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hasilovess

do i put sedentary and eat exercise calories?

matt6050

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

mamahannick

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

This. Even if you have a desk job, unless you spend the entirety of your day sitting doing absolutely nothing and not moving, chances are you're lightly active. I have an 8-hour per day desk job, but the rest of my day and my weekends I spend tending to a busy toddler, doing chores around the house, on my feet cooking. So before exercise I am already lightly active.

It also depends on if you're doing the MFP way or the TDEE way. TDEE your exercise is already accounted for so no you wouldn't. MFP way yes you would.

tigersword

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

This. Even if you have a desk job, unless you spend the entirety of your day sitting doing absolutely nothing and not moving, chances are you're lightly active. I have an 8-hour per day desk job, but the rest of my day and my weekends I spend tending to a busy toddler, doing chores around the house, on my feet cooking. So before exercise I am already lightly active.

It also depends on if you're doing the MFP way or the TDEE way. TDEE your exercise is already accounted for so no you wouldn't. MFP way yes you would.

Sedentary does NOT mean you just sit around all day not moving. Sedentary means you spend the majority of the day sedentary, meaning 8+ hours sitting at a desk. Lightly active generally means you spend most of your day on your feet, as in a cashier at a grocery store. Moderately active is someone in constant motion, like a server at a restaurant.

Jestinia

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

This. Even if you have a desk job, unless you spend the entirety of your day sitting doing absolutely nothing and not moving, chances are you're lightly active. I have an 8-hour per day desk job, but the rest of my day and my weekends I spend tending to a busy toddler, doing chores around the house, on my feet cooking. So before exercise I am already lightly active.

It also depends on if you're doing the MFP way or the TDEE way. TDEE your exercise is already accounted for so no you wouldn't. MFP way yes you would.

Sedentary does NOT mean you just sit around all day not moving. Sedentary means you spend the majority of the day sedentary, meaning 8+ hours sitting at a desk. Lightly active generally means you spend most of your day on your feet, as in a cashier at a grocery store. Moderately active is someone in constant motion, like a server at a restaurant.

That is how I thought it was defined as well. That said, younger, more active (store, mall, out with friends, roaming across a campus with a bookbag) people and people who have never slowed their metabolism with diet and sedentary living perhaps need to eat more. It is just an estimate, after all. If someone feels horrible on sedentary calorie setting plus eating back exercise calories, perhaps that setting is still wrong for that person.

3dogsrunning

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

This.

And as for the exercise calories, same as I said last night. If you are following. MFP you are supposed to eat them back but that also assumes you are logging accurately.

MomTo3Lovez

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Sedentary does NOT mean you just sit around all day not moving. Sedentary means you spend the majority of the day sedentary, meaning 8+ hours sitting at a desk. Lightly active generally means you spend most of your day on your feet, as in a cashier at a grocery store. Moderately active is someone in constant motion, like a server at a restaurant.
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You are actually the first person on here to say that, everyone else says that if you are truly sedentary then that means that basically you lie in bed all day barely moving. I had always thought that it meant exactly what you said, I work sitting at a desk form 8-5 M-F, yes I get up to go to the bathroom and what not but for the most part I sit on my butt typing on a computer all day. Yes I go home and have 3 children to take care of the youngest being a toddler but I have gotten so confused as to where I should be with calories putting in lightly active or sedentary.

3dogsrunning

Sedentary does NOT mean you just sit around all day not moving. Sedentary means you spend the majority of the day sedentary, meaning 8+ hours sitting at a desk. Lightly active generally means you spend most of your day on your feet, as in a cashier at a grocery store. Moderately active is someone in constant motion, like a server at a restaurant.
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You are actually the first person on here to say that, everyone else says that if you are truly sedentary then that means that basically you lie in bed all day barely moving. I had always thought that it meant exactly what you said, I work sitting at a desk form 8-5 M-F, yes I get up to go to the bathroom and what not but for the most part I sit on my butt typing on a computer all day. Yes I go home and have 3 children to take care of the youngest being a toddler but I have gotten so confused as to where I should be with calories putting in lightly active or sedentary.
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What do you have it set as now?
Personally I feel sedentary setting on here is low for most people who choose it. If you have it at lightly active and are losing, no need to change. These are all just estimates.

mamahannick

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

This. Even if you have a desk job, unless you spend the entirety of your day sitting doing absolutely nothing and not moving, chances are you're lightly active. I have an 8-hour per day desk job, but the rest of my day and my weekends I spend tending to a busy toddler, doing chores around the house, on my feet cooking. So before exercise I am already lightly active.

