Once while consulting a client who was frustrated with the excess weight; his rant about the people who eat like a horse and never gain a single inch around the waist got me writing this blog.
I am sure you must be knowing at least one friend of yours who is blessed with this boon. Or wait, are you the one we will be discussing? What is it about thin people that keeps them from gaining weight? Also, can you gain those superpowers?
The Secret behind this is that They Don’t EAT, They NEAT!
Lean Muscle Tissue
There are multiple reasons for such a body type. One of the reasons being the muscle function of thin people. One of the closely associated factors for such muscle function was Daily Physical Activity. And how do you measure that? ‘Aerobic Capacity / Genetic Tendency’ is a predictor for this Daily Physical Activity. People with higher Aerobic Capacity develop genes that give them lean muscles. This means that even a lower level of activity can help such body type lose more weight.
Am I NEAT?
Being NEAT here means Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. These sophisticated words put together is nothing but a phenomenon where people who eat more but don’t gain weight to the expected proportion by burning more calories is something that has caught the eyes of health experts in recent times.
NEAT accounts for all the physical activity except the one during a regular workout. So if you walk around during the calls or mow the lawn yourself, you are engaging in NEAT. NEAT ups your metabolism rate by almost 50%. That means if you burn around 2000 Calories daily on a regular basis, being NEAT will help you burn those extra 1000 calories which thin people spend on eating a burger after having a streetside chaat and a carbonated drink.
How to be NEAT?
Becoming NEAT is a conscious task. Train yourself to do small activities when you feel you have been sitting in one place for too long.Following are some small changes you can make to become NEAT:
Park your car a little far but walking distance from your office
Walk and Talk while on a call
Move from one foot to another constantly while waiting in the line
Ditch elevator, take the staircase
Get up from your seat and stretch your back with the support of the wall
Perform chair exercise or fidget a little (Make sure you do it without irritating the person next to you :))
Set a goal of minimum 10,000-12,000 steps a day
Get your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) checked which will tell you how many calories you burn while at rest and when not consuming food. Low BMR can indicate that you can gain weight easily.
Breakfast is a very important meal of the day and it’s highly recommended that you never miss that! See Top Food Options you can eat in breakfast, which will boost your metabolism like anything.
Exercise as per your body type. Every body-type as mentioned earlier is different. If you are exercising without the cognizance of the same then you may waste your workout efforts. Have a proper trainer and nutritionist guiding you on the calorie deficit workout.
Sleep enough so that the body could repair itself on regular basis and carry out metabolic activity smoothly.
Always being on the thinner side is also not considered as healthy. Type 1 Diabetes is one of the causes of people remaining thin. Hormonal Deficiency, Thyroid issues, Anorexia, Bulimia can be some other factors for staying thin.
If you feel you are one of those who gain weight even after inhaling oxygen leave aside food, then it’s better to consult a dietitian. Because eating burgers once in a while with friend should be a guilt-free activity, especially on your Cheat Days!!
Dietitian Ankita Gupta Sehgal is one of the Best Weight Loss Expert and highly rated lifestyle management coach in Delhi. She is in practise from last 12 years and offers services like: PCOS Management Diet, Diabetes Management, Weight Loss Diet, Sports Nutrition, Child Nutrition, Pre-Pregnancy : Post Pregnancy Weight Management.
She also does Corporate Wellness Management Programs and Model - Celebrity Diet Management. Feel Free to chat with her over WhatsApp.