Activity level question

brittanyarkward

I have mine set at sedentary, because when I started my journey I was. My question is do I raise my activity level as I become more active? Or do I leave it where it is? And what difference does it make?

jemhh

That activity level setting is based on your lifestyle, not on your exercise. So if your non-exercise activity increases, increase that setting.

leggup

^ This. You're meant to add your exercise on top of the activity level.

Activity Level: What you do every day during working hours. Office workers burn fewer calories during the day than teachers. Landscapers burn more calories per day than teachers, etc.
Exercise: Anything you do on top of your activity level.

For the past 2 years I have worked in an office. My activity level has stayed the same. However, when I started here, I was maybe logging 1-3 miles a week (100-300 exercise calories) that I got to eat. Nowadays I am burning 500+ calories per week with dance classes. My activity level (as far as MFP is concerned) is the same.

brittanyarkward

Thank you both! Makes more sense now.

218Beth

I chose sedentary because I sit on my butt for about 7.5 hours a day at work. But at home I'm moving much more as we have 2 kids, laundry room is in the basement, etc. I don't log any of that as exercise because to me, it's part of my daily lifestyle. Is this how everyone considers daily tasks at home?

jemhh

218Beth wrote: »

I chose sedentary because I sit on my butt for about 7.5 hours a day at work. But at home I'm moving much more as we have 2 kids, laundry room is in the basement, etc. I don't log any of that as exercise because to me, it's part of my daily lifestyle. Is this how everyone considers daily tasks at home?

I suggest setting it at sedentary and then if you seem to be losing weight too quickly, you could up it to lightly active or change your weekly loss rate so that you are eating more calories.

I work a sit down office job but need to set my activity to lightly active in order to get my calories to match what I know my true calorie needs are when I am following the MFP goal (I usually hand enter a goal but sometimes revert to MFP.) But I've been at this long enough to have figured that out.

218Beth

Thanks!