SAHM- lightly active or moderately active??

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✿KẙMb529✿
✿KẙMb529✿ Posts: 152
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a stay at home mom of a 2 1/2 year old and know I'm up and down a lot throughout the day, up and down stairs, picking up, doing dishes, laundry, etc....probably the basic for most SAHMs. So, I'm wondering what other SAHMs have their fitness level set at.. I currently have it set at lightly active, but I've wondered about it since I've been on here....Thanks mommies!!:happy:

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  • limestar
    limestar Posts: 198 Member
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    i have the same question. would like to know.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    It depends on how much of your day you spend on your feet. If you're on your feet most of the day, you can mark lightly active. If you spend a good chunk of your time sitting, even if it's sitting to fold laundry or play with the kiddos, then you'd mark "sedentary" and add your housework in as exercise. I doubt that most SAHMs are "moderately active" -- you'd have to be moving furniture every day or something like that.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I chose lightly active, which is the equivalent of a nurse or someone else who is on their feet a lot. Unless you're doing heavy lifting (more than a toddler) and lots of physical activity (running, jumping, etc.) for most of the day I wouldn't chose moderately active.
  • Wendi_S
    Wendi_S Posts: 489 Member
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    I had this same question a while back...I'm a stay at home mom with three daughters- I didn't get any solid answers so I decided to wear my heart rate monitor for an entire day to see what my calorie burn was just from daily chores- dishes, laundry, up and down the stairs- etc..... I was amazed!! I would most definitely say moderate as long as you're not sitting in front of the tv all day eating bon bons..... *I HATE when people assume that is what SAHM's do!!!*
  • HollyMac20
    HollyMac20 Posts: 259 Member
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    I am not a stay at home mom, but I have noticed a difference in my bodybugg readings when I am at home, cleaning, doing dishes, running around, picking up, etc. I would go with moderate. I van actually hace a higher calorie burn on a day I skip the gym and go home and cook, clean, pick up, etc for a longer period of time. My burn for the day may be around 2200-2400, for a non gym day. And I am 5'-8", 155 pounds.
  • petchonka82
    petchonka82 Posts: 156
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    I have mine set at Sedentary. I usually just add my housework under cardiovascular ("cleaning") I look at it this way, if I increase it then it will just allow me more calories for the day..I shoot low and figure the extra movement I do can only help.
  • eates
    eates Posts: 334 Member
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    I chose lightly active, I'm a SAHM to a 1 and 3 year old little boys. I think that may be a bit low though because I have my calories set at 1 lb a week and I've lost 5.8 lbs in 3 weeks. I eat all or most of my exercise calories too. My thought process on it was I'd rather be gauging low on the calories burned and not worry about going over on calories occasionally
  • Morninoonight
    Morninoonight Posts: 12
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    I'm a stay at home mom to a 18 month old. I also babysit two other 18 month olds M-F. I'm definitely on my feet throughout the day because they keep me on my toes, lol. However I marked 'Sedentary' because usually I'm sitting down teaching them something, sitting down feeding them, sitting down changing diapers etc..etc. I'm only really up when I'm cleaning or doing my 1 hour of aerobics a day. I don't add my housework in as a exercise, but I will now. I didn't know that was a option under exercises, lol.
  • ✿KẙMb529✿
    ✿KẙMb529✿ Posts: 152
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    Thanks eveyone! I like the idea of wearing my HRM on my rest day (no exercise) to see about how many calories I burn on just a normal day around the house with me and my son. Thanks for the ideas!
  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
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    I have it at the lowest, yea i cook and clean here an there, I have a small apartment but man my 17month old can breastfeed for long periods at a time so I feel Im not to active in the day, so thats y at night I get all my energy out in the treadmill and with Jillian M.:wink:
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    I'm a stay at home mom to a 18 month old. I also babysit two other 18 month olds M-F. I'm definitely on my feet throughout the day because they keep me on my toes, lol. However I marked 'Sedentary' because usually I'm sitting down teaching them something, sitting down feeding them, sitting down changing diapers etc..etc. I'm only really up when I'm cleaning or doing my 1 hour of aerobics a day. I don't add my housework in as a exercise, but I will now. I didn't know that was a option under exercises, lol.

    Yeah, that's why I chose sedentary. I'm busy, but not *active.* Then when I do the whole-house vacuuming and cleaning I add it in with exercise, although I still think it gives me too much credit for calories burned. :laugh: I spend much of the day doing computer stuff, or sitting in the floor playing with the kids, or sitting folding laundry, or sitting reading to them, or sitting watching a movie with them... too much sitting to classify me as active, IMO. But that's jut me.
  • mbnharrison
    mbnharrison Posts: 57 Member
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    I had mine at moderate when I first joined but found I was just maintaining not losing. I've since hanged to lightly active but with a calorie consumption of 1300. I do still consider myself moderately active (I work part time as a flight attendant and those days I'm on my feet nonstop) but I don't chart regular activities like house work unless I am moving furniture or vacuuming the entire house. I think a heart rate monitor is the way to go...I'm looking at one for myself since I'd be interested to know the difference between my at work and at home burn.

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