what exactly is my activity level?

goochinator

I work in an office, so I'm sitting 90% of the day...
however I workout REALLy hard most days of the week.

I've always considered myself sedentary b/c of my job, but reading a few things made me think not.
Does the activity leve we choose matter much?

Thanks!

goochinator

I work in an office, so I'm sitting 90% of the day...
however I workout REALLy hard most days of the week.

I've always considered myself sedentary b/c of my job, but reading a few things made me think not.
Does the activity leve we choose matter much?

Thanks!

Mangoaddict

Your level would be considered sedentary. This is because outside of your work out session, your job only allows you to sit all day. Hence it is sedentary.

ChubbyBunny

I still ponder on this.

I'm a teacher... high school though.
So, depending on the class I could be up and down and all over the place.
Should I be sedintary just in case or just lightly active?

mrsyac2

I still ponder on this.

I'm a teacher... high school though.
So, depending on the class I could be up and down and all over the place.
Should I be sedintary just in case or just lightly active?

how often are you standing on your feet- I work in an office but I am up and down all day long and I am still sedentary--

Im not on my feet the entire day like a salesman or a nurse

RedHotRunner

I have mine as sedentary due to the desk job too. However, when i'm not at work, it's more of a lightly active. I live in a two story house and have a small child. I must go up and down the stairs at least 50 times a day

But since i'm at work most of the day, I leave it as is.

ChubbyBunny

That's the tricky part... depends on the class and the day.
Sometimes they work on projects and don't need me much... but other times it's notes all day long.... back and forth to the baord.

Either way is fine... I customize my stuff anyway...

jdelisle

The difference between sedentary and lightly active is only 30 more calories per day so I wouldn't stress out too much about it if I were you.

SHBoss1673

well, see, this is another wrinkle thrown into the whole calorie game. Choosing sedentary or lightly active...etc. means mfp is setting a specific calorie/day amount you are burning. So regardless of what you choose, it's an estimate.

So you can do 3 things, 1) trust that MFP is close (maybe within 100 calories up or down if your metabolism is normal) 2) Go to a clinic and get a metabolic test, then you'll know your real rate. or
3) wear an HRM for a day, don't work out, and see what your calories are after 24 hours. For this to work you'll probably have to do it twice at a minimum though, to make sure you didn't just have a weird day.

SHBoss1673

The difference between sedentary and lightly active is only 30 more calories per day so I wouldn't stress out too much about it if I were you.

really? For me it's like 450 a day. are you sure?

ChubbyBunny

well, see, this is another wrinkle thrown into the whole calorie game. Choosing sedentary or lightly active...etc. means mfp is setting a specific calorie/day amount you are burning. So regardless of what you choose, it's an estimate.

So you can do 3 things, 1) trust that MFP is close (maybe within 100 calories up or down if your metabolism is normal) 2) Go to a clinic and get a metabolic test, then you'll know your real rate. or
3) wear an HRM for a day, don't work out, and see what your calories are after 24 hours. For this to work you'll probably have to do it twice at a minimum though, to make sure you didn't just have a weird day.

Ohhhh... I'll how to figure out how to turn off the beeping. :laugh:

SHBoss1673

well, see, this is another wrinkle thrown into the whole calorie game. Choosing sedentary or lightly active...etc. means mfp is setting a specific calorie/day amount you are burning. So regardless of what you choose, it's an estimate.

So you can do 3 things, 1) trust that MFP is close (maybe within 100 calories up or down if your metabolism is normal) 2) Go to a clinic and get a metabolic test, then you'll know your real rate. or
3) wear an HRM for a day, don't work out, and see what your calories are after 24 hours. For this to work you'll probably have to do it twice at a minimum though, to make sure you didn't just have a weird day.

Ohhhh... I'll how to figure out how to turn off the beeping. :laugh:

LOL, CB, it's in settings. Silly girl!

MacMadame

I got these descriptions from a friend who measures RMR as part of her business. I found them much more detailed than any other list and that made it a lot easier to decide what level I am.

Sedentary (activity factor 1.2): Sometimes under the care of someone else. Resting metabolic rate plus a factor for minimal activities - playing cards, watching TV, reading, etc.

Lightly Active (activity factor 1.375): Most students, office workers, and professionals; lawyers, doctors, shop workers, teachers, drivers, lab workers, playing a musical instrument, housewives/househusbands with mechanical appliances, unemployed persons. This includes eight hours sleep and 1 hours of sitting or standing. Three of the 16 hours must include light activity (walking, laundry, golf, ping pong) and one hour must be moderate activity (tennis, dancing, walking briskly, aerobics, etc.).

Moderately Active (activity factor 1.55): Most persons in light industry, electrical, carpentry and building trades (excluding heavy laborers), many farm workers, soldiers not in active service, commercial fishermen, housewives/househusbands without mechanical appliances. If you have an office or driving occupation (see Lightly Active category), you may have to average 1.5 to 2 hours of exercise per day (like jogging 5 to 6 miles/day) to be "Moderately Active."

Very Active (activty factor 1.725): Full time athletes, unskilled laborers, some agricultural workers (especially peasant farming), forestry workers, army recruits and soldiers in active service, mine workers, steel workers. This level requires moderate intensity activity for most of the work day or exercise comparable to running 9 to 13 miles/day.

Extremely Active (activity factor 1.9): Lumberjacks, blacksmiths, female construction workers, heavy manual digging, rickshaw pullers, and coal mining. Moderate to high level of physical activity for most of the work day or exercise comparable to running 14 to 17 miles/day.

LuckyLeprechaun

LOL rickshaw pullers! I am reading this as my kids take a science test, and I snorted when I read that! HAHAHA:blushing: :laugh:

ChubbyBunny

well, see, this is another wrinkle thrown into the whole calorie game. Choosing sedentary or lightly active...etc. means mfp is setting a specific calorie/day amount you are burning. So regardless of what you choose, it's an estimate.

So you can do 3 things, 1) trust that MFP is close (maybe within 100 calories up or down if your metabolism is normal) 2) Go to a clinic and get a metabolic test, then you'll know your real rate. or
3) wear an HRM for a day, don't work out, and see what your calories are after 24 hours. For this to work you'll probably have to do it twice at a minimum though, to make sure you didn't just have a weird day.

Ohhhh... I'll how to figure out how to turn off the beeping. :laugh:

LOL, CB, it's in settings. Silly girl!

Thanks! I am rather tech challenged...hence only the F4

adopt4

I guess the lower of them, that way, if I burn more calories than it shows, it will show up in my weight loss sooner. I'd rather do that than overestimate and then end up not losing weight.

jdelisle

The difference between sedentary and lightly active is only 30 more calories per day so I wouldn't stress out too much about it if I were you.

really? For me it's like 450 a day. are you sure?

Positive. I just did it again to be sure... goes from 1200 allowable calories a day to 1230.

mrsyac2

The difference between sedentary and lightly active is only 30 more calories per day so I wouldn't stress out too much about it if I were you.

really? For me it's like 450 a day. are you sure?

Positive. I just did it again to be sure... goes from 1200 allowable calories a day to 1230.

Its probably because you have more weight to lose.