Huge Question

Options
2»

Replies

  • Azuleelan
    Azuleelan Posts: 218
    Options
    Hey, there's another issue, you're not supposed to count all that in your activity level!!
  • Azuleelan
    Azuleelan Posts: 218
    Options
    Oh hehe nope! I do need to work on my wording :]:flowerforyou:

    Actually you said it right, but I'm very used to all of us using "you" to mean in general, when you actually used "you" to refer to her, hehehe...:tongue:
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    Options
    Yes, exercise should be included in your activity level.

    Person A and Person B are the same height and weight.

    Person A goes home and sits at their computer all night.

    Person B goes home and does vigorous exercise for an hour at least 3 nights a week.

    Person A and Person B sit next to each other at work all day. Person B is burning more calories than Person A while sitting there.

    Then Person B goes home and burns even MORE calories, which they then log.
  • sashaverlene
    sashaverlene Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    Your Normal Daily Activity level isn't supposed to include any exercise. Any exercise that you log on MFP should NOT be counted when deciding that setting. For example, I'm set at sedentary even though I normally workout 4-5 days a week, because other than working out I don't get much activity in other than walking to/from my car, walking around my office building and around my house.

    How MFP works is that you set your "normal daily activity" without considering exercise, and then you log all your exercise here separately. This allows for more precise calorie goals.

    Other than working out, I walk my dog and dance a little. Is that still sedentary, or the one after it?
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Options
    Yes, exercise should be included in your activity level.

    Person A and Person B are the same height and weight.

    Person A goes home and sits at their computer all night.

    Person B goes home and does vigorous exercise for an hour at least 3 nights a week.

    Person A and Person B sit next to each other at work all day. Person B is burning more calories than Person A while sitting there.

    Then Person B goes home and burns even MORE calories, which they then log.

    The way MFP works, you do NOT include exercise in your "normal daily activity level" because you are supposed to log exercise separately. That is why MFP adds in exercise calories to your daily calorie goal when you log them.

    Normal Daily Activity Level refers to your non-exercise routine - do you walk/bike to work and/or the store or do you drive everywhere?Do you go up and down the stairs a lot or take elevators? Do you have a physically active job (ex - a landscaper) or a sedentary, desk job?

    You have to remember that MFP assumes you aren't going to do any exercise and calculates your standard calorie goal: normal daily calories burned (before exercise) - desired deficit = calorie goal. Then, when you log your exercise, your calories burned goes up, so it adjusts your calorie goal to keep the same deficit.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Options
    Your Normal Daily Activity level isn't supposed to include any exercise. Any exercise that you log on MFP should NOT be counted when deciding that setting. For example, I'm set at sedentary even though I normally workout 4-5 days a week, because other than working out I don't get much activity in other than walking to/from my car, walking around my office building and around my house.

    How MFP works is that you set your "normal daily activity" without considering exercise, and then you log all your exercise here separately. This allows for more precise calorie goals.

    Other than working out, I walk my dog and dance a little. Is that still sedentary, or the one after it?

    If you walk your dog at least 30-60 min every day (rarely, if ever, missing any days), I'd pick lighly active, otherwise I'd pick sedentary.
  • damonmath
    damonmath Posts: 359 Member
    Options
    I bought a continuous Heart Rate Monitor which tells me my calories burned. This way I can be confident that my numbers are accurate. This has allowed me to successfully shed 50+ lbs, and now maintain an incredibly ripped physique.

    I highly recommend one :)
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    Options
    Yes, exercise should be included in your activity level.

    Person A and Person B are the same height and weight.

    Person A goes home and sits at their computer all night.

    Person B goes home and does vigorous exercise for an hour at least 3 nights a week.

    Person A and Person B sit next to each other at work all day. Person B is burning more calories than Person A while sitting there.

    Then Person B goes home and burns even MORE calories, which they then log.

