Should MFP always be set to sedentary?

Colorscheme

So, I have a simple question. Should I always leave MFP to sedentary, or should I change it? I've been hitting the gym 4x a week [Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun], doing 40-50 mins at a 10-13 mph pace, and covering 8-11 miles on the recumbent bike each session. I've always set MFP to sedentary, and track through my Fitbit. And I do my own bike calculations to get an accurate calorie burn, because the bike vastly underestimates it. Wonder if it's worth changing over to lightly active or something since I also take 8-10k steps daily regardless if I go to the gym or not.

Ninkyou

If you're doing 8-10k steps in addition to exercise, then yes, you should change it since you're not actually sedentary.

cwolfman13

It should only be sedentary if you're actually sedentary...

GottaBurnEmAll

It depends on you. If you're always consistent, change it. If you're not, don't change it.

Changing it will just affect how Fitbit handles the adjustment. I get over 20K steps and have both MFP and Fitbit set to sedentary, but that's simply because I like doing it that way (and in case I get sidelined by a migraine).

PAV8888

You're not sedentary. You're above MFP lightly active.

By changing you will start with more calories and get less of a Fitbit integration positive adjustment.

I am personally set to highly active, and having negative adjustments enabled lets me know that I have to get my **kitten** moving, or eat less than normal today.

Ultimately the total calories Fitbit and MFP will suggest that you should have eaten will be the exact same by end of day, midnight.

But how the numbers are presented and how they fluctuate through the day will differ depending on your starting level.

Colorscheme

cwolfman13 wrote: »

It should only be sedentary if you're actually sedentary...

I guess since I've started going the gym, I'm no longer sedentary, ha. Normally I'd be lightly active through the week with sedentary days on the weekends. That obviously has changed...and for the better

PAV8888 wrote: »

You're not sedentary. You're above MFP lightly active.

By changing you will start with more calories and get less of a Fitbit integration positive adjustment.

I am personally set to highly active, and having negative adjustments enabled lets me know that I have to get my **kitten** moving, or eat less than normal today.

Ultimately the total calories Fitbit and MFP will suggest that you should have eaten will be the exact same by end of day, midnight.

But how the numbers are presented and how they fluctuate through the day will differ depending on your starting level.

What do you recommend I set my setting to? I'm a stay at home mom so other than going to the gym or taking purposeful steps, I don't really do much.

spiriteagle99

If you are manually adding in your exercise sessions, you wouldn't need to change your activity level. I am sedentary, spending most of my time sitting, aside from daily walks and runs. I add them in manually and eat back the calories. I don't eat back the extra steps that show on my watch that are just part of living.

GottaBurnEmAll

PAV8888 wrote: »

You're not sedentary. You're above MFP lightly active.

By changing you will start with more calories and get less of a Fitbit integration positive adjustment.

I am personally set to highly active, and having negative adjustments enabled lets me know that I have to get my **kitten** moving, or eat less than normal today.

Ultimately the total calories Fitbit and MFP will suggest that you should have eaten will be the exact same by end of day, midnight.

But how the numbers are presented and how they fluctuate through the day will differ depending on your starting level.

Hating the idea of negative adjustments is partially why I don't change my settings. I know, I'm a weirdo

PAV8888

8-10 + gym is **active** or more because 8-10k steps is active by itself before the gym.

12500 to 15500 steps (for most people yada yada) is the limits of MFP very active.

Personal preference.

I would set to active with negative enabled and see how it goes.

Lightly active you're guaranteed to exceed.

Active you will exceed most of the time but you will be in the red on a day you sit around with no gym and you will lose calories when you're sedentary at night.

MFP and Fitbit start at Mifflin st jeor BMR.

MFP gives you BMR x 1.25, x 1.4, x1.6, x1.8 for sedentary to highly active. And splits it in 1440 minute increment for the day.

Fitbit gives you BMR x 1.0. And then records extra activity (not sure whether in 1, 3 or 5 minute averages) and adds it in as you burn it.

So MFP assumes that you will continue moving equally all day.

When you go to bed early or sit at your TV, your adjustment will reduce by 0.25, 0.4, 0.6 or 0.8 Cal a minute.

With that in mind picking the closest to reality results in the smallest adjustments.

Colorscheme

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

If you are manually adding in your exercise sessions, you wouldn't need to change your activity level. I am sedentary, spending most of my time sitting, aside from daily walks and runs. I add them in manually and eat back the calories. I don't eat back the extra steps that show on my watch that are just part of living.

Yes, I do add the biking manually in the fitbit app, because it does not detect recumbent biking. But the steps and the calories from that are automatic as I enabled negative calorie adjustment.

Colorscheme

PAV8888 wrote: »

8-10 + gym is **active** or more because 8-10k steps is active by itself before the gym.

12500 to 15500 steps (for most people yada yada) is the limits of MFP very active.

Personal preference.

I would set to active with negative enabled and see how it goes.

Lightly active you're guaranteed to exceed.

Active you will exceed most of the time but you will be in the red on a day you sit around with no gym and you will lose calories when you're sedentary at night.

MFP and Fitbit start at Mifflin st jeor BMR.

MFP gives you BMR x 1.25, x 1.4, x1.6, x1.8 for sedentary to highly active. And splits it in 1440 minute increment for the day.

Fitbit gives you BMR x 1.0. And then records extra activity (not sure whether in 1, 3 or 5 minute averages) and adds it in as you burn it.

So MFP assumes that you will continue moving equally all day.

When you go to bed early or sit at your TV, your adjustment will reduce by 0.25, 0.4, 0.6 or 0.8 Cal a minute.

With that in mind picking the closest to reality results in the smallest adjustments.

thank you, will do.