Sedentary, Lightly Active, or What?

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Matiara
Matiara Posts: 377 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
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?
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Replies

  • caroline_bartlett
    caroline_bartlett Posts: 3 Member
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    bump! i'm in a similar boat!
  • KeepGoingRhonda
    KeepGoingRhonda Posts: 527 Member
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    I would say moderately
  • Lookingforfitat40
    Lookingforfitat40 Posts: 61
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    I would say moderately


    ^^^Absolutely.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    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
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member
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    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
    Sierra_419 Posts: 201 Member
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    yeah i wanna kno the same. i sit at home a lot... but i work out at least 5 days a week.
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
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    I'd say "lightly active".
  • Ruthe8
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member
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    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
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
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    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
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    If your getting over 10000 steps daily then moderate
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Moderate - I'm lightly active according to my BMF and I sit at my desk way more than you do.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    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
    Krisstah Posts: 136 Member
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    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
    Sierra_419 Posts: 201 Member
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    k thanks. thought so.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    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
    Lookingforfitat40 Posts: 61
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    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
    geral4479WECHANGED Posts: 49
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    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
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member
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    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
    Matiara Posts: 377 Member
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    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
    rileysowner Posts: 8,157 Member
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    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.

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