Deficit from increasing neat

[safcpaul]

I've been thinking when cutting. Would it not be more beneficial to up NEAT to burn calories in order to create your deficit rather than restricting calories? For example. Person A's maintenance is 2800. He eats 2300 which makes him lose 1lb a week. Person B's maintenance is also 2800 so he eats 2800 calories but increases his NEAT to burn 500 calories extra per day to create his deficit which makes him lose 1lb a week also. My thinking is person B would maintain more muscle from a higher intake of nutrition. What are your thoughts?

[faithbrah]

if you increase your NEAT with daily activities and walking as cardio, i think it's beneficial but just takes effort

HIIT or other types of intense cardio on the other hand, i've heard it can make people even more hungry

[SuffolkPunch]

NEAT is involuntary movement. IIRC it has been show it tends to rise or fall to counteract how much other activity you are doing in some people. So you can choose to do more cardio (or any informal exercise like taking the stairs etc) but NEAT is not something you can exercise conscious control over all day.

[safcpaul]

if you increase your NEAT with daily activities and walking as cardio, i think it's beneficial but just takes effort

HIIT or other types of intense cardio on the other hand, i've heard it can make people even more hungry

Do you think the guy who increases his activity rather than restrict the calories would maintain more muscle?

[safcpaul]

NEAT is involuntary movement. IIRC it has been show it tends to rise or fall to counteract how much other activity you are doing in some people. So you can choose to do more cardio (or any informal exercise like taking the stairs etc) but NEAT is not something you can exercise conscious control over all day.

True. I guess you couldn't call it neat, if you consciously go for walks etc to burn calories... but in my scenario. Do you think the guy who increases activity and keeps calories higher would maintain more muscle?

[xuerebx]

There was a similar post a few days ago which described a similar concept i.e. increasing calories but also increasing cardio ("G-Flux" was the term). I don't know how strong the science behind it is, but it does make sense when you think about it. Personally I would use such a method to help with hunger/cravings and better gym performance when on a cut (irrespective if it helps maintain more muscle or not).

[SuffolkPunch]

No, I'm not aware of a reason why that might be the case. There is a theory called G-flux but I don't know how much actual evidence there is to back it.

[xuerebx]

No, I'm not aware of a reason why that might be the case. There is a theory called G-flux but I don't know how much actual evidence there is to back it.

Heh, funny how we were in the same mindframe at the same time!

[snailsrus]

Counting calories is much more accurate than counting calories burned exercising

[AdamWW]

Walking isn’t really ‘NEAT’ if it’s prolonged ... if I go for a 1hour walk outside, that’s different from accumulating unconscious steps from, say, getting up to pee or while cleaning the house.

[safcpaul]

So to sum it up regardless of whether we class it as neat or not. Most of you are saying there is no benefit in terms of muscle preservation if you keep your calories higher and have your deficit coming from an increase activity level?

[SuffolkPunch]

So to sum it up regardless of whether we class it as neat or not. Most of you are saying there is no benefit in terms of muscle preservation if you keep your calories higher and have your deficit coming from an increase activity level?

Probably not.

There is such a thing as active recovery - but I think it would have to be a bit more than just any activity above a sedentary state, I don't think it would have enough of a benefit for me to worry about it personally.

[safcpaul]

Probably not.

There is such a thing as active recovery - but I think it would have to be a bit more than just any activity above a sedentary state, I don't think it would have enough of a benefit for me to worry about it personally.

Thanks SP just something I was curious about