/16 at 11:09 AM
Hi Shin,
Great article! Really, when it comes down to it, staying active daily throughout your day is the key.
We all know about the parking and taking the stairs but the simplicity of standing really does make the difference. I personally try to ‘squat’ at my desk when I have to be seated. I will sit for a minute or two then make sure to stand and take a few steps continuing this until I am finished my task.
Thanks for reinforcing it IS the extra little steps you take in a day that do add up. “Small steps, huge difference”.
Post A Comment
Next entry: Why Longer Workouts Can Keep You Fat
Posted by Barry Shaw on 05/13 at 07:48 AM
Excellent article illustrating how small incremental steps not only build towards achieving a positive goal but can also build towards a negative experience, if we are not aware.