NASM-WLS flashcards
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33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Energy balance
- The relationship between calories consumed and calories expended; a sustained deficit produces weight loss, while a surplus produces weight gain over time.
- TDEE
- Total daily energy expenditure: the sum of resting metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, and all activity thermogenesis including exercise and non-exercise movement.
- Resting metabolic rate
- Energy burned at rest to sustain basic physiological functions; it typically accounts for roughly 60 to 70 percent of total daily energy expenditure.
- Thermic effect of food
- Energy cost of digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing nutrients; it is roughly 10 percent of intake and varies by macronutrient, being highest for protein.
- NEAT
- Non-exercise activity thermogenesis: energy expended in daily movement such as walking, standing, fidgeting, and chores; highly variable and often reduced during dieting.
- Adaptive thermogenesis
- A drop in energy expenditure beyond what is predicted from lost body mass, driven by reduced spontaneous movement and hormonal and metabolic adjustments during prolonged deficits.
- Mifflin-St Jeor equation
- A resting metabolic rate prediction using body mass in kilograms, height in centimeters, and age in years, with sex-specific constants added to the calculation.
- 3500 kcal rule
- A planning heuristic stating that one pound of stored fat represents about 3500 calories; useful for estimating deficit size but not a precise long-term predictor.
- Body mass index
- A ratio of weight to height used to classify weight status; it does not distinguish fat from lean mass or reveal fat distribution.
- Waist circumference
- A central-adiposity measure; risk is generally considered elevated above roughly 102 centimeters in men and 88 centimeters in women.
- Stages of change
- A behavior-change model classifying readiness as precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, or maintenance, guiding how directive a coach should be.
- Self-monitoring
- Systematically tracking food intake, body weight, or activity; one of the most consistently supported behavioral strategies for weight loss and maintenance.
- Calorie deficit sizing
- Setting intake roughly 10 to 20 percent below estimated total daily energy expenditure to support steady loss while protecting lean mass and adherence.
- Protein during deficit
- A daily intake near 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram body weight, used to preserve lean mass and increase satiety while in a calorie deficit.
- Lean mass retention
- Preserving muscle and other fat-free tissue during weight loss, achieved primarily through resistance training and adequate protein intake in a moderate deficit.
- Rate of weight loss
- A common sustainable target of 0.5 to 1 percent of body weight per week; faster loss raises the risk of lean-mass loss and metabolic adaptation.
- Resistance training role
- Performed two to three times weekly across major muscle groups, it is the main training tool for retaining muscle and resting metabolic rate during weight loss.
- Plateau troubleshooting
- A decision rule: first verify logging accuracy, portion estimation, weekend intake, and adherence before cutting calories further or adding training volume.
- Stimulus control
- Modifying the environment to make healthy choices easier and cues for unwanted eating harder, such as removing visible snack foods from the kitchen.
- Relapse prevention
- Planning for lapses in advance by identifying high-risk situations and rehearsing responses, so a single slip does not become a full return to old habits.
- Maintenance transition
- Gradually raising intake toward estimated maintenance calories near the goal while keeping self-monitoring and resistance training habits in place.
- Portion estimation error
- The tendency to underestimate calories consumed, especially for oils, sauces, and restaurant meals; a frequent cause of unexplained weight plateaus.
- Weight-loss screening red flags
- Conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension, eating-disorder signs, or pregnancy that require medical referral before an exercise or diet program begins.
- Baseline assessment
- Initial data collection covering weight, body composition or circumference, dietary pattern, activity history, sleep, stress, and prior weight-loss attempts.
- Goal setting
- Establishing specific, measurable, and time-bound targets; short-term process goals such as daily step counts often outperform weight-only outcomes.
- Problem solving
- A behavior-change skill in which the client identifies barriers to adherence and generates and tests specific solutions rather than relying on willpower.
- Cardio for energy expenditure
- Aerobic exercise added to increase calorie burn and cardiovascular fitness; it supports but does not replace resistance training and dietary deficit.
- Sedentary time reduction
- Cutting prolonged sitting and adding low-intensity daily movement, which raises non-exercise activity thermogenesis and total weekly energy expenditure.
- Weekly weigh-in averaging
- Comparing average body weight across several days or a week to separate true fat-loss trends from day-to-day fluctuations caused by water and sodium.
- Metabolic adaptation plateau
- A stall caused by expenditure falling as body mass and spontaneous activity decline; response includes recalculating TDEE and reassessing the deficit.
- Satiety management
- Choosing high-protein, high-fiber, and high-volume foods to increase fullness per calorie, improving adherence to a calorie deficit.
- Sleep and weight loss
- Short sleep is associated with increased appetite and poorer dietary adherence, so sleep habits are assessed and addressed alongside diet and training.
- Client adherence check
- A coaching step verifying whether reported intake, activity, and training match the plan before changing the program; nonadherence is the most common cause of stalls.