Sedentary, Lightly Active, or What?

Matiara

I never thought I'd ask this question, but it's bugging me and I'd like to put it to bed once and for all. I keep vascillating with regard to my activity level.

I have a desk job, but I'm not sitting for eight hours straight. I'm up and down all day making trips to the printer, copier, and mailroom. I'd rather talk to my coworkers face to face about most things than send an e-mail or make a phone call, so I'm often making trips to other desks, including upstairs (always take the stairs) and over to the other building in my company's complex. With the exception of my lunch hour, I'm lucky if I get to sit more than 30 minutes straight.

I also walk to and from work (one mile each way) and the last 1/4 mile of my walk home is uphill on a steep grade that still kicks my butt after 10 years of walking it almost daily. I workout 6 days per week (Supreme 90).

On weekends, I run errands. I don't own a car, so I walk and bus everywhere. It's a rare day that I can veg and do nothing.

So obviously, I'm not sedentary, but am I lightly active or moderately active?

caroline_bartlett

bump! i'm in a similar boat!

KeepGoingRhonda

I would say moderately

Lookingforfitat40

I would say moderately

^^^Absolutely.

Graelwyn75

I would say moderately active, personally.
Alternatively, invest in a fitbit, keep yourself set to sedentary, and the fitbit will synch with mfp and automatically add any extra you burn in your daily activities and then just log your workouts seperately with starting times. That is what I do.

Ruthe8

Moderately isn't even one of the choices. Working out doesn't count towards your activity level - you log your exercise separately. If you think you are in the "Active" category, try it for a while and see if it works.

Sierra_419

yeah i wanna kno the same. i sit at home a lot... but i work out at least 5 days a week.

126siany

I'd say "lightly active".

Ruthe8

yeah i wanna kno the same. i sit at home a lot... but i work out at least 5 days a week.

You are sedentary. As I said, your workouts don't count for this.

126siany

yeah i wanna kno the same. i sit at home a lot... but i work out at least 5 days a week.

If you leave yours as sedentary, then log your workouts as you perform them.

If logging the workouts is a hassle, then raise your activity level to match the length/intensity of the workouts.

2hobbit1

If your getting over 10000 steps daily then moderate

tameko2

Moderate - I'm lightly active according to my BMF and I sit at my desk way more than you do.

Graelwyn75

yeah i wanna kno the same. i sit at home a lot... but i work out at least 5 days a week.

You are sedentary. As I said, your workouts don't count for this.

Actually, some people do not use mfp that way, and use the 'in place of a road map' method, which involves working out your average daily calorie burn, including exercise, and sticking to that number each day. In such cases, some people choose to use the activity level to set their daily calorie goal.

Krisstah

I am using a fitbit to track my activity at work.. i am a dietary aid, on my feet for 12 hours a day and i only sit down for my breaks, i average about 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day and take about 10-20 flights of stairs in my day. and despite all that, i am still considered "lightly active"

Sierra_419

k thanks. thought so.

sarahrbraun

I would say moderately active, personally.
Alternatively, invest in a fitbit, keep yourself set to sedentary, and the fitbit will synch with mfp and automatically add any extra you burn in your daily activities and then just log your workouts seperately with starting times. That is what I do.

THIS^^

I do that, and I have gotten up to 1,000 calories as a fitbit adjustment on a really busy day. This way I don't have to worry that my truly sedentary days ( like weekends, I might have 5,000 steps) are messing with my weight loss efforts. My very busy days, like when I go to the gym then 2-3 grocery stores, I get extra calories.

Lookingforfitat40

I am using a fitbit to track my activity at work.. i am a dietary aid, on my feet for 12 hours a day and i only sit down for my breaks, i average about 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day and take about 10-20 flights of stairs in my day. and despite all that, i am still considered "lightly active"

By who or what?



Choose your activity level:
I am sedentary (little or no exercise)
I am lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
I am moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
I am very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week)
I am extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training)

geral4479WECHANGED

I guess I am lightly active since I do exercise, yet my exercise only consists of walking, nothing too vigorous. So I do wonder if that is sedentary since my exercise routine is actually limited.

Ruthe8

yeah i wanna kno the same. i sit at home a lot... but i work out at least 5 days a week.

You are sedentary. As I said, your workouts don't count for this.

Actually, some people do not use mfp that way, and use the 'in place of a road map' method, which involves working out your average daily calorie burn, including exercise, and sticking to that number each day. In such cases, some people choose to use the activity level to set their daily calorie goal.

Then I would think they know enough not to ask this question in the first place, actually.

Matiara

Thank you for all of the replies.

Yesterday, I was using a few other online calculators to see if the calories I was given fell into the same range as MFP on each one and I did not want to overestimate my activity level as the difference between lightly and moderately active is a couple hundred calories. Sorry for not explaining that before.

MFP allots 1830 calories and the online calculators (using lightly active), ranged from 1750-1900, so I will stay in that range and listen to my body. I'm one of those light people trying to get leaner, so it's slow going. I'm losing fat, but I wanted to be sure that I didn't have my calories too high, thus stalling/slowing my progress.

I would like to invest in a monitor, but it probably won't be until tax time and that's a fair way off.

rileysowner

As far as I know, the only people who are truly sedentary, not lightly active, are those who sit all day at work, then sit all night at home getting up only when they absolutely have to.

djcuts

I was thinking about this myself and found this thread, so sorry if posting in an old thread, however as this is relevant to me at this moment in time, I thought I would post....

I work at a desk, every lunchtime I go to the gym and weight train. In the evenings i can be fairly active as there is always something to do, I like to ride my bike at times so I thought i was moderately active, however I wanted to clarify which is why I found this thread.

I just wanted to make sure that what I was using in the may caloric maintenance calculators etc. that are out there, that I was setting the correct activity level for the most accurate data.

I based my goals on being Moderately active, and as I have been getting good results, I think I will stick with that, and think that most of the info out there backs it up, so I used the below as an example in case anyone else was wondering about this to

"if you perform a 30-to-60-minute workout at the gym 3 or 4 days a week, classify yourself as moderately active."

From

http://www.livestrong.com/article/264785-how-to-figure-out-how-many-calories-to-maintain-my-weight/#ixzz29dvP64u2+

pkw58

Honestly, I have a desk job and I put myself in the sedentary lifestyle. I wear a Nike Fuel Band (a fitbit would be just as fine) and just record the calories burned from it.

I do get up once an hour no matter what now. Even if I have to stand up to take a conference call.

For me, it holds me accountable to get more active and accept that I have to do more exercise and earn those extra calories I eat. Is it the right way for everyone? Probably not, but it works for me

St3venMac

Easiest way to find out is to under estimate it eat the required calories for 2 weeks if you drop weight to quickly (more than 2lb per week) then move up in scale or add 200 calories. Then see what happens and adjust. There is no one size fits all - especially for someone like your self who says they are light and looking to get lean.

brynnsmom

Good post. This drives me crazy as well, as I work a "desk job" at a large company that involves many trips up and down the stairs, walking to and from meetings, etc. Then I go home to my very busy toddler and spend hours chasing her and tending to her needs. I have no idea what my activity level should be set to.

DanaDark

Necro thread.