Calorie goals

Basilin

I apologize if this is a dumb question, but, when figuring out how many calories you should consume for "daily activities", what do you do when that changes frequently? For instance, in my job sometimes I'm at a desk almost all day but other days I'm running around like crazy and very active. I'm also more active on weekends (due to not being at a desk) and tend to eat more on weekends. I'm still trying to figure out what's enough, what's too little, and what's too much!

Thanks!

malibu927

It might be best to get a fitness tracker (Fitbit, Jawbone, etc.) to track your activity. I have a Fitbit and it definitely keeps me noticing my steps. I'm in retail, and sometimes I'll go home with just 7000 steps, and sometimes I can be above 15,000. Plus you can connect it to MFP and it will adjust your calories for how much you move.

Kalikel

I don't know the right answer. If it were me, I'd average out all my work days and use that.

It all sounds like Lightly Active to me.

ana3067

Calculate your average activity levels for an average week and consume that on a daily basis. Lower or raise as needed based on results. Include exercise if you are consistent with exercise and want to always eat the same amount, or exclude it if you are not always consistent or just want more flexibility in eating. Subtract 20% and you've got your daily custom calorie goal.

health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

ETA if you omit exercise in your calculation you NEED to EAT BACK the exercise calories. Meaning log your time on MFP and eat back 50-100% of the calories, otherwise you are making your deficit unnecessarily larger which is not ideal for your body.

MsHarryWinston

Sounds like Lightly Active to me. I work a mostly desk job but do end up running around the place every night. So I am set to lightly active, log all my exorcize but don't eat back those calories just in case. When I was a hotel housekeeper and I moved constantly non stop all day every day, that would be considered Active.

Basilin

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I think I will try to invest in a Fitbit, although I'll need to save up for it.

This is where I get confused: My BMR ~ 1300, depending on the formula. This is what I would normally want to eat if I was "sedentary". To maintain weight, I get ~1600 cal/day if I'm sedentary. This is about what I'd normally eat if I were "lightly active" during the day. So I don't know how accurate this is for my requirements. A fitness tracker should help, though.