BMR and Activity Level

mwest11

Ok, so I was calculating my BMR yesterday and couldn't decide what my activity factor was for the Harris Benedict Equation. For the most part I am sitting while at work all day and that makes me sedentary. But I also exercise 3-6 times a week. Including 2 lifting circuits, yoga, pilates, zumba once a week. So which category would I fall into?


Harris Benedict Formula
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

•If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
•If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
•If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
•If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
•If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

StarryEyed500

If you exercise 3-6 times a week, go for moderately active - but don't log the calories you're accounting for with this setting.

jude7701

I have this same problem. I went with the sedentary. Then it accounts for that time I spent sitting, and I just make sure I log the exercise I do so I get an accurate calorie count.

erickirb

If you use sedentary then log your exercise and eat those cals back, otherwise choose moderate, and don't log exercise.

Hawksbillus

I'm in a similar situation. I consider myself sedentary, but then I add my workouts to MFP and eat back those calories. If you consider the workouts as a reason to be "moderately active" then I don't think you should also add the workouts to MFP. That sounds like double-dipping.

mwest11

Thanks people... I like to add up my exercise calories so I will probably stick with the sedentary activity level. I tried the MFP recommended 1500 calories for about 4 months and haven't had any results. Then I tried 1200 to see if that would help but I just can't stick to that calorie intake. I go over every day by about 200 calories. So, I went back to the drawing boards and starting over again!

erickirb

Thanks people... I like to add up my exercise calories so I will probably stick with the sedentary activity level. I tried the MFP recommended 1500 calories for about 4 months and haven't had any results. Then I tried 1200 to see if that would help but I just can't stick to that calorie intake. I go over every day by about 200 calories. So, I went back to the drawing boards and starting over again!

since you only have about 10lbs to lose your weekly weight loss goal should be 0.5lbs/week and if you are set at sedentary you should also eat back those cals. Here is a guide to setting appropriate weekly weight loss goals, if your deficit is too large you risk losing a large % of lean muscle along with the fat:

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

the2aces

One thing to note about eating back your exercise calories...

You should only do this if you feel the BMR mfp calculates for you is correct. I chose sedentary and it's using about 1950 as my BMR, which is completely wrong for me (i had it tested personally). Mine is more like 1600-1700. This means that if I stick to my mfp calorie goal - 1220 per day - I still need to do 4 sessions of burning about 450 calories each WITHOUT eating them back, in order to lose 1.5lbs per week.

erickirb

One thing to note about eating back your exercise calories...

You should only do this if you feel the BMR mfp calculates for you is correct. I chose sedentary and it's using about 1950 as my BMR, which is completely wrong for me (i had it tested personally). Mine is more like 1600-1700. This means that if I stick to my mfp calorie goal - 1220 per day - I still need to do 4 sessions of burning about 450 calories each WITHOUT eating them back, in order to lose 1.5lbs per week.

Maybe, but with the amount you have to lose your goal should not be to lose more than 1lb/week anyway (based on your ticker) otherwise a large % will come from lean muscle. the 1950 MFP gave you would be maintenance, if your BMR is 1600 and set at sedentary your maintenance will be 1920 (1600*1.2), pretty close to the 1950 on MFP.

the2aces

Yeah unfortunately when you get down into the 100-200 calorie range it's all about knowing your body. I know that if I went about my days without any scheduled exercise and ate 1900 calories per day, I would gain weight