I am a nurse, what should be my activity level?

cdm26

Hello all

I am a nurse on a cardiac unit and spend most of my shift running around. Ive put a pedometer on my phone and I average at least 10,000 steps a shift and usually more. Ive just stared my fitness pal and am wondering if I should put my settings to active or very active?

CSARdiver

Are you trying to lose weight? Keep your settings however you need to in order to fulfill your goals - if you're trying to lose, then ensure you have a deficit. Note there's a 20% degree of error in nutritional labeling, so you need to compensate for this.

lilawolf

Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

If you are just walking around then Active. If you are physically lifting patients, carrying heavy things etc then very active. What about your days off? Remember that it has to average out over the seven days. 10,000 steps a day puts me calorie wise at about lightly active. I pick sedentary and then let my fitbit give me the calories if I walk that much (I often don't with a desk job).

I'd pick either lightly active or active. If you are losing too fast then up the level, if you aren't losing fast enough, then drop a level.

cdm26

CSARdiver wrote: »

Are you trying to lose weight? Keep your settings however you need to in order to fulfill your goals - if you're trying to lose, then ensure you have a deficit. Note there's a 20% degree of error in nutritional labeling, so you need to compensate for this.

Ya im trying to lose, but how do I tell if im having a deficiet ? I have no idea how any of this works, could you explain a bit more?

CSARdiver

Caloric deficit - basically eat less, move more.

If your caloric intake (CI) is 2000 and your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is 2500, you're maintaining a deficit of 500/day (lb a week of loss).

cdm26

lilawolf wrote: »

Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

If you are just walking around then Active. If you are physically lifting patients, carrying heavy things etc then very active. What about your days off? Remember that it has to average out over the seven days. 10,000 steps a day puts me calorie wise at about lightly active. I pick sedentary and then let my fitbit give me the calories if I walk that much (I often don't with a desk job).

I'd pick either lightly active or active. If you are losing too fast then up the level, if you aren't losing fast enough, then drop a level.

Oh yes lots of lifting of heavy patients. Days off i usually go on hikes anywhere from 5-20km. I also play volleyball and soccer.

lilawolf

This is what you really need:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

bivski

First i would talk to a dietitian find out how many calories you should be consuming. I'm sure you see them at work everyday. Once you find out go into the setting place that amount. Start logging your meals and exercise plus what your pedometer says. When you press the complete button it will tell how you are doing, whether you ate enough that day or not. When i finish the day it says you will weigh this amount if you eat like this in 5 weeks. I get it telling me "I say yelling" at me that I haven't eaten enough.

lilawolf

cdm26 wrote: »

lilawolf wrote: »

Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

If you are just walking around then Active. If you are physically lifting patients, carrying heavy things etc then very active. What about your days off? Remember that it has to average out over the seven days. 10,000 steps a day puts me calorie wise at about lightly active. I pick sedentary and then let my fitbit give me the calories if I walk that much (I often don't with a desk job).

I'd pick either lightly active or active. If you are losing too fast then up the level, if you aren't losing fast enough, then drop a level.

Oh yes lots of lifting of heavy patients. Days off i usually go on hikes anywhere from 5-20km. I also play volleyball and soccer.

Then definitely read the links. People who are that active tend to under rather than over eat when getting started. I set my activity level to sedentary, use my fitbit for step stuff and then log my lifting and martial arts separately. Then I look at my weekly average rather than daily. I may net less than 1000 calories on one day, and 2000 the next, but as long as it averages out to my goal, it's all good. I like this method because I only get the calories when I do the work, and its flexible enough that I can eat out and have other "splurges".

The simpler way to go, if your activity level is fairly constant week to week, is to calculate how much you usually burn (Your TDEE), subtract 20% and set your calorie level there. Do NOT log exercise calories. I tended to slack a bit on this and didn't like not getting the "pat on the back" of logging the exercise.

You can combine these methods in any way you see fit. IE you could calculate TDEE with all of your nursing work, but then log soccer etc separate.