Am I sedentary or lightly active? Confused.

Calichick94

I'm a 19 year old female and last week I found out about EMTWL and I've started my metabolism reset and I set my activity on lightly active on the scooby site but now I'm not sure if it's correct.

The thing is now that I'm back in university I don't have much time to exercise. Like maybe I can squeeze in once, twice or three times a week tops for 30 min to an hour or so ( burning 200-350 calories) by running/ walking intervals on the treadmill. Most of the time I'm sitting down and studying. I'm on campus everyday but I just go to my lectures and leave. I don't have that much walking. Maybe twice a week I walk about 3,000-5,000 steps? And the rest of the week it's minimal.

My numbers based on lightly active

BMR 1530
TDEE 2101
TDEE - 15% fat 1786

and for sedentary would be

TDEE 1834 and - 15% fat is 1558.

I'm already having a difficulty time increasing my cals and frankly 2,000 is too much. I was just thinking that since I'm not sure when or how long I'll exercise, I'll just eat back my cals on the day I do exercise when I burn more than 276 I believe (my deficit). So where am I exactly?

Also, I eat at maintenance until my weight stabilizes, right? I just want to make sure. Then I start my cut and I start weight lifting (light). If I don't weight lift will I still lose weight even though I'm in sedentary?

Thank you,

GoGoGadgetMum

When you talk about steps do you have a fitbit???? If so I'd go with what that gives you. Personally I would never pick sedentary so I would go with lighty active.

Calichick94

No, based on my ipod. It counts how many steps I take when i have it with me.

astrampe

If you sit for most of the day it is sedentary....You do know that you can do some resistance training in 20 minutes with something like Jillian Michael's 30 Day shred? It works like a charm to wake your brain up between two study sessions....

GoGoGadgetMum

The reason I said lightly active because sedentary cut only gives you your bmr....... and most people who have been here for a while like myself would say that if you are having to add extra cals in often to make sure you hit bmr then you need to up a level. Because what will happen if you hit a plateau..... you have nowhere to go.....If you eat the lightly active then you won't have to worry about thinking what extra you have to eat on exercise days as the 1786 daily will sort that out. But of course I don't know your weight or height either...anyway just my 2cents worth from my experience.

Maybe a moderator will chime in.

AnitraSoto

I would definitely say lightly active not sedentary. You say you have started your reset, so yes -- in that case you will want to eat at TDEE for 8 - 12 weeks or until your weight stabilizes.

Calichick94

Yes I understand and I agree. But right now I'm not very active so won't I be eating an extra few hundred calories that I don't need/ not burning?

Calichick94

Reaching 2101 is so difficult. I've run out of things to eat and I'm adding junk food in order to reach my TDEE.

Calichick94

Can't I start eating at my TDEE for sedentary then when I do my cut and hit a plateau I'll just up to my TDEE of lightly active then do the cut for the lightly active?

Calichick94

I'm 5 foot 2.5 inches and weigh 155 pounds.

heybales

Think about it - are you really truly unstressing your body by eating at TDEE following your idea?

You are not sedentary - 40 hr desk job with 1 hr or more commute sitting, nothing but sitting on rear night and weekends, except for exercise.

You are walking often through the day, walk on the weekend for shopping or with friends?

Lightly Active probably won't even take in to account your exercise, but at least start there.

And if having trouble eating enough, don't do low or no-fat anything. Eat some almonds.

Your idea of healthy may be excluding healthy fats and other things not at all unhealthy.

Calichick94

I am eating healthy fats. I'm even going over it.