Activity Level?

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lac0501
lac0501 Posts: 3 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I posted this in fitness, but I thought I would try here, since I'm in maintenance . I'm having trouble deciding what activity level I should use. I'm hoping to find an answer here. I weight train (dumbbells) 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes per session, do pilates 3 times a week for 20 minutes and I walk 5 miles a day (14 minute mile) 6 days a week. I also take care of a grandmother so I'm up and down all day, as well as general housework. I keep going back and forth between lightly active and active. Any help would be appreciated!

Replies

  • Vaisaxena
    Vaisaxena Posts: 109 Member
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    There is no right answer no matter what anyone tells you.

    Try any activity level you like and see how your weight reacts to it... if it goes up then you've overestimated your activity... if it goes down then you've underestimated your activity... there's nobody who will fit exactly into a specific activity level.
    I posted this in fitness, but I thought I would try here, since I'm in maintenance . I'm having trouble deciding what activity level I should use. I'm hoping to find an answer here. I weight train (dumbbells) 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes per session, do pilates 3 times a week for 20 minutes and I walk 5 miles a day (14 minute mile) 6 days a week. I also take care of a grandmother so I'm up and down all day, as well as general housework. I keep going back and forth between lightly active and active. Any help would be appreciated!
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
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    Question: How do you feel? You're doing more than you have to to maintain a level of fitness. Do you enjoy the exercise routine or are you doing it because you "feel you have to"?

    I was keeping up a pretty stiff exercise routine, basically 5k twice a week, weightlifting 90 minutes three times a week, and walking at least one the other days. I stayed fatigued. I started scaling back workouts and running less. I''m currently three weeks into a once a week HIIT resistance routine that takes 15 minutes, run once a week, and martial arts twice a week. My energy levels have improved and I'm more productive at my home and business. I crave less food. Overall, I feel better and despite my fear of piling on pounds for lack of exercise my weight is actually trending to the low side for me

    If you want to do less grab the free ebook "primal blueprint fitness" for some thoughts on less exercise- more play.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Advice on seeing how things go for you is excellent.

    I set to sedentary (even though I run around all day), then log walking, exercse and out of the ordinary cleaning (mucking out chicken coops, gardening, etc.)

    You can also splurge on a fitbit or pedometer. The zip is $59. Again, set of sedentary and it will add in your steps. They may be fewer than you think.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
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    Sounds like active to me, especially if you're not logging exercises separately!
  • sarbera
    sarbera Posts: 2
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    Hey! Have you ever heard of Fitbit? They are great and fairly accurate ways to measure what your activity level is. They are a great investment

    I would say you are NOT sedentary but active. I work out for an hour everyday but have a office job and I am considered lightly active. I would imagine if you workout as much as you said you do AND have an active job then you are Active!

    :)

    - Sarah
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    Are you trying to have MFP set your goal or are you using a TDEE calculator? MFP's activity levels aren't TDEE, they're NEAT....so for example, if I use a TDEE calculator I'm "moderate" active...with MFP, to get a similar calorie goal I would have to put "very active". If you're using MFP, just use your day to day hum drum activity without exercise...then you log your exercise and eat those calories the same as with losing. With MFP, my NEAT is "light active" and I get a calorie goal of 2360...I usually burn 350 - 450 per day with exercise so I gross 2700 - 2800 per day give or take. Using a TDEE calculator I get a calorie goal of around 2750.
  • lac0501
    lac0501 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks for all your responses! I do have a fitbit, but watching my calories consumed go way over, to get my net up freaks me out! I've decided to use lightly active and eat at least half my exercise calories, and just see how it goes.
  • BrandNewFabulousMe
    BrandNewFabulousMe Posts: 259
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    There is no right answer no matter what anyone tells you.

    Try any activity level you like and see how your weight reacts to it... if it goes up then you've overestimated your activity... if it goes down then you've underestimated your activity... there's nobody who will fit exactly into a specific activity level.
    I posted this in fitness, but I thought I would try here, since I'm in maintenance . I'm having trouble deciding what activity level I should use. I'm hoping to find an answer here. I weight train (dumbbells) 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes per session, do pilates 3 times a week for 20 minutes and I walk 5 miles a day (14 minute mile) 6 days a week. I also take care of a grandmother so I'm up and down all day, as well as general housework. I keep going back and forth between lightly active and active. Any help would be appreciated!



    I agree. go with how you feel and see how it works for you
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,039 Member
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    Hey! Have you ever heard of Fitbit? They are great and fairly accurate ways to measure what your activity level is. They are a great investment

    I would say you are NOT sedentary but active. I work out for an hour everyday but have a office job and I am considered lightly active. I would imagine if you workout as much as you said you do AND have an active job then you are Active!

    :)

    - Sarah

    This... I keep my level at sedentary and wear a nike fuel band. I have to get in my basic calories, and then have "room" for more . I would say if your job requires you to sit , then it works for a lot of people...
  • jjtfit
    jjtfit Posts: 1 Member
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    Here is the answer straight from the myfitnesspal help section Entitled Goals, Check-in and Progress: (http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1375583-a-message-about-myfitnesspal-s-updated-nutrition-goals)

    Physical Activity Levels

    Estimation of how much energy an individual needs plays a critical role in helping MyFitnessPal members achieve their health and fitness goals. Calculating estimated energy requirements is not a perfect science but we're constantly trying to improve our services to better meet the needs of our members.

    We have updated the way in which we calculate calorie need estimates, also known as the estimated energy requirement (EER). The changes, which have been thoroughly reviewed by MyFitnessPal nutrition experts and other professionals in the field of dietetics, align with Physical Activity Level (PAL) values set by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). MyFitnessPal members with Lightly Active, Active or Very Active physical activity levels will notice a modest increase in daily calorie need estimations that, we feel, will better meet energy needs.

    As a reminder, we recommend setting your PAL based on your normal level of daily activity, excluding any optional exercise you may choose to do. Workouts or exercise outside of your daily work/life routine should be logged in the exercise diary.

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