Activity level question

AmyLyn1983

Sorry I'm new to MFP and have a lot of questions. :happy:
In the goals section, it asks for your activity level. I have a desk job, but I work out 5 days a wk at the gym for about 45 mins split it up between cardio and strength training and on my days off I take walks for about 30 mins each day. Do I list myself as lightly active or active?
Thanks!!

Pebble321

I would put in sedentary to cover your regular daily activity (ie. at home and going to work) and then add (and eat) the extra calories when you workout.
If you can't cope with the concept of "eating exercise calories", choose active and don't add (or eat) extra cals for exercise.

AmyLyn1983

Thank you for the advice!

Karalopolous

I def wouldn't put you as sedentary, since you are at the gym 5 days a week. I'd choose lightly active if you wanna be on the safe side, but like the other poster said you can choose active and not eat back those exercise calories. But I kinda like earning extra calories, haha

led6777

i highly recommend choosing sedentary and logging any and all exercise calories and eating them back. that's how i lost my weight. if that doesn't make sense (i didn't get this for a long time), here's an explanation:

if you choose sedentary, your calorie allotment will be very low, usually around 1200. with this option you should add exercise calories and eat them back.

if you choose active, your calorie allotment will already include your exercise calories. therefore, you do not have to log exercise or eat back exercise calories; they're already factored in.

it's really just a matter of preference. if you don't want to choose sedentary, i'd say you're "active."