Should I change from sedentary to light active?

Kanyon17
Kanyon17 Posts: 156 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all!

I need your advice: Should I change my settings from sedentary to light active?

When I first set my profile, I wasn't really active at all and I worked in an office. I do move a little around but I'm mostly at my desk.

Now i've been doing crossfit and running 3x a week each (total of 6x activity per week, minimum) for over 3 months and I'm wondering if that should impact my 'daily activity' settings.

There is almost a 300 calories diffenrence (from 1330 sedentary to 1610 light active). I don't want to over eat of course, but I don't want to under eat.

I'm 5'10'', currently at 228.4lbs. I lost around 34 pounds in the last 4 months. My goal is to reach 200 by May and eventually 180lbs.
I also always make sure that my net is as close as possible to 0.

Any tips are welcome!

Thanks,

Replies

  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
    On MFP, your activity level is determined by your ordinary course day WITHOUT any exercise - you add exercise as you do it. So I would suggest keeping your activity level at sedentary.

    However, whether MFP or another calculator, it is just an estimate. If you've been tracking and working out for 3 months, have your results been about what you expected? Less? More? Fine tune your eating plan based on your actual results. And congrats on your weight loss so far :drinker:
  • CheekyRunner
    CheekyRunner Posts: 105 Member
    I would keep it the same. Cortelli gave good advice. I just want to say you are doing amazing! Keep it up!!:bigsmile:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    keep it the same and log the exercise when you perform it. Or if you want to eat the same amount everyday look at some online TDEE calculators that take into account planned exercise.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you want to include your exercise activity you should use a TDEE calculator to determine your appropriate intake and customize your goals here. If you're using MFP, you activity level is justyour day to day hum-drum...you get credit for the exercise when you log it and thus get your exercise calories to eat back. Just make sure you're not overestimating your burn. This is what is meant by NET calories with MFP...you're supposed to log exercise and eat back those calories...that's how MFP accounts for your exercise activity.
  • red_road
    red_road Posts: 761 Member
    I find it easier to set to sedentary and then add in exercises.
  • Kanyon17
    Kanyon17 Posts: 156 Member
    Thanks all for your help!
    I have an HRM that I use to calculate the amount of calories burnt.
    I know MFP is built so that you eat back the calories burnt but I specified it because so many people don't do it.
    I'll look into the TDEE thing for sure!
    Thanks again!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Thanks all for your help!
    I have an HRM that I use to calculate the amount of calories burnt.
    I know MFP is built so that you eat back the calories burnt but I specified it because so many people don't do it.
    I'll look into the TDEE thing for sure!
    Thanks again!

    I know a lot of people don't do it, and those people are what I like to call... wrong (if they are following MFP's suggested caloric intake they should be eating them)

    As an example say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a TDEE calculator may tell you to eat 1700 everyday regardless if you workout.

    So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 11,900 (1700*7) almost the same number of cals for the week (250 dif). The issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.

    What many MFPers do is take the low 1450 and not eat back exercise calories which is wrong, if you are not eating them back then your daily activity level should reflect the higher burn with would be covered in the 1700/day above.
  • AJinBirmingham
    AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
    I'm pretty active - I rarely sit still AND I work out regularly - but I keep my MFP set at "sedentary" and log almost everything I do - not just workouts, but "chores" too . . . I like the reward of logging and getting extra calories, and I don't have to recalculate my TDEE if I ever have a lazy day, or am even more active than usual.

    (I'm doing it "wrong" but I've been at/around/near my goal weight for years, so it isn't wrong for me.)

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