    The way MFP works, you do NOT include exercise in your "normal daily activity level" because you are supposed to log exercise separately. That is why MFP adds in exercise calories to your daily calorie goal when you log them.

    Normal Daily Activity Level refers to your non-exercise routine - do you walk/bike to work and/or the store or do you drive everywhere?Do you go up and down the stairs a lot or take elevators? Do you have a physically active job (ex - a landscaper) or a sedentary, desk job?

    You have to remember that MFP assumes you aren't going to do any exercise and calculates your standard calorie goal: normal daily calories burned (before exercise) - desired deficit = calorie goal. Then, when you log your exercise, your calories burned goes up, so it adjusts your calorie goal to keep the same deficit.

    I know MFP adds exercise calories seperately. That doesn't change the fact that someone who exercises regularly is going to burn more calories while sedentary than the person who doesn't.

    The two are not mutually exclusive.
  • drsherin
    drsherin Posts: 1
    Options
    Also, BMR is calculated based on the assumption that you don't move all day long. Its the base number of calories your body needs to survive.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Options
    I know MFP adds exercise calories seperately. That doesn't change the fact that someone who exercises regularly is going to burn more calories while sedentary than the person who doesn't.

    The two are not mutually exclusive.

    All I'm pointing out is how MFP is intended to work. You set your "normal daily activity level" based on your *non-exercise* activity. You log your exercise in the exercise log and *that* is how MFP accounts for your exercise calories - as logged exercise, not as part of your "normal daily activity level". If you are fairly sedentary other than your exercise, but you set your "normal daily activity level" as active because you workout regularly, then MFP will be overestimating your normal daily burn.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    Options
    I know MFP adds exercise calories seperately. That doesn't change the fact that someone who exercises regularly is going to burn more calories while sedentary than the person who doesn't.

    The two are not mutually exclusive.

    All I'm pointing out is how MFP is intended to work. You set your "normal daily activity level" based on your *non-exercise* activity. You log your exercise in the exercise log and *that* is how MFP accounts for your exercise calories - as logged exercise, not as part of your "normal daily activity level". If you are fairly sedentary other than your exercise, but you set your "normal daily activity level" as active because you workout regularly, then MFP will be overestimating your normal daily burn.

    No, it won't.

    I'll use me as an example this time. I have a very sedentary job; I sit at a desk for 95% of my working day. I workout 5-6 days per week, 45-75 minutes per day on average. I am set at Moderately Active on MFP with a 500/day deficit. I log all of my exercise and eat all of my exercise calories back.

    By your reasoning, I should not be losing weight and inches.

    *points at tickers in sig*
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Options
    No, it won't.

    I'll use me as an example this time. I have a very sedentary job; I sit at a desk for 95% of my working day. I workout 5-6 days per week, 45-75 minutes per day on average. I am set at Moderately Active on MFP with a 500/day deficit. I log all of my exercise and eat all of my exercise calories back.

    By your reasoning, I should not be losing weight and inches.

    *points at tickers in sig*

    It's not an exact science. I didn't say you wouldn't lose anything, but that MFP would just likely be overestimating your normal burn... I didn't say by how much. You found something that works for you - great. That said, *in general* we are NOT supposed to consider exercise calories in our "normal daily activities" - that's just how MFP is designed. Obviously if people try something and it doesn't work for them, then they may need to tweak things - all of these are estimates anyways... but it's not the best idea to go around telling everyone to count exercise in their "normal daily activities" when that's not how MFP was designed.

    Personally, I found that using a "sedentary" setting since I work a desk job and not much activity (excluding logged exercise) and then logging my exercise calories (and eating those) is what best predicts/matches my results. If I set my activity level at active since I workout regularly AND logged and ate those calories, then my weight loss would slow.

    ::shrugs:: Like I said - it's not an exact science. Our experiences differ. My experience goes along with how the site was designed and yours doesn't. It's good info for people to be aware of.

Categories