Need advice about my activity level and cal goals

Niki_Fitz

I'm confused about whether to be "lightly active" or "active" for my activity level.

I work four days a week on my feet. I work out 5 days a week for 30-90 minutes (probably 45 minutes on average) jogging or resistance training. I also walk my dogs a few days a week and I have a toddler and lots of housework.

My calorie goal as a "lightly active" person was 1350 for 1lb/week rate of loss. I'm 132 lbs, 5'6", down from 142. I have eaten over my calorie goal many times since starting three months ago and still lost this weight which is leading me to think I could officially up my calories.

I reset my activity level for "active" and MFP gave me 1550 calories to keep losing the last few lbs. Does this number make sense?

Any help appreciated!

Lillymoo01

Keep it at lightly active and add you workout calories on top of this. Your activity level is based on your day to day activity and there is the expectation that you add exercise calories separately. Aim to eat back 1/2 to 2/3 of your exercise calories to begin with and moniter how it affects your weight loss because it is easy to over estimate calorie burn.

Either that or increase your activity level to active but remember that if you have a few too many days away from the gym you will be overeating for that time.

kimny72

On mfp, your activity level is for your everyday lifestyle. Then you log dedicated exercise and eat back at least some of those calories as well.

Considering you have a toddler and an active job, you probably could go to active. The only way to tell is try it out and see what happens! All any calculator can do is estimate, you'll find the right set up through trial and error.

10 lbs in 3 months is great considering you're already fairly light. Congrats on your success so far :drinker:

nowine4me

You know you can set your own calories, right? So you can keep your activity level where it is and bump up to 1450 (or whatever) and see how it goes.

SmithsonianEmpress

I'm 5'5", 136...down from 144--3 months ago. I'm on 1800 calories a day, I have 3 toddlers and I workout probably on average 4/5 times a week also running and lifting. Im set at lightly active and .5 lb loss a week. I'm happy with my loss rate thus far.

Niki_Fitz

I think I will keep it at "lightly active" and start eating back exercise calories more often and see what happens. Because that's a good point about rest days, @Lillymoo01. They aren't always THAT active. I'll eat close to 1750 most days, and less on rest days. And I can increase that by just 100 manually if I'm feeling it isn't enough. Good tip, @nowine4me, I hadn't thought of that.

@SmithsonianEmpress - you stick to 1800 without adding exercise calories in, right? Did you start out logging that way too?

Thanks @kimny72, you're right that whatever happens I will just need to adjust as I go.

SmithsonianEmpress

wellnesschaser wrote: »

I think I will keep it at "lightly active" and start eating back exercise calories more often and see what happens. Because that's a good point about rest days, @Lillymoo01. They aren't always THAT active. I'll eat close to 1750 most days, and less on rest days. And I can increase that by just 100 manually if I'm feeling it isn't enough. Good tip, @nowine4me, I hadn't thought of that.

@SmithsonianEmpress - you stick to 1800 without adding exercise calories in, right? Did you start out logging that way too?

Thanks @kimny72, you're right that whatever happens I will just need to adjust as I go.

Correct. I don't eat back exercise calories. I never did. I initially started with 1600 calories about a year ago. I wanted to eat more and I started lifting weights so I increased it about 4/5 months ago.

CarlsbergLewis

I think the best thing for you to do is reverse diet.
Basically add 100 calories a week onto your current calories.
And weight weekly and the aim is to get a higher calorie maintenance while your weight stays the same.
Have a little read up on a reverse diet