What Would You Put My Activity Level At?

bachooka

Okay... I usually have my level set at sedentary, but I'm starting to research and it seems a little like maybe that isn't quite right.... I used to be sedentary and I know that for sure... But now I workout 6-7 days a week, I am frequently chasing my kids, I have a house to maintain, and I am the family taxi driver and cook three meals a day as well as prepare snacks...

My question is... should I bumpy my activity level to very active... and if I do, do I still count my workouts into my daily total(only my specific meant to be exercise calories)?

erickirb

If you go to very active you would not log your exercise as MFP would give you calories for that. I would suggest changing it to light active and log your workouts only, not the running around.

scarletfever2005

Unless you are on your feet moving and lifting most of the day I would not set it at very active. I might move from sedentary to lightly active.

Remember that while there are a lot of activities that make you work. Exercise is only activity done for the purpose of improving health. Other than that it's an activity. (At least that's how I define it.) So only log your real excercise.

vim_n_vigor

Very Active takes into account that you are doing very intense physical workouts for several hours most days of the week. You are probably more like lightly active.

SeasideOasis

I was wondering the same thing, since I'm becoming more active (tennis 5-ish days a week for 1.5-2 hrs, plus my strength training), so I asked a health care professional. There first question is...."What do you do for a living?" Me, "I sit at a desk." Them,"You're sedentary." Me...I didn't say anything because my doctor is probably right haha

What do you do most frequently, sit down doing stuff or run around?

shells62682

yeah, I think about it in terms of what I do for a living or the majority of the day.

I would consider "very active" to be something like construction, lineman, firefighter, etc. where you are working = cardio/strength workout.

JennLifts

Very Active takes into account that you are doing very intense physical workouts for several hours most days of the week. You are probably more like lightly active.

If I change mine, it adds 100cals. That's WAY less than I burn... so I'd say that's not too accurate.

erickirb

I was wondering the same thing, since I'm becoming more active (tennis 5-ish days a week for 1.5-2 hrs, plus my strength training), so I asked a health care professional. There first question is...."What do you do for a living?" Me, "I sit at a desk." Them,"You're sedentary." Me...I didn't say anything because my doctor is probably right haha

What do you do most frequently, sit down doing stuff or run around?

I would say you are still sedentary, but then you log your exercise and get the cals that way. You can log as active, but if you did then you wouldn't log your exercise as MFP would have given you more calories to account for that.

DonnaLFitz

Some daily activity and running around is implicit in your calorie level. If you are not do intended workouts, I would not log the common daily activities. I have to life, haul, etc. a handicapped 13 year old, and I can assure you, if that were enough, I would be thin as Twiggy!

As it is, it's the type of activity that does not help me moderate my weight.

I only log workouts and unusual chores, like painting the outside of the house, moving all the furniture out of the house, etc.

Spreadborough

I would say your activity level is Lightly Active and log your actual exercise.

Very Active would be someone who for a living does daily heavy physical activity (construction worker, etc.).