Daily activity level

rshouse87

How do you know what your daily activity level is? I've been saying that I'm lightly active since I started my weight loss seven months ago. But for the past 3 to 4 months I've had my step goal set at 15,000 a day. I usually get between 18,000 and 25,000 steps daily which averages out to roughly 3 1/2 hours of exercise total. Over the past couple weeks I've been running as well as walking to get those steps. I've also recently added in a weight lifting routine as well. Would I still be considered lightly active? Thank you for any answers that you have.

StaciMarie1974

Are you using a Fitbit or similar tracker and have it synced with MFP to adjust your calories daily based on actual activity? If so then your activity level setting does not matter as MFP.

If you don't have a tracker synced - then judge by results. Are you losing faster or slower than expected based on the calorie consumption you're logging? If faster than expected, then you are more active than you selected and can increase it to allow for more calories.

rshouse87

I'll try to be more specific. I am using a garmin vivoactive and have it synced with mfp. On a typical day I usually have about 1,200 extra calories based off of my garmin device and when I have the calorie counts from the exercise machines I use it can go as high and 1,900 calories burned. I've hit a snag with the weight loss and am wondering if might be because my body is holding on to the weight because it's not getting enough calories. The thing is, I don't ever not eat when I feel hungry but I usually stay under the 2,150 calories that I'm supposed to eat a day. Thank you for the quick response!

LivingtheLeanDream

With those high steps you are active/very active according to mfp. But if you're using fitbit or other tracking device it'll sync with Mfp anyway so the guesswork is done for you.

It doesn't matter what your activity level is set to on here your tracker will adjust with mfp accordingly.

TeaBea

Scratch that..........

Calorie burns from machines are highly suspect. If you aren't losing it's not because you are eating too little. How long have you, not been losing?

Do you use a digital food scale for measuring food, or measuring cups? My guess is you are eating more than you think, or your calorie burn is less than you think. Double check your MFP entries. Some of them are flat out wrong. Consider investing in a food scale if you don't already use one.

StaciMarie1974

If the exercise machines are step based, don't log them. Let the Garmin transmit your activity information. If you're ending the day with 1200 extra calories then feel free to eat some of them.

If you're not losing weight - that is a separate matter. How many cals a day are you eating? Do you weigh all solids with a food scale? How long since you recorded a loss? What is your current height/weight?

rshouse87 wrote: »

I'll try to be more specific. I am using a garmin vivoactive and have it synced with mfp. On a typical day I usually have about 1,200 extra calories based off of my garmin device and when I have the calorie counts from the exercise machines I use it can go as high and 1,900 calories burned. I've hit a snag with the weight loss and am wondering if might be because my body is holding on to the weight because it's not getting enough calories. The thing is, I don't ever not eat when I feel hungry but I usually stay under the 2,150 calories that I'm supposed to eat a day. Thank you for the quick response!

rshouse87

Thank you again! So mfp says that I should eat 2,150 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week. Should I eat more than that based on my activity level as described in previous posts on this thread? Could that be a reason that my weight loss has stalled?

StaciMarie1974

rshouse87 wrote: »

Thank you again! So mfp says that I should eat 2,150 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week. Should I eat more than that based on my activity level as described in previous posts on this thread? Could that be a reason that my weight loss has stalled?

Not enough info to even know if you have 'stalled'.

Current height & weight? Food scale use? How often do you estimate/not log? When did you last lose weight?

rshouse87

I typically eat between 1,800 and 2,100 calories on a given day. I was stuck for about a month and a half, but I actually lost about 3 pounds this past Sunday. I actually don't have a food scale but I always follow the portions on labels for everything I eat. I'm 6 ft 1 inches. And I weigh 268 pounds.

rshouse87

And I log everything I eat. I may not have a food scale but pretty much everything I use to make my meals have portions on the back and I am very exact about the portions I use.

rshouse87

Sorry for being annoying, I just set my activity level on my goal section of mfp to active instead of lightly active because I figure that it's safe to assume that I am at least active. It upped my daily calorie goal by 400 calories.

stephenearllucas

You really need to get a food scale and weight everything--including items with nutrition labels--to be sure you are very accurate on the number of calories you are actually eating. This really is the key thing that has helped me lose weight. And don't use measuring cups and spoons for anything except actual liquids.

StaciMarie1974

If you're eating 1800-2100 and you're 6'1" and 268 pounds and not losing weight: you're eating more than you think. Eyeballing portions is unreliable unfortunately. Eating more will not make you lose weight. The label only tells you how much calories are in the serving. It does not tell you how many servings are on your plate.

rshouse87

Thanks for the help. I think my question has been answered. Based on mfp's calorie count for a given day I'm supposed to eat 2,150 calories to lose two pound a week on a lightly active activity level. Since I've seen you all say that with my step count and my garmin activity level adjustment I should considered active to highly active. After adjusting my activity level on the goal screen it told me I should be eating 2,570 calories a day with an active activity level. I'll look in to the food scale as well.

RoxieDawn

OP if you want to make this easier, set MFP to sendary, allow garmin to sync your exercise/activities to MFP. Choose to eat back a portion of the exercise calories, not all of them.

Garmin has a snag (I use garmin) with their total calories which in includes their own BMR calculation, and this is typically a little higher (in my case from 150 - 175 calorie difference). They are working on cases in including my own in which the activities and calories out are a problem. I finally took the adjustment off MFP and let it bring over exercise and no negative adjustment with setting set to sedentary.

So, my best advice is let the exercise come on over and choose how much of the exercise you need to eat back. I would start with 1/2 for a couple of weeks and up them or lower them as needed. I had to work on this for several weeks and even contacted garmin. What you are wanting to do is achieve the right energy balance you need to carry on your day and exercise and continue to loose weight.

RoxieDawn

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