MFP Daily Activity Level

thisisjl

OK so I'm confused a little not sure if I should be lightly active or I should be sedentary. While my work is for the most part sedentary I work at a desk. I work out at the gym or take walks/runs 5-6 days a week and I've got 2 kids that I'm a single mom to that keep me active between cleaning, cooking, and yard work too. Help!!

ladyraven68

OK so I'm confused a little not sure if I should be lightly active or I should be sedentary. While my work is for the most part sedentary I work at a desk. I work out at the gym or take walks/runs 5-6 days a week and I've got 2 kids that I'm a single mom to that keep me active between cleaning, cooking, and yard work too. Help!!

Many people here underestimate their activity levels.

Sedentary is pretty much sat at a desk all day, and sat on a couch all night.

Try the lightly active level for a few weeks, and you can always change it later.

thisisjl

I have had it set at lightly active for the past 11 days and I did see a 2 pound weight loss but I wasn't sure if it was just because I wasn't eatting back all of my exercise calories or what. Also I see SOOOO many people who's calorie in take is 1200-1400 and mine is at 1850 at the light activity level I just couldn't figure out why such a huge difference.

caraiselite

i work out once a day for 30 minutes, clean maybe twice a week, other than that, i'm super lazy. i set mine to sedentary since i'm at a desk for the majority of the day

bathsheba_c

If you are losing weight at lightly active, which is what single mom of two kids sounds like to me, then keep at it. Everything on here is an estimate, so a certain amount of experimenting with numbers is pretty much inevitable. Also, don't forget that some people may have a lower recommended calorie intake than you because they are shorter, or they are have less weight to lose, which means that they have a slower metabolism than you do. Add in a more sedentary lifestyle, and there is your 450 calorie difference.

amnsetie

If you set it at sedentary then log your exercise
If you set it at lightly active you don't need to log exercise unless you move more than a nurse (what the site regards as lightly active)
that would be double dipping

kiddoc88

I'd say set to lightly active. Although your job is sendentary, it sounds like youre pretty active at home. ( i'm the opposite- active at work) The activities at home such as gardening and cleaning, are part of that light activity. I choose not to log that - just the cardip and such i do at the gym.

tracyhall63

Good question. I also sit at a desk all day but for the rest of the time I am active.

mcarter99

Your day looks like mine and I put sedentary but I don't really follow MFP's plan. I can tell you according to Fitbit I burn 1800-2100 calories/day is all, but I'm a bit older and lighter than you. I think you could do either setting, depending on how aggressive you want to attack it. You best gauge is probably this- How is your weight loss coming along at your current eating level? If too slow, try the other one.

Good luck!