Activity Level

mmartin0421
mmartin0421 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! Hoping to get some input on how I should classify my activity level. I'm a college student and consistently log 5+ mi per day on my fitbit. Should I enter myself as active or lightly active. I didn't think it was important but I discovered today that it changes my daily calorie intake by 200!

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    If your Fitbit is connected to MFP, then it's personal preference what your activity level is. A lower level will give you a lower base calorie amount and higher adjustment. A higher activity level means a higher base and lower adjustment, but at the end of the day you would still receive the same amount of calories.

    If they aren't connected, then it's definitely active.
  • IGbnat24
    IGbnat24 Posts: 520 Member
    I would call that lightly active.
  • MTDDS18
    MTDDS18 Posts: 62 Member
    I don't think it really matters much, because as a previous poster said when you go down in your activity level, it will just get made up by giving you more exercise calories.

    Personally, I'm a grad student and I put myself as sedentary because at school (aka my "job", I'm sitting down either in lecture or in a clinicians chair). I get roughly 15-18k steps a day and just take them as additional exercise calories.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    the suggestion is when you have an activity tracker sync'd to MFP is set your activity level to sedentary and let the tracker do what it's designed to do.

    but for reference

    Per this article
    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
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    Sedentary if you do nothing else and don't weigh anything you eat.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    LazSommer wrote: »
    Sedentary if you do nothing else and don't weigh anything you eat.

    that makes no sense...esp considering the OP uses a fitness tracker.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    the suggestion is when you have an activity tracker sync'd to MFP is set your activity level to sedentary and let the tracker do what it's designed to do.

    but for reference

    Per this article
    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

    this

    With a fitbit sync to MFP you put yourself on sedentary even when you are really active.
    The fitbit and MFP will do the rest for you.
    It calculates the differences. Active less active etc.

    95069916.png


  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    Sedentary if you do nothing else and don't weigh anything you eat.

    that makes no sense...esp considering the OP uses a fitness tracker.

    If they are working out then I would consider it lightly active. If you sit down the rest of the day and are actively trying to lose weight, I wouldn't up your lifestyle cals to sneak in an extra candy bar.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    LazSommer wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    Sedentary if you do nothing else and don't weigh anything you eat.

    that makes no sense...esp considering the OP uses a fitness tracker.

    If they are working out then I would consider it lightly active. If you sit down the rest of the day and are actively trying to lose weight, I wouldn't up your lifestyle cals to sneak in an extra candy bar.

    you missed a few things tho.

    MFP is on a NEAT formula so your activity level is based on non exercise activity.
    If you are using a fitness tracker for all movement you set yourself to sedentary and let the fitness tracker do what it's designed to do in conjunction with MFP.

    I am active even tho I have a desk job.

    I get in usually 8-9k steps a day without exercise, lift 4x a week and do cardio now that the snow is gone.

    I have my activity level set to sedentary in MFP (per the recommendations) and let my fitness tracker give me the extra calories to eat based on movement tracked, not guessed at.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    Sedentary if you do nothing else and don't weigh anything you eat.

    that makes no sense...esp considering the OP uses a fitness tracker.

    If they are working out then I would consider it lightly active. If you sit down the rest of the day and are actively trying to lose weight, I wouldn't up your lifestyle cals to sneak in an extra candy bar.

    you missed a few things tho.

    MFP is on a NEAT formula so your activity level is based on non exercise activity.
    If you are using a fitness tracker for all movement you set yourself to sedentary and let the fitness tracker do what it's designed to do in conjunction with MFP.

    I am active even tho I have a desk job.

    I get in usually 8-9k steps a day without exercise, lift 4x a week and do cardio now that the snow is gone.

    I have my activity level set to sedentary in MFP (per the recommendations) and let my fitness tracker give me the extra calories to eat based on movement tracked, not guessed at.

    Are you being purposely obtuse? I said set it to sedentary, just as you did. The only reason to up it is if that much walking was on top of daily exercise. I don't believe they are syncing their fitbit. Walking calories are not something I'd manually consider as something to eat back, which is the only reason to change the lifestyle setting.
  • mmartin0421
    mmartin0421 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    LazSommer wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    Sedentary if you do nothing else and don't weigh anything you eat.

    that makes no sense...esp considering the OP uses a fitness tracker.

    If they are working out then I would consider it lightly active. If you sit down the rest of the day and are actively trying to lose weight, I wouldn't up your lifestyle cals to sneak in an extra candy bar.

    you missed a few things tho.

    MFP is on a NEAT formula so your activity level is based on non exercise activity.
    If you are using a fitness tracker for all movement you set yourself to sedentary and let the fitness tracker do what it's designed to do in conjunction with MFP.

    I am active even tho I have a desk job.

    I get in usually 8-9k steps a day without exercise, lift 4x a week and do cardio now that the snow is gone.

    I have my activity level set to sedentary in MFP (per the recommendations) and let my fitness tracker give me the extra calories to eat based on movement tracked, not guessed at.

    Are you being purposely obtuse? I said set it to sedentary, just as you did. The only reason to up it is if that much walking was on top of daily exercise. I don't believe they are syncing their fitbit. Walking calories are not something I'd manually consider as something to eat back, which is the only reason to change the lifestyle setting.

    nope not being obtuse at all just pointing out the fallacy in your responses.


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