What should be my activity level?

wdreaper

My work is very sedentary - desk job sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day. I use this activity level (sedentary) to calculate my TDEE, however I bike to and from work about 20km one way 3 to 4 times a week at the moment. I do eat these calories back on most occasions...

I recently read an article that has left me somewhat confused and I hope people here can guide me in the right direction. It said that when doing moderate cardio exercise 3 to 4 times a week your body will start burning more calories at rest so your TDEE should increase.

My question is this... Should I be upping my activity level (to "active") to increase my TDEE on MFP and continue to add in my exercise calories? or does setting my level to "active" incorporate those exercise calories.

DeguelloTex

Are you gaining, losing, or maintaining weight at your current activity level and calorie intake?

wdreaper

I think I'm in a bit of recomp at the moment. I'm burning fat and building some LBM which gives the illusion that I am in maintenance. I do weights 4 times a week too...

DeguelloTex

Is it an illusion?

Either way, upping your activity level would incorporate some of the exercise, if any, you're doing now beyond what's included in your current activity level.

Really, though, those are all relatively ham-fisted estimates. Once you have a handle on your intake and your exercise, imo, it is more a question of adjusting your intake to fit you goals. Your actual results are going to be more accurate than the calculated ones from broad categories.

Is your body doing what you want it to right now? If so, your calorie level is fine where it is. If not, you could bump it up or down to get the results you want.

JMC3Terp

if you count the biking as exercise, i.e. you track it. I would probably keep your activity level as sedentary. however, if you do not track it, like a salesman or teacher probably wouldn't track standing around or pacing, then I would up your activity level.

vsheetz1

Keep at least 2000 physical activity calories per week.

WaterBunnie

I'd stick at sedentary if I were you unless you are also very active once you're home. I walk to work and back and don't get anything extra for that when FitBit syncs. Sedentary is dictated by your working life but it does cover the other areas of usual life too, it allows for the fact you've got to cook, clean and conduct your life etc If you find you're losing quicker than you should be then it's time to start reintroducing exercise calories but adjusting to active will give you far too many calories per hour when you're not active at work.

Azurite27

DeguelloTex wrote: »

Is it an illusion?

Either way, upping your activity level would incorporate some of the exercise, if any, you're doing now beyond what's included in your current activity level.

Really, though, those are all relatively ham-fisted estimates. Once you have a handle on your intake and your exercise, imo, it is more a question of adjusting your intake to fit you goals. Your actual results are going to be more accurate than the calculated ones from broad categories.

Is your body doing what you want it to right now? If so, your calorie level is fine where it is. If not, you could bump it up or down to get the results you want.

I would agree with this. I had to up my base calories after I entered maintenance to somewhere between sedentary and lightly active and also eat back a percentage of exercise calories (which was also found by trial and error).