It also depends on if you're doing the MFP way or the TDEE way. TDEE your exercise is already accounted for so no you wouldn't. MFP way yes you would.

Sedentary does NOT mean you just sit around all day not moving. Sedentary means you spend the majority of the day sedentary, meaning 8+ hours sitting at a desk. Lightly active generally means you spend most of your day on your feet, as in a cashier at a grocery store. Moderately active is someone in constant motion, like a server at a restaurant.

No. I spend 8 hours a day 5 days a week working a desk job, but I am still lightly active because of what I do outside of the desk job. I hate that people automatically equate a desk job with being sedentary. Just, no.

laineybz

I have a desk job, sit on my backside for between 10 - 12 hours 4 days a week. I have a fitbit too. I barely make 5000 steps on those days even when i go to the bathroom regularly and make drinks throughout the day. I have my activity level as sedentary. My fitbit cals burnt is almost accurate to what MFP gives me in allowance. Sometimes, i don't actually burn enough on my fitness compared to MFP.

SezxyStef

I don't believe people who work in an office are sedentary...personal opinion.

I work in an office 8 hours a day but am up and about lots...but even that doesn't make me lightly active it is the other 8-10 hours a day I spend on my feet, getting the house tidy, cooking meals, doing laundry just regular daily activity...

As a mom esp (although my son isn't young anymore) there is not one mom here who is sedentary...unless you are neglectful you are on your feet all the time with kids and if you aren't on your feet you are moving your upper body...

cwolfman13

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

This. Even if you have a desk job, unless you spend the entirety of your day sitting doing absolutely nothing and not moving, chances are you're lightly active. I have an 8-hour per day desk job, but the rest of my day and my weekends I spend tending to a busy toddler, doing chores around the house, on my feet cooking. So before exercise I am already lightly active.

It also depends on if you're doing the MFP way or the TDEE way. TDEE your exercise is already accounted for so no you wouldn't. MFP way yes you would.

Sedentary does NOT mean you just sit around all day not moving. Sedentary means you spend the majority of the day sedentary, meaning 8+ hours sitting at a desk. Lightly active generally means you spend most of your day on your feet, as in a cashier at a grocery store. Moderately active is someone in constant motion, like a server at a restaurant.

I have a desk job and more or less sit at a desk for 8 hours per day...I'm still light active when I was doing MFP. In addition to my desk job, I also have a 2 y.o. and a 4 y.o. at home...I'm also the primary cook at home and there is always something that needs fixing, cleaning, etc. Not to mention daily things like taking the stairs, shopping, etc. In addition to sitting for about 8 hours per day, I also am on my feet a good 4-6 hours and moving around. I don't agree that everyone who has a desk job is "sedentary" just because that is the descriptor that MFP gives...it certainly doesn't apply in my case, even without deliberate exercise.

links_slayer

_HeartsOnFire_

I don't believe people who work in an office are sedentary...personal opinion.

I work in an office 8 hours a day but am up and about lots...but even that doesn't make me lightly active it is the other 8-10 hours a day I spend on my feet, getting the house tidy, cooking meals, doing laundry just regular daily activity...

As a mom esp (although my son isn't young anymore) there is not one mom here who is sedentary...unless you are neglectful you are on your feet all the time with kids and if you aren't on your feet you are moving your upper body...

QFT.

