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MyFitnessPal Community

Activity levels - Based on steps?

FatMoojor

I have been thinking about the activity levels that MFP uses for its calc. Wouldn't it be more useful is they put something which the user could actually relate to?

I do an office job and spend most of my day sitting, but since I started counting steps for a challenge thing, I found I do at least 10k steps on a daily basis without going out of my way to do any extra walking.

So how does having a basic, non workout average of 5 miles a day now relate back to the activity level?

Replies

Clarewho

I would say that's lightly active. It would be helpful if they put in terms of steps though wouldn't it. Save guesswork!

There is a definition of each level on the website which might help. I couldn't find it on the app when is what I usually use but I googled it one day and it was quite helpful.

SezxyStef

1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035

Yes your activity level is based on pre exercise movement.

Jerseygrrl

SezxyStef wrote: »

1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035

Yes your activity level is based on pre exercise movement.

Thank you for posting this. This makes SO MUCH MORE sense than "desk job, etc..."

DeguelloTex

I average way over 12,500 steps a day and setting activity to highly active would really skew my results.

The easiest thing for me was just to leave it at sedentary and adjust what I ate to get the rate of loss I wanted.

SezxyStef

DeguelloTex wrote: »

I average way over 12,500 steps a day and setting activity to highly active would really skew my results.

The easiest thing for me was just to leave it at sedentary and adjust what I ate to get the rate of loss I wanted.

I had mine set at lightly active based on my average of 8500 pre exercise...

I have since started using my activity tracker as it is suppose to be...so mine is set to sedentary now too with negative adjustments...it's all in personal preference.

SezxyStef

Jerseygrrl wrote: »

SezxyStef wrote: »

1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035

Yes your activity level is based on pre exercise movement.

Thank you for posting this. This makes SO MUCH MORE sense than "desk job, etc..."

welcome glad I could help...

DeguelloTex

SezxyStef wrote: »

DeguelloTex wrote: »

I average way over 12,500 steps a day and setting activity to highly active would really skew my results.

The easiest thing for me was just to leave it at sedentary and adjust what I ate to get the rate of loss I wanted.

I had mine set at lightly active based on my average of 8500 pre exercise...

I have since started using my activity tracker as it is suppose to be...so mine is set to sedentary now too with negative adjustments...it's all in personal preference.

Definitely preference, but basing it on specifics rather than broader categories can often help. I mean, 12,450 and 12,600 steps is a pretty small difference in reality but could make a pretty big difference in calorie allotment if it bumps you from one activity level to the next.

FatMoojor

Stef, thanks for that. I had found something similar but it was just on a random website. Had no information linked as to where the numbers had come from.

I think information like that is such a better starting place for people using this site. Quantifiable information is 100% more useful than any of the generic groupings.

Going by what you have posted, I would put my MFP activity levels at around somewhat active, then also eat back around 50% of my exercise calories.

Use that for maybe 4 week, track loss and then adjust accordingly. Going straight in at sedentary because I do a desk job and eating back 50% exercise calories will leave me feeling hungry.

FatMoojor

So, looking at the details from the site linked and then checking back in MFP, there is a slight offset by that research having an extra level of activity
If we were to try and link to the options given on this site, what do people think about the following.

Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job) <5000 steps
Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman) 5000 - 9999 steps
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman) 10k - 15k steps
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter) >15k steps

CurlyCockney

SezxyStef wrote: »

1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035

Yes your activity level is based on pre exercise movement.

Thank you so much for this! It's frustrating for me as I really am sedentary most of the time (powerchair user) and my steps average <100 per day. I couldn't figure out why I was having calories stolen (that's how I like to think of it) because I didn't reach a goal that I hadn't set! I've disabled negative adjustments now, but your explanation at least makes sense of it for me

LisannevdL

I use an activity tracker to track my steps and set MFP to make negative adjusments. I've set MFP to sedentary but I actually need 9000+ steps in order for me to get out of the negative zone when my activity tracker adjusts my calories burned.

wshepler

This might help

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/monica-reinagel-ms-ldn-cns/how-trackers-can-sabotage-weight-loss_b_9642104.html

PAV8888

Suggest:

Sedentary below 5k (most people get positive adjustments after 3500)

Lightly active tends to be exceeded by 7500

Active tends to be exceeded by 11.5k or so

Very active tends to be exceeded by 15.5k

Factors used by MFP are: 1.25x, 1.4x, 1.6x and 1.8x BMR

A connected tracker offers more gradation by using arbitrary activity levels and an activity adjustment to MFP.

When you connect a tracker with neg adjustments enabled your final calories for the day will be the same regardless of what activity level you start up from.

*Saw post above re chair user: tracker has to be able to effectively track most of your activity. Step oriented trackers do have limitations

Eat per plan.

Use trending weight app.

After 4 to 6 weeks including complete cycle for women evaluate progress based on expected (according to logging) and actual (based on trending weight changes) results and adjust goals accordingly.

Keep deficits to no more than 20% of TDEE, 25% if obese levels of energy reserves are available to be lost.

Have fun. Explore new lower calorie options! (Or higher calorie options if bulking!!!)

Francl27

Necro post...

PAV8888

Ugh

PAV8888

And ugh that the revive was that article which helps nothing