That's N.E.A.T.

N.E.A.T. or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, is a term used to describe the energy used for everything we do that isn't exercise (obviously), eating or sleeping. It ranges from the energy expended walking to work, typing, doing manual jobs, including household chores, and even fidgeting.

Believe it or not, even seemingly trivial physical activities increase can metabolic rate substantially, and it is the cumulative impact of a multitude of exothermic (reactions that give off heat) actions that culminate in your  daily NEAT.

So even when you're not exercising, you're still burning calories and keeping your metabolism up. Oh, and best of all, calories burned in this way are generally coming from fat! NEAT or what?!

Damage limitation

I'm in cork this weekend for a wedding. That means lots of rich food while being away from home & out of my usual routine.. Very easy to put on weight in those circumstances, and very easy to say, "feck it, I can get back on track once I get home'.

Of course there is a better option. A few minutes of vigorous exercise each day can help offset a lot of the surplus energy/calories I'll be taking in. So a few mins of jumping jacks, burpees, squats and push-ups each day will help prevent excess fat gain? I can do that ;-)

http://jp.physoc.org/content/591/24/6231.abstract

Got skinny nuts?

Fat Found In Pistachios May Not Be Readily Absorbed By The Body

A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition finds that fat in pistachios nuts might not be completely absorbed by the body.

The calorie information you see on the side of a food packet is obtained by 'burning' the food in a device called a calorimeter. From this the boffins can tell how much is protein, carbohydrate or fat. All well and good, but the human digestive system isn't a simple piece of lab equipment. There are far too many factors that come into play, including the persons gut health, and what else is being ingested at the time.