MFP Daily Activity Level

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thisisjl
thisisjl Posts: 1,074 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
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!!

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  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    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
    thisisjl Posts: 1,074 Member
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    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
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    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
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    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
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
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    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
    kiddoc88 Posts: 244 Member
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    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
    tracyhall63 Posts: 84 Member
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    Good question. I also sit at a desk all day but for the rest of the time I am active.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    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!

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