I sit at a desk for 8 hours, but I also walk 5 miles a day, lift weights 3x a week and go to kickboxing 1-2x a week. I am by far not sedentary just because I sit at a desk 8 hours a day. I really think you have to look at the whole daily picture to get which category you fit into, even if MFP says a desk job is sedentary...Personally I believe sedentary are people who can't move at all.

hasilovess

Everybody I just did the test. And well using sedentary setting and eating ALL my exercise calories back I lost 6 pounds in a week .... I know wtf??? (From 170- 164.1 pounds) well in about a week and a half tbh... i just put it back to lightly active to see if I can maintain there. BTW i wanna weight 165 pounds steadily.

hasilovess

Lol btw Im eating like 3000 calories daily, and with lightly active im eating 3300.

tigersword

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

This. Even if you have a desk job, unless you spend the entirety of your day sitting doing absolutely nothing and not moving, chances are you're lightly active. I have an 8-hour per day desk job, but the rest of my day and my weekends I spend tending to a busy toddler, doing chores around the house, on my feet cooking. So before exercise I am already lightly active.

It also depends on if you're doing the MFP way or the TDEE way. TDEE your exercise is already accounted for so no you wouldn't. MFP way yes you would.

Sedentary does NOT mean you just sit around all day not moving. Sedentary means you spend the majority of the day sedentary, meaning 8+ hours sitting at a desk. Lightly active generally means you spend most of your day on your feet, as in a cashier at a grocery store. Moderately active is someone in constant motion, like a server at a restaurant.

I have a desk job and more or less sit at a desk for 8 hours per day...I'm still light active when I was doing MFP. In addition to my desk job, I also have a 2 y.o. and a 4 y.o. at home...I'm also the primary cook at home and there is always something that needs fixing, cleaning, etc. Not to mention daily things like taking the stairs, shopping, etc. In addition to sitting for about 8 hours per day, I also am on my feet a good 4-6 hours and moving around. I don't agree that everyone who has a desk job is "sedentary" just because that is the descriptor that MFP gives...it certainly doesn't apply in my case, even without deliberate exercise.

I didn't mean to imply everyone who works a desk job is sedentary. I said sedentary doesn't mean you don't move all day, that's RMR. As for your personal example, you're lightly active because you are active when you are home. Some people work behind a desk all day, getting up and moving about the office regularly, then go home, clean the house for a few minutes, maybe spend some time cooking, then relax for a couple hours watching tv before going to bed (ignoring exercise for the sake of example.) That's a "sedentary" person, but that person doesn't "spend the entirety of their day sitting doing absolutely nothing and not moving." That's the misconception I was attempting to clear up.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

This.



Also :laugh:

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Just keep in mind that it's all based on estimates and adjust based on your actual results. I'm sedentary by most definitions-- desk job, minor house chores but no kids, etc. But MFP's sedentary setting is too low for me. Lightly active is a closer fit, and then I add exercise calories on top. Pick one, use it for awhile, if you're losing weight then adjust upward.

Quasita

People here seem to have lost grasp of the fact that MFP is NOT a TDEE calculator. It is asking for your lifestyle without including your exercise.

So, if you are a desk worker, your base calorie burn is more than likely in a sedentary range, unless you get up a lot... and I am not meaning the 5 steps to the printer. Sedentary literally means spending the majority of the time SITTING. You burn less calories sitting than standing, even if you are moving your arms... So if you sit at a computer all day, you are indeed sedentary.

MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise. The base calories don't include exercise, which is why you eat them back. So, if you work a desk job where you sit the majority of the time, you set to sedentary, and then if you workout by running or lifting or whatever, you add that to the base calories, and add it to your dietary needs.

If you want to incorporate things like your regular exercise routine in your initial calorie goal, you need to use a TDEE calculator and manually adjust the MFP number to match.

3dogsrunning

People here seem to have lost grasp of the fact that MFP is NOT a TDEE calculator. It is asking for your lifestyle without including your exercise.

So, if you are a desk worker, your base calorie burn is more than likely in a sedentary range, unless you get up a lot... and I am not meaning the 5 steps to the printer. Sedentary literally means spending the majority of the time SITTING. You burn less calories sitting than standing, even if you are moving your arms... So if you sit at a computer all day, you are indeed sedentary.

MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise. The base calories don't include exercise, which is why you eat them back. So, if you work a desk job where you sit the majority of the time, you set to sedentary, and then if you workout by running or lifting or whatever, you add that to the base calories, and add it to your dietary needs.

