How to set activity level

spookiekabuki
spookiekabuki Posts: 48 Member
in Getting Started
I have selected the lowest activity level because I have a desk job, so I spend a lot of time sitting. However, I am above average in muscle mass and I am very active in terms of exercise. Because I log my workouts, I figured it was best to set my base calories low, but 1340/day is REALLY low.

Does anyone have any advise on that? I don't want to have to log short walks to just account for a need in food. I can't tell if my hunger is an issue of discipline, or that i am really under-eating.

Replies

  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    ETA: 28 year old males should definitely not be eating so little. I'd change your activity level and your weight loss goal. Unless you're obese 2lb a week is an unreasonable expectation
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    This is always hard to guage..

    I personally do not believe that people with desk jobs are necessarily sedentary...

    We get up and down all the time, walk around the office, are in and out of the office, up and down stairs etc.

    Never mind that when we get home we are moving around a lot too..and if you are a mom or dad...forget being sedentary.
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
    I have had the same question. I think that if you are exercising vigorously (burning 300--500 calories in a workout), then 1340 seems very low. I would be starving! Do you eat back your exercise calories? Either eat back all or some of your exercise calories, OR change your TDEE activity level to moderately active. That is what I did because I couldn't sustain my low 1500 daily calories - I was always going over or starving.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I have selected the lowest activity level because I have a desk job, so I spend a lot of time sitting. However, I am above average in muscle mass and I am very active in terms of exercise. Because I log my workouts, I figured it was best to set my base calories low, but 1340/day is REALLY low.

    Does anyone have any advise on that? I don't want to have to log short walks to just account for a need in food. I can't tell if my hunger is an issue of discipline, or that i am really under-eating.

    Have you looked up your BMR ....or your TDEE?

    BMR is what your body would use if you stayed in bed all day.
    TDEE is maintenance....so you include exercise up front, then take a % off. That way you don't even need to log workouts.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    For MFP -
    Keep in mind MFP's activity levels do not account for exercise. That is why we log it separate and add those calories to daily intake. So take that out of the equation when figuring activity level.

    I also do not believe that most people would fally under sedentary for MFP, their number tends to be low. I'd go with at least lightly active.
    I specify this is for MFP because other methods do usually include exercise.

    Also - what did you set your weight loss goal per week to? People often choose too high of a goal and end up with a really low calorie goal. What is your weight loss goal in total?

    ETA - just saw your ticker - with 4 lbs to lose your goal for weight loss per week should be no more than .5lb per week.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    There's a bigger issue for you, OP, since 1340 doesn't make sense given your age and sex, but like others said it doesn't look like you need to lose that much (based on your goal), so you shouldn't be trying to lose 2 per week.

    But I agree that people with desk jobs are not necessarily sedentary. Most probably are not. I let my fitbit adjust my goal, and didn't used to trust it, but I calculated my TDEE and it seems right on. According to my fitbit I'm at least lightly active and sometimes closer to moderately. I do have a desk job, but I live in a city and walk during my commute, walk to shop, etc., and just that affects it. If I didn't have the fitbit, I'd change it to lightly active.
  • arheasn
    arheasn Posts: 26 Member
    I'm still a bit unclear on setting my activity level as well. I have it at sedentary as I sit for most of my 5 hour day at work. But I am also walking or doing work out videos 3 - 4 days a week most weeks and I bowl in a league once a week. Plus I am the main shopper and cook for a household of 5. Should I actually change that setting to lightly active? The BMR app shows that my BMR is 1878, but MFP says I should eat about 1850/day at the setting I am currently using.

    I'm 48 yr. old female, at 278.4 lbs, looking to get down to near my BMI mark of 150 lbs. I have my rate set at 1lb/week. I really appreciate all the help folks offer each other here and the explanations so that newcomers can understand the jargon.
  • spookiekabuki
    spookiekabuki Posts: 48 Member
    So I DO eat back my calories. The real reason my calorie goal is stressing me out is that on days that I strength train, or days that I rest, its a low number to hit. I do log my work outs, but I dont log my casual walking, short bikes commutes, etc. I like having an aggressive goal. The problem is that I also like hitting my calorie goal every single day too. That streak means a lot to me.

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