I'm not sure what 'activity level' I should put

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Cfox25
Cfox25 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I had 'lightly active' before, but now I'm not sure. I'm currently unemployed, but I've been working out almost every day, and I'm usually spending the day doing errands, although since it's summer, I have been laying out in the sun a lot too :) Is this still considered lightly active even if I'm working out every day?
Thank you!

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  • mauryr
    mauryr Posts: 385
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    I put down "sedentary", and log all my exercise. But then again, I am sedentary, except for my exercise. Oh, and "strength training" doesn't burn very many calories, so if that's what you mean by "working out", it doesn't really count very much towards calorie deficit. (Unlike cardio type exercises, which burn quite a lot of calories. Basically, if it doesn't get your heart rate up, it's not burning many calories, it seems).
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,761 Member
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    Oh, and "strength training" doesn't burn very many calories, so if that's what you mean by "working out", it doesn't really count very much towards calorie deficit.

    I don't know about that...I burn about 250 calories - 350 calories in a 75 minute period. I don't know if that's considered alot though, it works for me.

    I put "Lightly Active" because I go and walk around amusement parks and walk with my son and swim with him and such, and I don't log those. I only log the focused exercises I do.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    I dunno what type of weight lifting you're doing (perhaps low low weight and high reps?) but after a weight workout my heart-rate is noticeably elevated. Plus just using the muscles... how do you think they get the energy to do the work your asking of them? from calories.... :P

    As for the OP's question, mark as sedentary and log all your purposeful exercise. Give it a couple weeks and see how that works, increase to lightly active if it doesn't work for you (ie you want more daily calories before exercise)
  • rosadona
    rosadona Posts: 36 Member
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    the catch with that is that while cardio burns more calories while you're doing it, strength training burns more in the long run. for one thing, strength training builds muscle - and a pound of muscle burns about 50 excess calories a day for you effortlessly. the more you strength train = the more you burn each day just staying alive. another good thing to know is that while about 30 minutes of cardio will burn up 300 calories or so for you, it only keeps your metabolism extra stoked for about another half an hour. strength training, on the other hand, can burn about 100 calories for you for each 30 minutes - but your metabolism stays humming for hours after. if you hit the sweet spot with strength training/muscle, you can keep your metabolism stoked at a higher rate around the clock!
  • mauryr
    mauryr Posts: 385
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    I humbly stand corrected.

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