Lightly active versus active -differentiate please

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stefng33
stefng33 Posts: 49 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hey there! So I want to know what the difference is between lightly active and active?
I have mine set to lightly and so my deficit is about 1470. This works for me. But I wonder if I'm more on the active scale and if so, should I be putting myself there in terms of calories? I figured it's a good thing if I can handle a lower deficit because I'll be that much more likely to lose weight...even when I refeed, since in technically already eating much less than I can handle.
Is this true?? Anyone know??

Lately I've been feeling quite hungry but I am sure it's that I am not eating enough protein.

How long does it take to start figuring all this out? I want to do what's best for my body.

Thanks all :)
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Replies

  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    If you are losing weight faster than projected then you can raise your activity level. Just set it to 'about' what you think it is then reevaluate after a couple of months.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Excluding exercise, what is your normal routine like?
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
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    change the settings and do the math as your results will not be the same as mine.

    for me, a 200 lb male the light active setting adds 290 calories over the sedentary setting.
    the active setting adds 380 calories to the light active and very active adds 320 to the active setting. that is a whooping 990 calories between being sedentary and very active for me.

    also note that does not include exercise as you add that separately.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
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    ncboiler89 wrote: »
    If you are losing weight faster than projected then you can raise your activity level. Just set it to 'about' what you think it is then reevaluate after a couple of months.

    exactly.

    Comparing your results to what you think you should have done goes a long way to keeping you on track.
  • stefng33
    stefng33 Posts: 49 Member
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    Wake up, walk, eat, workout.. Then go to work.
    3 full meals and 2 snacks per day.
    Weekend is refeed time for me but I'm also tweaking this a bit too.
    Mostly eat according to macros but sometimes over in one area. Learning to balance this. Rarely over in Cals unless it's the wknd and I gorged!
    I'm upping the protein now to 147 grams a day.
    I work in a situation where I'm mostly always on my feet, but not crazy physically demanding work. Stuff like laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. don't really stop until about 9pm when I do some stretches and downtime. Sleep well. Repeat.
    I don't workout on the weekends but I walk a ton!

    Is this what you're looking for?
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,947 Member
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    stefng33 wrote: »
    Wake up, walk, eat, workout.. Then go to work.
    I work in a situation where I'm mostly always on my feet, but not crazy physically demanding work. Stuff like laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. don't really stop until about 9pm when I do some stretches and downtime.
    I don't workout on the weekends but I walk a ton!
    It depends on how you log your exercise. If you call all the above "non exercise" then you would probably be at or above "very active". But then you wouldn't have to be careful not to double log some of that activity as exercise on top!

    I have an extremely sedentary job and walk a lot for exercise. Sufficiently so that I have now set myself up in MFP as very active--but my "bonus" exercise adjustments are now much smaller than before.
    Still, this allows me to better plan my eating schedule instead of having nothing in the morning and too much at night!
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    When in doubt pick the lower option.

    The difference isn't all that large is it?

    Means you might lose slightly more than your goal.

    Choosing sedentary when your very active I can see being and issue but active to lightly active, fugedaboutit.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited April 2015
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    stefng33 wrote: »
    Wake up, walk, eat, workout.. Then go to work.
    3 full meals and 2 snacks per day.
    Weekend is refeed time for me but I'm also tweaking this a bit too.
    Mostly eat according to macros but sometimes over in one area. Learning to balance this. Rarely over in Cals unless it's the wknd and I gorged!
    I'm upping the protein now to 147 grams a day.
    I work in a situation where I'm mostly always on my feet, but not crazy physically demanding work. Stuff like laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. don't really stop until about 9pm when I do some stretches and downtime. Sleep well. Repeat.
    I don't workout on the weekends but I walk a ton!

    Is this what you're looking for?

    you are doing moderate-intensity activity 5/7 days, all day. pick active

    http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/physical_activity_intensity/en/
    Merkavar wrote: »
    When in doubt pick the lower option.

    The difference isn't all that large is it?

    Means you might lose slightly more than your goal.

    Choosing sedentary when your very active I can see being and issue but active to lightly active, fugedaboutit.

    disagree - i think people should lose while eating as much as they can get away with. this makes things easier, more comfortable, makes for fewer hangry kitchen raids, makes maintenance easier, etc etc
  • NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner
    NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner Posts: 1,018 Member
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    I have mine set to lightly active but never eat any extra exercise calories back. That way I feel I have covered myself as I walk everywhere and have a on my feet most of the day job.