If you want to incorporate things like your regular exercise routine in your initial calorie goal, you need to use a TDEE calculator and manually adjust the MFP number to match.

I haven't and I still believe MFP sedentary setting is low for a lot of people. Plus OP just said that he changed it to sedentary and is losing weight when he is trying to maintain, so he may not be sedentary (or there are inaccuracies elsewhere0.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

People here seem to have lost grasp of the fact that MFP is NOT a TDEE calculator. It is asking for your lifestyle without including your exercise.

So, if you are a desk worker, your base calorie burn is more than likely in a sedentary range, unless you get up a lot... and I am not meaning the 5 steps to the printer. Sedentary literally means spending the majority of the time SITTING. You burn less calories sitting than standing, even if you are moving your arms... So if you sit at a computer all day, you are indeed sedentary.

MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise. The base calories don't include exercise, which is why you eat them back. So, if you work a desk job where you sit the majority of the time, you set to sedentary, and then if you workout by running or lifting or whatever, you add that to the base calories, and add it to your dietary needs.

If you want to incorporate things like your regular exercise routine in your initial calorie goal, you need to use a TDEE calculator and manually adjust the MFP number to match.

Yes, but just to be clear I mean I need lightly active plus exercise calories.

SezxyStef

People here seem to have lost grasp of the fact that MFP is NOT a TDEE calculator. It is asking for your lifestyle without including your exercise.

So, if you are a desk worker, your base calorie burn is more than likely in a sedentary range, unless you get up a lot... and I am not meaning the 5 steps to the printer. Sedentary literally means spending the majority of the time SITTING. You burn less calories sitting than standing, even if you are moving your arms... So if you sit at a computer all day, you are indeed sedentary.

MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise. The base calories don't include exercise, which is why you eat them back. So, if you work a desk job where you sit the majority of the time, you set to sedentary, and then if you workout by running or lifting or whatever, you add that to the base calories, and add it to your dietary needs.

If you want to incorporate things like your regular exercise routine in your initial calorie goal, you need to use a TDEE calculator and manually adjust the MFP number to match.

I haven't and I still believe MFP sedentary setting is low for a lot of people. Plus OP just said that he changed it to sedentary and is losing weight when he is trying to maintain, so he may not be sedentary (or there are inaccuracies elsewhere0.

Agreed...I have mine set at lightly active with a desk job because I don't stop when I get home and that is without exercise...

With exercise I would have to eat back about 300-500 calories a day if I didn't do TDEE...with the lightly active setting...and I still lose weight...

I think what people fail to realize is that there are 24hours in a day..and if you have a desk job and sit at the office for 7hours, sleep for 8 hours there is still 9 hours left...1hour for exercise, 8 hours...that is 1/3 of your day that you aren't sedentary...that's a lot of hours and if you are a parent...you can forget the 8 hours of sleep....:sad:

nxd10

that depends on whether or not you are sedentary or not...

This. Even if you have a desk job, unless you spend the entirety of your day sitting doing absolutely nothing and not moving, chances are you're lightly active. I have an 8-hour per day desk job, but the rest of my day and my weekends I spend tending to a busy toddler, doing chores around the house, on my feet cooking. So before exercise I am already lightly active.

It also depends on if you're doing the MFP way or the TDEE way. TDEE your exercise is already accounted for so no you wouldn't. MFP way yes you would.

This is NOT TRUE. I walk to work and walk home again. I run up and down steps at work. I pace when I lecture. On many days my pedometer will put me at 3800 steps until I exercise. I am SEDENTARY.

4000 steps or so is sedentary on MFP. At that point extra calories start getting added in if you use a pedometer.

If you go TDEE go for it.

If you use MFP, it's right around 3800 steps that's the break point for sedentary. In any case, I bought a fitbit zip ($39), set to sedentary, try to hit 10000 steps, and eat my exercise calories. I log extra exercise like mucking out chicken coops, swimming, or bike rides.

P.S. Oddly enough, grocery shopping puts on a ton of steps. But my husband does that.