Follow up question to all these TDEE posts?!

mollyW2012

So, using www.scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I have figured my TDEE and 20%. My question is this, do I pick sedentary working a desk job or light activity 1-3 hours a week?

I work full time at a desk, rarely getting up throughout the day. I ride my bike to and from work, at 3-3 times a week (total of 30 mins per day). And, I work out 2 more times, on the weekends, usually about 45 mins.

Which should I choose?

kr1stadee

You don't pick any. You set Custom goals.

**sorry, re-reading. If you've figured out what your TDEE -20% is, then you would have picked your activity level already.

micheleb15

If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

Onesnap

I've always read that a desk job is considered sedentary because it is what you are doing 8-9 hours per day (versus working on your feet like a waiter or as a factory worker or in retail).

Even for those that work out 1 hour to 1.5 hours/day it's what you do the majority of your waking hours that counts.

At least that's for MFP.

For that Scooby site it looks like what you're doing is considered lightly active.

Onesnap

If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

TheCaren

I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?

jwdieter

You put your job activity level in MFP. Then you eat back exercise (i.e. activities not job) calories.

You put your total activity level in TDEE. Then you don't eat back exercise calories.

Onesnap

Here's the definitions as defined by MFP:

Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)

Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

Achrya

If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

kr1stadee

I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?

Just eat TDEE.. don't take any cuts. There's maintenance!

foleyshirley

I've always read that a desk job is considered sedentary because it is what you are doing 8-9 hours per day (versus working on your feet like a waiter or as a factory worker or in retail).

Even for those that work out 1 hour to 1.5 hours/day it's what you do the majority of your waking hours that counts.

At least that's for MFP.

For that Scooby site it looks like what you're doing is considered lightly active.

MFP doesn't take exercise into account when you pick an activity level. Then you add back in your calories you earned from exercising.

abnerner

Try this calc - it lets you put in more specifics - http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

Faye_Anderson

I'd definitely go with lightly active, that takes into account 1-3 hours of activity a day which would include your cycling and weekend workouts, although even if you chose sedentary and added back your exercise you'd probably be eating the same amount of calories so it doesn't really matter :flowerforyou:

kr1stadee

If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

This!!

OP - when figuring out your TDEE, choose Lightly Active. Do not log exercise calories.

micheleb15

If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

For Scooby, you have the option of 1-3 hours a week for light activity. I work at a desk job for 8 hours too. I walk to work and workout for a total of at least 45-60 min a day. I wouldn't put my activity level as sedentary, but that's just me. To each their own.

csuhar

So, using www.scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I have figured my TDEE and 20%. My question is this, do I pick sedentary working a desk job or light activity 1-3 hours a week?

I work full time at a desk, rarely getting up throughout the day. I ride my bike to and from work, at 3-3 times a week (total of 30 mins per day). And, I work out 2 more times, on the weekends, usually about 45 mins.

Which should I choose?

For me, the big thing when it comes to activity levels for TDEE estimation is the regularity of your activity. If you're regularly active and expect to maintain that level of activity, then use a higher activity level.

If you're not so regular, you might then want to leave it at sedentary and add in the activities as you do them.

mollyW2012

If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

Sounds good, thanks!

Onesnap

I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?

The link above was incorrect. The right one is: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

You are correct, it does not offer a calculation to maintain. There is an option in the drop down to gain muscle and lose fat.

mollyW2012

Try this calc - it lets you put in more specifics - http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

Thanks, I'll check it out!

Onesnap

If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

Sounds good, thanks!

That's not true. The OP would be sedentary despite getting activity daily. Here's the MFP definitions:

Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)

Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

Achrya

If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

Sounds good, thanks!

That's not true. The OP would be sedentary despite getting activity daily. Here's the MFP definitions:

Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)

Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

And we still are NOT talking about MFP settings.

The levels, as defined by Scooby's Workshop, which we are actually discussing.

Multiplier My Description Alternative Description
1.2 Desk job with little exercise OR Little to no exercise
1.375 1-3 hrs/wk of light exercise OR Light exercise (1–3 days per week)
1.55 3-5 hrs/wk of moderate exercise OR Moderate exercise (3–5 days per week)
1.725 5-6 hrs/wk of strenuous exercise OR Heavy exercise (6–7 days per week)
1.9 7-21 hrs/wk of strenuous exercise OR Very heavy exercise (twice per day, extra heavy workouts)

Totally exercise based. What you do for a living is not a factor, unless you don't work out at al;

TheCaren

I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?

Just eat TDEE.. don't take any cuts. There's maintenance!

Step 6 requires you to select a goal which is part of how the TDEE is calculated. So how do I calculate my maintenance TDEE without having any one of those goals?

Onesnap

Oh thanks!

I was also speaking in general terms...I know that outside of MFP and the Scooby site that office workers (even those that workout daily) are considered to be sedentary. This is because they are sitting for 8-9 hours/day plus commute time.

Onesnap

I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?

Just eat TDEE.. don't take any cuts. There's maintenance!

Step 6 requires you to select a goal which is part of how the TDEE is calculated. So how do I calculate my maintenance TDEE without having any one of those goals?

If you plug in any type of loss as your goal it will tell you what your intake should be for each day if you wanted to maintain.

TheCaren

I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?

Just eat TDEE.. don't take any cuts. There's maintenance!

Step 6 requires you to select a goal which is part of how the TDEE is calculated. So how do I calculate my maintenance TDEE without having any one of those goals?

If you plug in any type of loss as your goal it will tell you what your intake should be for each day if you wanted to maintain.

Gotcha. Thanks so much!

Onesnap

You're most welcome.

Here's a helpful post about figuring out what activity level you are: http://www.oishiberry.com/2013/01/lifestyle-activity-level-are-you.html

1princesswarrior

I set my activity level at active even though I work at an office during the day, I work at a barn in the barn in the afternoon/evening and every weekend so my activities add up to anywhere between 600-1000 calories before working out.

My TDEE is currently around 2800, I eat between 1800-2300 daily and do not eat exercise calories back. I'm losing 1.5 - 2 lbs/week.

chasetwins

Try this calc - it lets you put in more specifics - http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

I saw that link calculator along time ago - Very inaccurate I think Would be great if it was not however it was 1000 calories over for me

SteveJWatson

Just to make life confusing I hybridise the two - I use scoobys at lightly active (am a livestock farmer), and plug those values into MFP - I then eat back any exercise cals for workouts I do. This means I don't have to worry if I can't get to the gym for whatever reason.

misssiri

Try this calc - it lets you put in more specifics - http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

I saw that link calculator along time ago - Very inaccurate I think Would be great if it was not however it was 1000 calories over for me

Not sure how it could be 1000 over for you unless you forgot to click the female because the default is the male. On this calculator you are the one that puts in how much time each day you are doing each activity. it is the most specific calculator I have seen. It's been about equal to my body media fit.

chasetwins

Try this calc - it lets you put in more specifics - http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

I saw that link calculator along time ago - Very inaccurate I think Would be great if it was not however it was 1000 calories over for me

Not sure how it could be 1000 over for you unless you forgot to click the female because the default is the male. On this calculator you are the one that puts in how much time each day you are doing each activity. it is the most specific calculator I have seen. It's been about equal to my body media fit.

Nope female and I have a fit bit so I know my activity levels and for how long. Entered them in and it said I burn over 3000 in a 24 hour period where Body Media and Fitbit both have me just over 2000.

Without entering in ANY activity and keeping it as sitting for 24 hours is about equal to what Body media fit bit and MFP says I burn and what my BMR is ?!?! I enter ANY activity and it is way off.