What would I put my activity level at?

NavajoGirl85

I've always been curious about this question. I work Monday through Thursday cleaning homes for the elderly. Usually I work anywhere between 5 to 7 hours a day. On Friday through Sunday I am usually busy running doing different things probably only sit down an average of 2 to 3 hours a day. I don't ever know what to put my activity level on. I'm pretty sure I'm lightly active on here. At work I do everything from cleaning kitchens, cleaning bathrooms, dusting. Pretty much everything a house needs. The clients I have have me come once a week, some two times a month and some of them once a month but I average about 2 houses a day, not including my own house. Any suggestions? I'm losing weight now although I'm not eating all my calories as it is and for the last couple of days I have been in yo-yo between 196 and 197 pounds due to water weight or a little constipation.

mrsmeteor

That sounds like more than lightly active to me; I'd think that would be active.

NavajoGirl85

Diem78 wrote: »

I'd chose lightly active or active. Sounds like either would be fine. Lightly active may give you less cals to eat but at least then you'd know you're not going over-- especially when you have slightly less active weeks/days. Your choice though!

In order to be safe I chose lightly active. Sometimes I'm so super busy that I don't even sit down until after 10 p.m. but then there are days where I am not as busy.

mrsmeteor

NavajoGirl85 wrote: »

Diem78 wrote: »

I'd chose lightly active or active. Sounds like either would be fine. Lightly active may give you less cals to eat but at least then you'd know you're not going over-- especially when you have slightly less active weeks/days. Your choice though!

In order to be safe I chose lightly active. Sometimes I'm so super busy that I don't even sit down until after 10 p.m. but then there are days where I am not as busy.

Well, if you have days where you're not as busy then lightly active makes more sense. I did housecleaning as a job in the summers when I was in college and remember it as being pretty active. After years of working at a desk job maybe my perspective is skewed.

size102b

I set it at sedentary then eat 1/2 exercise calories not housework etc but any exercise that is more than usual housework etc
Then eat only upto 1/2 your exercise calories back
I do this as it's really hard to know our real activity level

size102b

NavajoGirl85 wrote: »

Diem78 wrote: »

I'd chose lightly active or active. Sounds like either would be fine. Lightly active may give you less cals to eat but at least then you'd know you're not going over-- especially when you have slightly less active weeks/days. Your choice though!

In order to be safe I chose lightly active. Sometimes I'm so super busy that I don't even sit down until after 10 p.m. but then there are days where I am not as busy.

Don't forget our body's get used to what we do and I only add exercise I do not any household chores or I'd have tons calories

PAV8888

Activity is activity.
This level of activity is more than MFP's active setting.

NavajoGirl85

mrsmeteor wrote: »

NavajoGirl85 wrote: »

Diem78 wrote: »

I'd chose lightly active or active. Sounds like either would be fine. Lightly active may give you less cals to eat but at least then you'd know you're not going over-- especially when you have slightly less active weeks/days. Your choice though!

In order to be safe I chose lightly active. Sometimes I'm so super busy that I don't even sit down until after 10 p.m. but then there are days where I am not as busy.

Well, if you have days where you're not as busy then lightly active makes more sense. I did housecleaning as a job in the summers when I was in college and remember it as being pretty active. After years of working at a desk job maybe my perspective is skewed.

I would say that I have 5 days a month where I'm not running doing stuff or working.

NavajoGirl85

size102b wrote: »

NavajoGirl85 wrote: »

Diem78 wrote: »

I'd chose lightly active or active. Sounds like either would be fine. Lightly active may give you less cals to eat but at least then you'd know you're not going over-- especially when you have slightly less active weeks/days. Your choice though!

In order to be safe I chose lightly active. Sometimes I'm so super busy that I don't even sit down until after 10 p.m. but then there are days where I am not as busy.

Don't forget our body's get used to what we do and I only add exercise I do not any household chores or I'd have tons calories

I don't add any of the things I do to the houses to my excersises.

NavajoGirl85

This is why it's confusing because 5-6 days a week I'm very active and the then for a day I'm still active but I'm at home so I do some sitting in between things.

Tacklewasher

Set it as active and then see what happens with your weight loss vs. expectations for a month or 2. If you lose weight too fast, up the activity level.