Sedentary, lightly active, or more?

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jimboburgess
jimboburgess Posts: 13
in Getting Started
How much should i factor in walking to work and such into my daily calories? I had my goals set as if I am sedentary. Then I added using a pedometer and easily count to 5000 step a day, which they label as lightly active in that app.

I suppose that If i don't want to add walking as a seperate excercise I should just choose lightly active.since it just readjusts my calorie goals. I think i'm doing much better with a lower goal since when I go over it's still below what it would be as lightly active. I wish I was a bike messenger then this would be easy.

Replies

  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    Try lightly active and get a 7 day weight average. If you're happy you're losing at a good rate, then it works for you.
  • 4MissRose
    4MissRose Posts: 49
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    I keep mine as sedentary, because I'm afraid to exaggerate my efforts by accident and get my calories wrong.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I would set it as light active and then not worry about logging that activity and those calories as they will already be accounted for in your activity level and then just log deliberate, more intense exercises. I've always just included my walking in my activity level. I have a desk job and I'm still light active with MFP without any other deliberate exercise. Really, most people who are set to sedentary really should be set as light active...sedentary means you're pretty much not doing anything except sitting on your *kitten* all day everyday.

    If I remember correctly, the difference in calories for me was like 150 or something...that's pretty easy to do with just general day to day stuff like cooking and cleaning and a little walking.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,958 Member
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    You are going to get answers that are all over the place, here. Everyone is coming from their own experience.

    I think this site underestimates Activity calories. In the years I've been here, I've decided that you (I) should bump up Activity one level above what I (you) think you (I) it should be, :laugh:


    But it is your experiment to run. No one else can really decide this for you; so pick one and see how it goes, adjust in a month if necessary.
  • jimboburgess
    jimboburgess Posts: 13
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    I've been logging walking as activity since I haven't been cycling with the bad snow. So to avoid needing to log walking i'll bump it to lightly active and see how it goes. At least I be able to hit my caloric goal each day without nitpicking every bit of exercise.

    for me it's 1270 vs. 1540, that's a whole apple and some nuts.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,958 Member
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    I've been logging walking as activity since I haven't been cycling with the bad snow. So to avoid needing to log walking i'll bump it to lightly active and see how it goes. At least I be able to hit my caloric goal each day without nitpicking every bit of exercise.

    egg-zackery.


    You are so close to your weight goal, you could easily just start eating the same amount every day (like 200-300 below maintenance.)

    Then you don't have to think about exercise calories, which is a PITA on a daily basis, anyway.

    You've presumably been doing this for a while, so you know "about" what your maintenance calories are.

    Keep It Simple.

    Ya know, it's easier and stuff.

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