setting my activity level

CherryOnionKiss

If I was sedentary but started working out at the gym twice a week am I still sedentary or lightly active?

lrd2010

*bump*
I've often wondered this too

LorinaLynn

Personally, even though I have a fairly sedentary lifestyle, I need my settings at lightly active or higher, plus most of my exercise calories, to get the right amount of calories.

Trial and error is what works best. If you're getting the progress you want, keep it as is. But I don't think a stay-at-home mom can really be sedentary unless you sit on the couch eating bon-bons all day like Peg Bundy.

CherryOnionKiss

Haha Im not a stay at home mom anymore. My maternity leave ended in January, Im back to work since then

Fitness4Paul

I think you'd still be sedentary if that is your daily activity level. You'll log exercise and the increased calorie burn as an activity. By increasing your activity level from sedentary to lightly active it just might call for more calorie consumption which might put you over if you're not really that active as the gym\exercise. Another option is to get a fitbit which will log how active you are throughout the day and 'adjust' your sedentary setting with automatic calorie adjustments if you're more active that sedentary. Check them out on the tools tab here on the mfp site.

MJ7910

i would say lightly active... i work out 5 days to 6 days a week and i would say lightly-moderately active for myself. mfp doesn't have this set right. look up TDEE on other websites and most of those say working out during the week puts you at a higher level over sedentery. for example:

http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

susannamarie

i would say lightly active... i work out 5 days to 6 days a week and i would say lightly-moderately active for myself. mfp doesn't have this set right. look up TDEE on other websites and most of those say working out during the week puts you at a higher level over sedentery. for example:

This depends on whether you are tracking your exercise daily and eating the exercise calories, or counting it as part of your lifestyle. If you enter lightly active AND add the exercise, you're effectively double-counting your exercise. You should choose one :P

CherryOnionKiss

I entered Sedentary but add my workout

DataBased

I entered Sedentary but add my workout

This ^ is what I've been doing, but I stalled in my weight loss for 2 weeks straight, and I considered moving to lightly active. This week, I broke my 2 week stall, so I'm staying with Sedentary. I found I wasn't eating all my allotted calories, and when I upped myself closer to my sedentary calorie allottment, I dropped a pound. I did eat back my exercise calories that I logged. I continue losing inches even during my weight loss stall.

CherryOnionKiss

Awesome, thank DataBased! I've been on MFP for a while but just started being serious about it a little while ago. I'm not super familiarized with some features yet :bigsmile:

MJ7910

i don't think many people are truly sedentery, even if you have a desk job. most people probably are lightly active. so i wouldn't go with sedentery unless you really do nothing at all, no exercise.

AmandaR321

I do sedentary and then log my exercise. It works well for me.

gsager

Still sedentary

auntiebabs

I kept mine at sedentary and logged everything...

When I was first here I counted every little thing I really like seeing the progress in how those baby steps added up.

taso42

I would avoid the sedentary. The way the numbers come out in that mode, you would think it's for the bedridden.

lilsassymom

Bump.

LorinaLynn

I would avoid the sedentary. The way the numbers come out in that mode, you would think it's for the bedridden.

That's my take, too. By the descriptions on here, I am sedentary. I work at home and do normal housework, but I'm on my *kitten* in front of the computer most of the day. I log all exercise and even some things that aren't really exercise like walking the dog or mega-cleaning (when it's above and beyond normal housework) and eat most of my exercise cals. But my activity level is set to "active," and as of last week, I was still losing weight while on maintenance. I might need to bump it up even more.

Meggles63

I would avoid the sedentary. The way the numbers come out in that mode, you would think it's for the bedridden.

That's my take, too. By the descriptions on here, I am sedentary. I work at home and do normal housework, but I'm on my *kitten* in front of the computer most of the day. I log all exercise and even some things that aren't really exercise like walking the dog or mega-cleaning (when it's above and beyond normal housework) and eat most of my exercise cals. But my activity level is set to "active," and as of last week, I was still losing weight while on maintenance. I might need to bump it up even more.

I have the same issue. Apparently, my type A personality causes me to burn at an "active" level, although my actual activities would place me under "lightly active" at best. Had to change it, in order to keep my calories at the proper amount.

MJ7910

I would avoid the sedentary. The way the numbers come out in that mode, you would think it's for the bedridden.

That's my take, too. By the descriptions on here, I am sedentary. I work at home and do normal housework, but I'm on my *kitten* in front of the computer most of the day. I log all exercise and even some things that aren't really exercise like walking the dog or mega-cleaning (when it's above and beyond normal housework) and eat most of my exercise cals. But my activity level is set to "active," and as of last week, I was still losing weight while on maintenance. I might need to bump it up even more.

I have the same issue. Apparently, my type A personality causes me to burn at an "active" level, although my actual activities would place me under "lightly active" at best. Had to change it, in order to keep my calories at the proper amount.

this is what i was trying to say... but wasn't explaining myself very well. if you are at all active in any way (do any kind of exercise) sedentery is probably not for you. lightly active is probably better. sedentery is for the bedridden. 1400 calories? no way is that a good idea for anyone... maybe if you are about 5 feet tall and do nothing but sit in a chair all day.