    I tried having it set at sedentary and letting my Fitbit give me extra calories but that was ridiculous as I'm not sedentary and really didn't want to be eating an extra 1000 calories on top of the 1280 it gave me On MFP ha ha.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Ok what if you pick lightly active or active, and your calories are adjusted higher. What happens, if forever reason on some days here and there you are not lightly active or active. Do you still eat your active amount of calories allocated to you?
    The reason i'm asking is because i upped mine from sedentary to lightly active a couple days ago. But i cant promise hand on heart that i'm going to be lightly active every single day... What if i go visit my mum or a friend and sit around the whole day chatting, doing zero activity, do i still eat the same amount of calories or i do i go back to sedentary on those days.
    Am i over thinking things?? :#
  • barbiereynolds701
    barbiereynolds701 Posts: 98 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    Ok what if you pick lightly active or active, and your calories are adjusted higher. What happens, if forever reason on some days here and there you are not lightly active or active. Do you still eat your active amount of calories allocated to you?
    The reason i'm asking is because i upped mine from sedentary to lightly active a couple days ago. But i cant promise hand on heart that i'm going to be lightly active every single day... What if i go visit my mum or a friend and sit around the whole day chatting, doing zero activity, do i still eat the same amount of calories or i do i go back to sedentary on those days.
    Am i over thinking things?? :#

    If youve enabled the negative calorie option, fitbit will subtract on days your more inactive.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    barbiereynolds701 wrote: »
    christinev297 wrote: »
    Ok what if you pick lightly active or active, and your calories are adjusted higher. What happens, if forever reason on some days here and there you are not lightly active or active. Do you still eat your active amount of calories allocated to you?
    The reason i'm asking is because i upped mine from sedentary to lightly active a couple days ago. But i cant promise hand on heart that i'm going to be lightly active every single day... What if i go visit my mum or a friend and sit around the whole day chatting, doing zero activity, do i still eat the same amount of calories or i do i go back to sedentary on those days.
    Am i over thinking things?? :#

    If youve enabled the negative calorie option, fitbit will subtract on days your more inactive.

    Yes I have enabled them. They haven't had a chance to take anything away.... yet
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    OP never said he had a Fitbit.

    The only way to know is to try a calorie number for a while and see if you lose weight at the expected pace. Let's say you put 'lightly active' and your goal is 1lb/week. If after 4-6 weeks you're losing weight much faster than 1lb/week, then you can increase your activity level or your calorie goal since you're probably more active than you think you are. If after 4-6 weeks you're averaging slower losses, decrease your activity level since you're probably less active than you think. (Remember to discount the first couple of weeks since lots of people lose faster than usual due to an initial water weight drop.)

    Sometimes you'll find your actual results are right in the middle of two activity levels. For instance, I lose faster than "lightly active" but slower than "active". In that case, I'd suggest choosing the more conservative one, and eating back more exercise calories.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I just wasn't sure if i should start a whole new thread, when there was probably a simple answer...

    Would be interested how people who don't have a device do this?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    I just wasn't sure if i should start a whole new thread, when there was probably a simple answer...

    Would be interested how people who don't have a device do this?

    They set to the activity level that represents their job eg desk job =sedentary

    Then they log exercise and halve the MFP given calories

    Then they judge their weight loss

    Much easier to use a fitbit and only log non step based

    I'm still set to sedentary ..I like it that way if I ever want to couch potato I will ...have only had 1 day less than 2500 steps in 9 months though
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    They pick a number, measure actual results against it, and adjust as necessary. They also don't worry about minor fluctuations each day in activity level, knowing it all averages out in the end.

    Fitbits are fine for people who like them. I got one for free a few months back and tested it out for 30 days and found that it wasn't for me; it gave me data that was pretty much moot for me, and sorta made me feel like a lab rat for wearing it.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
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    stefng33 wrote: »
    hey there! So I want to know what the difference is between lightly active and active?
    I have mine set to lightly and so my deficit is about 1470. This works for me. But I wonder if I'm more on the active scale and if so, should I be putting myself there in terms of calories? I figured it's a good thing if I can handle a lower deficit because I'll be that much more likely to lose weight...even when I refeed, since in technically already eating much less than I can handle.
    Is this true?? Anyone know??

    Lately I've been feeling quite hungry but I am sure it's that I am not eating enough protein.

    How long does it take to start figuring all this out? I want to do what's best for my body.

    Thanks all :)

    You have a deficit of 1470 calories? Did you mean calorie target?

    Do you also mean "if I can handle a lower *calorie target*"?

    If you're hungry, make sure you're getting enough fat and fibre also. And get protein and fibre each time you eat, not just in total. But if you seriously have a 1470 deficit, that would explain the hunger.

    Do you really only have 12 lbs to lose, or is your ticker wrong?
  • stefng33
    stefng33 Posts: 49 Member
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    I told you I'm new at this! Lol. Learning the language especially ;)

    I have a deficit of 600 I guess. Im always eating protein and fat. My meals are relatively balanced aside from some adjustments I'm learning to make ; too much fat sometimes or too many carbs..that sort of thing.
  • stefng33
    stefng33 Posts: 49 Member
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    And the fat is mostly 'good' !

    I lost 4lbs in the first month...so I guess according to all of you( and thank you so much for your input), I'm right where I should be :)
    If we're already in a deficit, it's fine to eat back the exercise calories as far as I've come to learn.
  • stefng33
    stefng33 Posts: 49 Member
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    Oh and did I say somewhere that I want to lose 12lbs??

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