How to determine your activity level

magsmichelle

I don't work outside the home, I have school aged children.

However I get 180-270 minutes of gym time in a week.

Would I be sedetary since I don't work, or lightly active since I log so much exercise?

neanderthin

If you were sedentary you wouldn't own a pair a running shoes and I suspect you have more than 1 pair. I would pigeon hole you at moderately active or more depending on your version of sedentary.

clambert1273

here is my take on sedentary: me in the hospital after surgery.. laying/sitting for so long that my butt literally hurt...

magsmichelle

neanderthin wrote: »

If you were sedentary you wouldn't own a pair a running shoes and I suspect you have more than 1 pair. I would pigeon hole you at moderately active or more depending on your version of sedentary.

Why are the descriptions based on the type of work you do? I got confused since I'm not on my feet the majority of the day working. I clean in the morning which takes maybe an hour or so, do my online classwork and errands in the afternoon, cart kids around all evening, cook dinner and clean up in the evening.

But I do log 3 or 4 3-5 mile runs a week.

clambert1273

magsmichelle wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

If you were sedentary you wouldn't own a pair a running shoes and I suspect you have more than 1 pair. I would pigeon hole you at moderately active or more depending on your version of sedentary.

Why are the descriptions based on the type of work you do? I got confused since I'm not on my feet the majority of the day working. I clean in the morning which takes maybe an hour or so, do my online classwork and errands in the afternoon, cart kids around all evening, cook dinner and clean up in the evening.

But I do log 3 or 4 3-5 mile runs a week.

if you are using MFP the way it is set up.. you would be in the lightly active realm and THEN log your exercise but for me that sets up too many possible errors. I prefer sticking to the same amound of calories every day regardless if I work out. It makes my life simple and I don't log exercise except for the sake of tracking my own progress.

neanderthin

magsmichelle wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

If you were sedentary you wouldn't own a pair a running shoes and I suspect you have more than 1 pair. I would pigeon hole you at moderately active or more depending on your version of sedentary.

Why are the descriptions based on the type of work you do? I got confused since I'm not on my feet the majority of the day working. I clean in the morning which takes maybe an hour or so, do my online classwork and errands in the afternoon, cart kids around all evening, cook dinner and clean up in the evening.

But I do log 3 or 4 3-5 mile runs a week.

Because it can relay the message of overall movement and work related activity, nothing more, and it's just an estimate. Also, there is a fairly wide variance in peoples natural movements, some appear comatose when not doing much where others move around a lot without knowing it and that can make a difference. Your description of your day and not knowing other factors I would put you at lightly active, then adding for 3 to 5 days of exercise and again, there's exercise and then there's exercise I would make the adjustment to at least moderately active. Again these are just estimates and the real proof is actually recording accurately and honestly your caloric intake and over a specific timeline recording those results, then make adjustments to that is the proper way of estimating your caloric needs. This is my opinion of course.

higgins8283801

You're not sedentary.

magsmichelle wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

If you were sedentary you wouldn't own a pair a running shoes and I suspect you have more than 1 pair. I would pigeon hole you at moderately active or more depending on your version of sedentary.

Why are the descriptions based on the type of work you do? I got confused since I'm not on my feet the majority of the day working. I clean in the morning which takes maybe an hour or so, do my online classwork and errands in the afternoon, cart kids around all evening, cook dinner and clean up in the evening.

But I do log 3 or 4 3-5 mile runs a week.

Well, this rules out sedentary.

I think you should use moderately active on here. On scooby, 3-4 hours of running a week would put you in the moderate
category.

Mfp is confusing with how they use work descriptions though.