Activity level question

nooshi713

Hi. I am 35 years old. I weigh 133 lbs. According to multiple calculators, my BMR is 1260-1280.

I use a fitbit zip to monitor my activity level. It seems that my calorie burn is a bit low for the amount of activity I do. Please tell me what you think and if my readings seem accurate or off.

On a couple days when I forgot to wear my fitbit and was therefore thought to be totally sedentary, my daily burn was 850 which is less than my calculated BMR.

On sedentary days when I get 5000 steps, my daily calorie burn is only about 1500.

On days when I get 10000 steps, my calorie burn is about 1750.

On active days like today when I got 18000 steps and did a 5 mile hike, my calorie burn is still only 1950.

TavistockToad

i am a couple of pounds heavier, and maintain on net 1900 cals, so a TDEE of 1500 when sedentary does sound low.

what does the scale do if you stick to those numbers for a few weeks?

nooshi713

TavistockToad wrote: »

i am a couple of pounds heavier, and maintain on net 1900 cals, so a TDEE of 1500 when sedentary does sound low.

what does the scale do if you stick to those numbers for a few weeks?

I have been losing steadily 1 lb a week but have to be more active than expected to do so. According to what the calculators are telling me, I should lose a lb a week being lightly active but I thought more than 10000-15000 steps a day is more than lightly active, maybe moderately active.

erickirb

Those numbers include your deficit, do they not. days you get 10,000 steps you get 1750 to lose your goal amount of weight? If so, seems reasonable as that means your TDEE would be 2250 at that level of activity. If it is saying 1750 is maintenance, yes that would seem a little low

nooshi713

erickirb wrote: »

Those numbers include your deficit, do they not. days you get 10,000 steps you get 1750 to lose your goal amount of weight? If so, seems reasonable as that means your TDEE would be 2250 at that level of activity. If it is saying 1750 is maintenance, yes that would seem a little low

But I never eat that much. I eat 1250 on sedentary days and 1500 on active days. That is my calorie burn according to fitbit. My TDEE are the numbers I wrote, not the ones you mentioned.

erickirb

nooshi713 wrote: »

erickirb wrote: »

Those numbers include your deficit, do they not. days you get 10,000 steps you get 1750 to lose your goal amount of weight? If so, seems reasonable as that means your TDEE would be 2250 at that level of activity. If it is saying 1750 is maintenance, yes that would seem a little low

But I never eat that much. I eat 1250 on sedentary days and 1500 on active days. That is my calorie burn according to fitbit. My TDEE are the numbers I wrote, not the ones you mentioned.

That does seem low

nooshi713

I am thinking it wasnt synching right. Today i got 16000 steps and it has my burn at 2100. Does that seem right?

tirowow12385

Bmr= bmr

Bmr + 300 daily calories burned= sedentary
Bmr + 300 + 300 calories burned= active
Bmr + 300 + 300 + 300 calories burned= very active

Bmr + 300 + 300 + 300 +300 calories burned= athlete.

0ysterboy

Honestly, those numbers seem a bit high to me. Your burn rates go way up when you increase your exertion levels over walking. Does your fitbit have a heart rate monitor (HRM) function in it? If not, those burn rates are just guesses, and not especially good ones at that. The fitbit HRM is not that great anyways, using a chest strap HRM is much better. You want to be more accurate in your burn rates, get one of those.

0ysterboy

BTW, 2100 was my total burn running my last half marathon

fishgutzy

I took the simple approach. I set at sedentary and add only deliberate exercise or strenuous yard work.
Maybe I'm just lazy.

nooshi713

0ysterboy wrote: »

Honestly, those numbers seem a bit high to me. Your burn rates go way up when you increase your exertion levels over walking. Does your fitbit have a heart rate monitor (HRM) function in it? If not, those burn rates are just guesses, and not especially good ones at that. The fitbit HRM is not that great anyways, using a chest strap HRM is much better. You want to be more accurate in your burn rates, get one of those.

No, it is a Zip which is just a pedometer type. But, I am not sure heart rate is really indicative of my burn either. My heart rate goes very high with anything above a walk. It goes to almost 200 jogging at 5 mph but my calorie burn per mile is still barely 80-90 calories.

nooshi713

All of the TDEE calculators or activity calculators I have used suggest 1900 burn per day for lightly active but my steps have me at more active despite burning less. Not sure what to think.