Pedometer Activity Level and Calories Burned

just4jilly
just4jilly Posts: 103 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My activity level was most assuredly sedentary. I walked about 2,000 steps a day on a good day. I bought a pedometer and have started working up my steps count. I average between 10,000 and 13,000 steps a day (4 to 5 miles a day). I do about a one mile walk in the morning and then just add steps through the day doing different things.

So, my question is this.. Do I count the extra calories I burn walking all day or just the one mile walk calories? Should I up my activity level instead?

Thanks for any input!

Replies

  • just4jilly
    just4jilly Posts: 103 Member
    Anyone?
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
    You could just consider it bonus burn... :)

    I guess the proper thing to do would be to up your activity level. I am not sure what your goal is cause your diary is private, but if it is weight loss- are you losing weight? If you adjust your activity level it will possibly increase your calorie allotment, and if what you are doing is working, I would probably just leave it alone. If you start eating back those calories, you won't lose as much.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    There are two ways you can do this. You can calculate your TDEE -- enter your info into MFP or some other BMR calculatior - age, height, weight, etc. and set your activity level as lightly active. Then eat that number of calories to maintain, or eat at a deficit from that number to lose. Or, you can set your activity level as sedentary, set that as your goal, and then add in what your pedometer calculates as activity calories.

    I've done it both ways. I just got a new pedometer that also calculates calories, so I've set my goal as my sedentary BMR and add in the calories that my tracker gives me. Frankly, it comes out about the same. I found I was underestimating how many calories I burned on days that I worked (I teach at a big campus and was putting in around 6000 steps in the course of my workday but not counting that as activity before), but overestimating how many calories I burned doing things like kickboxing, zumba, and step aerobics. So, I'm pretty much eating the same number of calories with either method.
  • just4jilly
    just4jilly Posts: 103 Member
    Thanks! I am losing about 2 lbs a week. I will check out TDEE and re-evaluate.

    I appreciate it!
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
    If you've been tracking accurately, you can use your MFP logs to figure out your actual TDEE, rather than using a calculator, which is just an estimate.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

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