What activity level would you choose if this was you?

berlynnwall

I keep going between sedentary or lightly active on my activity level, and I'd like some input.

Here is my life - I walk my daughter to and from her school - which is about a block away (so pretty negligible)- every weekday. My younger son goes to a preschool about 5 blocks away 3 times a week and I walk him to and from there as well. When I'm walking sans children, I walk very briskly.

I don't have a car during the day, so I often walk about 10 blocks down to the store if I need something or if I just feel like getting out. It is downhill on the way there, and then of course uphill on the way home, pretty steep grade. The store I like is in a strip mall, and I often walk through several shops before going home. This is at least once a week, sometimes twice. During these walks I am pushing a 40 lbs child in a stroller.

Other than this, I have an exercise bike that I use for 30-60 minutes every other day at the minimum.

I sit a lot - like right now my little guy is at preschool and I'm at my desk, and my main hobby is reading, so I guess I still feel sedentary even with the activity I'm getting.

What do you guys think?

StaciMarie1974

I'd say lightly active based on the daily walks to/from schools and the weekly walks to/around town. BUT don't log that activity as 'exercise'. Do log the exercise bike as exercise. And you may or may not be interested, but I try to combine leisure time & activity. For me that means watching a television show on a phone app while on the treadmill. Perhaps see if you can read on the exercise bike. It might not an intense as workout, but more active than sitting. Or simply make a point to get up, stretch and move a little every now and then.

berlynnwall

That makes sense. Thank you.

I occasionally read on the bike, but I do go slower. I watch a lot of TV on it though, or play those mindless tablet games that don't take much attention. You're right though, I could just read there even if it's not intense.

esjones12

Personally id log as sedentary and only log the exercise bike as exercise. But that is a starting point....if you are losing weight but often feel hungry and tired than try upping your calories and see if you still lose weight.

Best or luck!

azulvioleta6

Do you know how many steps you are getting?

I think that lightly active is probably the most accurate description of where you are right now.

berlynnwall

I do not. I have a Misfit Shine, but I stopped wearing it, because I noticed it was logging a vigorous run when I washed the dishes. Totally killed my trust in it.

Thanks for the input you guys. Really helps.

segacs

Instead of the descriptions, focus on the numbers.

MFP will give you a number for "calories burned from normal daily activity" based on the activity setting you choose. Try entering sedentary and see what that number says. Then enter lightly active and see what that number says.

Start at sedentary. Eat that calorie goal for a while. See how quickly you're losing weight. If after 4-6 weeks you're losing much faster than MFP says you should be, increase the activity level to lightly active, and try that for a while. Neither number is going to be dead-on, but one of those numbers will likely be closer than the other.

The exercise bike shouldn't be counted as part of your activity setting, since NEAT stands for "NON-exercise activity thermogenesis". What you'd want to do is log those workouts on top of the daily calorie goal and eat back the extra calories.