How to track my exercise?

ashesfromfire

So I started using MFP religiously a few weeks ago, though ive used it as a basic calorie counter for the last couple months, I've been fairly successful - I've lost about 14 pounds so far - but after reading a few things on the forums I'm wondering if I should change some of my settings to improve my progress. I originally put that I have an active life, I work at a big warehouse home improvement store and I'm on my feet 9 hours a day there, lifting anything from 60 pound retaining wall blocks to 5 gallon buckets of paint. Most of this stuff I don't track, but sometimes I have extra active days where I literally jog around for a strait hour - and I'll log 60 minutes of cardio (my rule of thumb is - if I seat, I track it). But my question is, should I not because that activity is already figured in because my setting are designed for an active person? I've also heard I can track these things if I change my settings to sedative. Which do y'all think would end up helping me succeed over all?

2essie

Bump

ru4art2

I always do sedative , so that whatever I do that is not just sitting all day, I may add. Of course, one day I may sit a lot if my 3 month old son is being extra clingy, or another day I am on my feet all day at work. It's just easier this way.

sarahrbraun

what I would do is change your setting to *sedentary* ( not "sedative"), and get a fitbit. The fitbit will track your steps ( running and walking) and sync it to MFP when you get within 15 feet of your computer!

I had myself in as sedentary from the beginning, but once I got my fitbit, I realized that I do an awful lot of walking that I wasn't taking into account--I get at least 400 calories extra pretty much every day!

NoAdditives

So I started using MFP religiously a few weeks ago, though ive used it as a basic calorie counter for the last couple months, I've been fairly successful - I've lost about 14 pounds so far - but after reading a few things on the forums I'm wondering if I should change some of my settings to improve my progress. I originally put that I have an active life, I work at a big warehouse home improvement store and I'm on my feet 9 hours a day there, lifting anything from 60 pound retaining wall blocks to 5 gallon buckets of paint. Most of this stuff I don't track, but sometimes I have extra active days where I literally jog around for a strait hour - and I'll log 60 minutes of cardio (my rule of thumb is - if I seat, I track it). But my question is, should I not because that activity is already figured in because my setting are designed for an active person? I've also heard I can track these things if I change my settings to sedative. Which do y'all think would end up helping me succeed over all?

I wouldn't log the extra. We all have busier days occasionally. Unless it's an actual workout somewhere away from work, I'd just count it as normal daily activity. If you're a little extra hungry that day, don't feel bad about eating a couple hundred extra calories. But, logging it as exercise could mean you overestimate the calories burned.

MsMargie1116

I think that since you are active at your job, you are good to stay at active; and add anything extra over what you do for your job. Since it is your job, you do that all the time, so your body has adjusted, or gotten used to that particular activity, so it isn's as effective as it would if I'd be there for the first time. In saying this, anything you do out of the norm, like jogging around for an hour, or say you do something a little more laborous than you usually do, I would definitely log that as extra exercise... extra exercise=extra calories burned!!!

LorinaLynn

I would leave your setting as active, even bump it to the highest activity level, and not log work, but log any actual exercise you do.

Alternately, you can use another site to figure your TDEE, which would include your work related activity AND exercise, subtract 15-20% off that total, and set that for your calorie goal every day, without logging exercise separately.

BlackTimber

what I would do is change your setting to *sedentary* ( not "sedative"), and get a fitbit. The fitbit will track your steps ( running and walking) and sync it to MFP when you get within 15 feet of your computer!

I had myself in as sedentary from the beginning, but once I got my fitbit, I realized that I do an awful lot of walking that I wasn't taking into account--I get at least 400 calories extra pretty much every day!

sarahrbraun has a good idea. The fitbit is easy, fun and pretty accurate.

DavPul

You're making progress. DO NOT CHANGE WHAT IS WORKING. The forums can be informative. The forums can be misleading and harmful too. Keep doing what you're doing until its not working anymore,

ru4art2

HAHA I meant sedentary...not sedative. whoops!

Weebs628

I work at Lowe's in the paint department and I have my profile set to "lightly active". Some days, I'm working up a sweat and going non-stop at work and other days I do a lot of standing around if it's slow. Then, I only track exercise I do outside of work. Makes things less complicated for me and I hope that setting my profile to lightly active balances out the days I do nothing, my days off and the days I go non-stop at work.