Sedentary or lightly active?

I am not sure if I live a sedentary or lightly active lifestyle. I have it set to sedentary. I workout in the morning to a DVD for 25 minutes. I go walking in the afternoon for 30 to 90 minutes. I cook dinner, change diapers, clean house mostly on Saturdays, and laundry is done whenever it needs to be done. My kids mainly entertain themselves. I feel like I sit on the couch a lot it seems. I just want to make sure I set it right. Thanks!

Replies

  • bevhols
    bevhols Posts: 43 Member
    I would NOT classify you as sedentary!!! Lightly active maybe, but def not sedentary!
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    I just changed mine from sedentary to lightly active, but I am on my feet for 4-5 hours per day with a 20 lb pack on my back during that time. I usually walk about 3-5 miles per day with that weight.

    I'd say go for sedentary, but log your exercise and eat those calories back.
  • I have the same problem, do all kinds of housework, but also sit in front of the computer an awful lot. I'd say stick with sedentary, but be sure to log all that exercise you are doing. And count some extra exercise for the days you do a lot of housework!
  • pholbert
    pholbert Posts: 575 Member
    Iwould agree sedentary and log excercise.
  • Starla_
    Starla_ Posts: 349
    im a stay at home mother as well.. and don't spend a whole lot of time on my feet on a regular basis. I have set myself as sedentary and log all my exercise/eat cals back.

    If you don't log the exercise you do then set yourself as lightly active.
  • smidshop
    smidshop Posts: 2
    I sit ALL day. The only exercise I get is walking from the parking lot and up three flights of stairs. At the end of the day, I do the reverse, and that is it. I think what I do is sendentary.
  • I classify myself as sedentary. I sit at a desk all day long at work - yet once I get home, I'm running around the house making dinner, cleaning and taking care of 3 kids, barely ever sit down before 9pm - by then I am exhausted and cannot bring myself to exercise!!! Now that the weather is warming up I plan to try and get my butt out walking in the evenings!! I'm trying to lose those last 10 pounds!!
  • MMKE4ever
    MMKE4ever Posts: 115 Member
    Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I think I will continue to keep logging as having a sedentary lifestyle.
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    Yeah, I looked into this in detail when I was trying to sort it out. It seems that the setting is designed to accommodate activity which is "job" based, for lack of a better word. So if you're in hospitality or run around chasing kids and doing housework, you might choose lightly active. The setting is not supposed to take the place of deliberate exercise, which you should not include in the setting but instead log individually.

    When you think about it, it makes a bunch of sense to do it this way. But it is obviously prone to some amount of error (hopefully insignificant for most people) so taking your best guess and tracking progress, and adjusting later if necessary seems to be the best course.