Activity levels and calories

ItsNotLost23

Okay so 5 days a week I am out in the city walking around doing deliveries (postmates and ubereats)...i walk slow...medium...fast. for about 6-8 hours...during that time...i may catch a bus or train 2-3 times maybe i sit about...1 hour tops each day.

I dont know if i should count this as working out or change my activity level to like...Active...when i do that..it gives me 1k more calories to eat..and guys...the more calories i have available..the worse i eat..its.very hard to eat 2700 calories of healthy food for me. Since i work outside all day theres no fridge to keep my food in..i have to eat breakfast before i leave and buy lunch every day then come home which is an airbnb at the moment and eat fruits or veggies because therenis no stove to cook.


So i guess the biggest question is....should i just....leave my activity level at like..desk job...and just eat those calories and forget about all the calories i burn while working? Maybe it will be harder...but let me tell ya....whats i feel is worse is getting 2 big macs because i know they are on sale 2 for 5 and i have 1k calories left for the day at 9pm....


Mfp worked for me before..but id dropped the calories to like 1800 a day at 400lbs and if i went over a little i didnt beat myself up. Now im back up 43lbs of the lbs i lost and in a completly different situation...yall know im worried about that whole starvation mode stuff

StaciMarie1974

First: starvation mode is a myth.
Second: calories are fuel, they are not good or bad.

I don't know your stats, but the key may be to find somewhere in the middle. Perhaps go with Lightly Active for your settings, and know that the extra activity on your 5 work days averages out for your off days where you are not as active.

Third: determine your next course of action based on your results. If lightly active gives you 2000-2200 calories per day, try that for 4-5 weeks. If you're losing weight, good. If your results seem too fast or too slow, then adjust.

catsdogsh

2700 calories a day is a huge amount of food!! Are you over 6 feet tall? I can't imagine anyone can lose on that unless they are at the gym all day

janejellyroll

catsdogsh wrote: »

2700 calories a day is a huge amount of food!! Are you over 6 feet tall? I can't imagine anyone can lose on that unless they are at the gym all day

Did you read OP's description of her job? She says she is walking for 6-8 hours a day, which will increase her calorie needs.

OP, even if you don't have much ability to cook there is stuff you can use to round out your calories besides fruits and vegetables. If I wasn't able to cook at night, I would try to find some individual servings of cooked grains (like rice cups) and mix in nut butter/nuts and have that with my fruits and vegetables. Things like bagels or English muffins don't require cooking. If you have any access to refrigeration for your meals in the evening, tubs of hummus or guacamole will also help you add calories to your meals (you can even get individual serving sizes of these if you're concerned about portion control). Canned beans can be eaten without heating them up -- I have found on work trips that I don't mind the taste of room temperature refried beans or black beans, especially when they are mixed with salsa. Fold some in a tortilla with your favorite toppings and you've got a bean burrito. If you can heat water, you can make oatmeal -- you can buy individual cups that are pre-flavored, but these tend to be expensive and have more sugar than I like. I like to make savory oats with nut butter and hot sauce mixed in if I'm having them for dinner.

In short, your situation sounds less than ideal, but there is still plenty that you can eat and meet your needs. If you are walking all day, I wouldn't choose sedentary for activity level without eating at least some calories back. You're an active person and if you don't want to burn yourself out, your diet should reflect that.