How does one ACCURATELY determine their activity level?

TXRanchGirl
TXRanchGirl Posts: 303
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Ive always "erred" on the cautious side of calculating activity levels..I sit at a desk most of the day..some gettig up and walking when needed. At home, I walk alot at animal feeding time (we have livestock) twice a day. evenings I can say its usually 20-30 minutes of almost continous walking as I drop hay and fill water.

I workout, circuit training, 6 days a week for 30-45 minutes.

So..I guess sedentary would not be accurate..but I cannot mentally grasp upping to anything more then lightly active due to my sitting all day! Would the exercise I get at home bump my activity level to anything more then "light"?

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    All the settings do is just give you a reasonable start point - an estimate of your calories required to lose/maintain/gain as required.

    After a while, as long as your logging has been accurate, you will know by your results how good that initial estimate was and whether you need to tilt the calorie balance one way or another.

    By the way - if you are following the MFP method (eating back exercise calories) your specific exericse is NOT part of daily activity levels.
  • wooface
    wooface Posts: 12
    You could invest in a FitBit - it syncs up to MFP, so there is no more guessing (course it's not going to be 100% accurate, but it really has helped me). I was definitely overestimating my activity level. I've lost five pounds in a month since knowing exactly how much I am moving about. :)
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    Have a peep at this:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1111515-for-the-nerds-in-you-tdee-estimation-with-graphs?hl=TDEE+measurement+with+graphs


    Basically, no online calculator will be better than your own measurements. Accurately log calories in and weight over a set period (30 days minimum) then calculate it. Be aware that as your weight gets less, your BMR (and therefore your TDEE) will decrease so if you go over too long a period of time you could muck up the result.

    However, my preference is to set at sedentary and track my exercise using a sports tracker.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    I would put sedentary as you have a desk job. 20-30 minutes of walking really isn't much. The exercise is extra and isn't counted as part of your normal day.
  • TXRanchGirl
    TXRanchGirl Posts: 303
    Thanks all..the graphs, BTW...very insightful!

    Guess I may need to invest in a fitbit to track my "normal" activity..might even help with actual calories burned during my exercise too.

    Ill keep myself at Sedentary for now. doing much better on my maintenance calories then my "loosing" calorie goal. Ive been told..ya gotta play with it sometimes, to find the perfect balance.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I work a desk job but I also exercise six days a week doing weight lifting and cardio, and my settings are on active. I eat my exercise calories back too. I've lost weight just fine, and I'm now maintaining fine.
  • TXRanchGirl
    TXRanchGirl Posts: 303
    Thanks SLL
    Some days I eat my exercise calories back..but alot of days I do not. I need to start weighing myself again. I was to thin before and promised hubby Id put on afew pounds...seeing the scale go up scared me..but I need to get a gauge on where Im at.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    I would put sedentary as you have a desk job. 20-30 minutes of walking really isn't much. The exercise is extra and isn't counted as part of your normal day.

    This is me.

    I work a desk job 4 - 5 days a week roughly 10 - 12 hour days. I don't have time to exercise before work and i'm too tired after (unless i finish early). I tend to do my exercises on my 2 or 3 days off. I have my activity level as sedentary and eat my exercise calories back. MFP initially put my maintenance cals around 1460 but I upped them to 1520. I bought myself a fitbit a month ago and it's been fairly accurate. Just from walking from the car park at work, sitting on my *kitten* all day and not doing much when i get home, i burn usually between 1500 and 1600. Sometimes slightly under, sometimes over.
  • TXRanchGirl
    TXRanchGirl Posts: 303
    wow! Sounds like I need to invest in a fitbit..

    I forget sometimes our body DOES burn calories just "being here" day to day...without exercise.
  • mc16881
    mc16881 Posts: 1
    You totally burn calories by just existing :)

    I've just started MFP and synced my fitbit (that i've had since x-mas) with it. Only use the fitbit to track your activity throughout the day and once they sync I usually receive an exercise credit. Use MFP for everything else, food, exercise, water. The first day I thought my exercise doubled but actually since both MFP and fitbit track exercise, they cancel each other out :)

    Loving it!
  • aleggett321
    aleggett321 Posts: 186 Member
    I love my fitbit, I have a Flex. I don't feel it's super accurate for circuit training though, particularly weights. I use a heart rate monitor when I workout. Nothing fancy, just a Polar FT7. Mine tracks HR and estimates calories burned from age, gender and weight. Maybe just another gadget but I feel like I get a more accurate picture. The fitbit is great for all the regular daily activity though. I highly recommend one

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