The thermic effect of food (TEF)- or thermogenic effect - is a term used to describe the energy expended by our bodies in order to consume (bite, chew and swallow) and process (digest, transport, metabolize and store) food. Check out the link to CA based trainer Alwyn Cosgrove's blog on how you can manipulate TEF to burn more calories without doing a thing:
http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/2008/01/free-cardio.html
Remember, there are three ways to create a caloric deficit (which is necessary for fat and weight loss): burn more energy through activity (time consuming and inefficient), reduce your caloric intake (takes no time at all...very efficient), or change the composition of your diet to increase TEF (greater percentage of your calories from protein, fruits and veggies...again, doesn't require any time on your part).
If you can get your diet in line-eat an appropriate number of calories and eat foods which have a high TEF-I really don't think you need to exercise more than about 4 or 5 hours weekly, assuming the exercise is challenging and progressive. Again, trying to exercise off body weight with excessive amounts of activity is just inefficient and entirely unrealistic given the busy lives most of us lead.
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