Changing daily activity level

Cynsonya

I was a little confused about my activity level. I originally chose lightly active due to my job. I'm a restaurant manager and am on my feet 40-50 hours a week. I've lost 13lbs in 3 weeks doing it that way. But on my 2.5 days off I'm most definitely sedentary. So I started changing my activity level based on my work schedule. So lightly active 4 days a week and sedentary 3 days a week.

Is this a good plan?

PAV8888

Too complicated and in all probability you are way more than lightly active during your days at work. You have a pedometer if I recall. if you are logging more than 10000 steps you are above the usual active threshold.

7500 steps puts you is lightly active. It corresponds to about an hour to an hour and a half worth of activity. And by activity I am not just talking exercise. I am talking about not sitting on the couch or at the computer.

In the highly unlikely event that you truly are sedentary on your days off (less than 35 minutes of activity or 3500 to 5000 steps), please just go out for an hour's walk, or go for a swim. Or even just go shopping. Or clean the house.

Any hour's worth of extra activity in addition to the minimal steps you take for your own personal care (such as visiting the bathroom and the fridge) easily pushes you to the lightly active category.

PAV8888

In other words in all probability your correct activity level is "Active" while you're at the restaurant (if not actually "highly active"), and it is probably "lightly active" while you're at home.

So lightly active is underestimating your activity level in general.

Unless activity trackers fail to recognize your steps at work (due to not taking enough steps in a row, or yours steps being too soft to register on carpet, for example) using an activity tracker with negative adjustments enabled will offload the calculation of your activity level to the tracker.

3dogsrunning

If you are talking about MFP's activity levels, they would account for the fact that we don't work 7 day work weeks. It is averaged out over the week. Pick one and stick with it, I wouldn't be switching.
Like the above poster said, you are probably actually above lightly active so I wouldn't sweat it.

Cynsonya

PAV8888 wrote: »

Unless activity trackers fail to recognize your steps at work (due to not taking enough steps in a row, or yours steps being too soft to register on carpet, for example) using an activity tracker with negative adjustments enabled will offload the calculation of your activity level to the tracker.

I believe this may be the issue. I worked 12 hours on my feet yesterday and both my pedometer and pedometer app on my cell were between 5000-6000. I couldn't believe they were so low.

Cynsonya

3dogsrunning wrote: »

If you are talking about MFP's activity levels, they would account for the fact that we don't work 7 day work weeks. It is averaged out over the week. Pick one and stick with it, I wouldn't be switching.
Like the above poster said, you are probably actually above lightly active so I wouldn't sweat it.

Thanks

ReadyWillingEager

What I personally do is add 200 calories with quick add on the days I don't work. Then I just have 200 less calories overall for the day (which is where I'd be at if I moved myself to sedentary. However I just restarted losing weight so I'm not sure if it's a perfect way to do it. Just giving you an alternative idea! Also you're probably more than lightly active

Cynsonya

ReadyWillingEager wrote: »

What I personally do is add 200 calories with quick add on the days I don't work. Then I just have 200 less calories overall for the day (which is where I'd be at if I moved myself to sedentary. However I just restarted losing weight so I'm not sure if it's a perfect way to do it. Just giving you an alternative idea! Also you're probably more than lightly active

Thanks for the idea! It's a good one