Which activity level should I chose

AyameShimitsu
AyameShimitsu Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm attempting to lose about 15 pounds. To do so, I have decided to do the insanity program. I love the program but it is hard on your body as it is 2 months of working out 6 days a week (HIIT) for 40-65 minutes depending on the workout. However, I am also an officer worker who sits around most of the day which lowers my activity level. I want to get an accurate calorie deficit. I doubt I should put very active because of my mostly sedentary day, should should I go with lightly active or active setting.
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Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Your exercise should be logged separately when using MyFitnessPal as designed - it isn't supposed to be included in your activity setting. The daily goal here is plus exercise estimated on the day you do it.

    The activity setting is just for your normal daily movement patterns and that's all your waking hours and not just your job.

    If you want to roll both daily activity and exercise into a same every day goal then use a calculator that works that way. This is a pretty good one - https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

    BTW - exercise isn't for, or required, for weight loss!

  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 921 Member
    edited May 2022
    MFP is set up to only think about your activity level within the context of the activity you engage in that IS NOT intentional exercise. You should be logging your intentional exercise calorie burn in MFP so that it gives those calories back to you to eat.

    If you don't want to log your workouts on MFP...then you should use a TDEE calculator and include your workouts in your activity level that way and then manually set your daily calorie goal (with a slight deficit) in MFP.

    Do whatever works best/makes the most sense for you. The sail rabbit link above is good....it's especially good bc it lists all of the different formulas used to figure out TDEE, so that you can see there's actually quite a large difference between some. So, choose something that you think is likely close and go from there and make adjustments based on whether you lose, maintain, or gain weight.
  • stephenekister
    stephenekister Posts: 6 Member
    I started at 281 pm may 4 it's may 26 I'm down to 264. I have workout set to minimal. But keep my callery intake to below 1500 daily
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    @stephenekister

    The activity setting isn't about exercise / workouts. It specifically excludes them.

    Here's the help text....
    https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,099 Member
    stephenekister wrote: »
    I started at 281 pm may 4 it's may 26 I'm down to 264. I have workout set to minimal. But keep my callery intake to below 1500 daily

    That's a massive calorie deficit and is ill-advised. You could sail along for weeks feeling fine and then have the bad effects hit you like a brick wall, and face months of recovery (assuming you're fortunate and one don't suffer any fatal effects).
  • stephenekister
    stephenekister Posts: 6 Member
    Well I'm told with my activity I need to keep my calorie intake between 1200 and 1750.
  • stephenekister
    stephenekister Posts: 6 Member
    I am also eating 6 times a day and drinking over 8 cups a day
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    stephenekister wrote: »
    Well I'm told with my activity I need to keep my calorie intake between 1200 and 1750.

    Told by whom? Based on what? Eating 2 or 4 or 6 times a day also makes absolutely no difference to weight loss.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    AyameShimitsu wrote: »
    So I'm attempting to lose about 15 pounds. To do so, I have decided to do the insanity program. I love the program but it is hard on your body as it is 2 months of working out 6 days a week (HIIT) for 40-65 minutes depending on the workout. However, I am also an officer worker who sits around most of the day which lowers my activity level. I want to get an accurate calorie deficit. I doubt I should put very active because of my mostly sedentary day, should should I go with lightly active or active setting.

    You will notice that the activity level descriptors make no mention of intentional exercise. This is because MFP is not a TDEE calculator, it is a NEAT calculator and your activity is only your day to day humdrum and exercise is not included in your activity level. Exercise is accounted for on MFP after the fact when you log your exercise and get additional calories to account for it.

    If you choose to utilize the TDEE method and include exercise that is perfectly fine and many people do so, but you should use a TDEE calculator and customize your calorie targets on MFP. The multipliers used in MFP are different from those of a TDEE calculator...so for example, active on MFP is going to have a smaller multiplier than active on a TDEE calculator because "active" on MFP is assuming a good amount of movement, but very low level movement like walking around a warehouse all day or working retail or wait staff, etc.

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