Am I "Sedintary"?

jilliew

I have been reading a couple of topics on this forum that include the words "if you do xx regularily, you are not sedintary" and "give yourself more credit for the activity you do." So it got me thinking...I have myself set to sedintary, but am I really? Should I "give myself more credit" for what I do all day?

So, I take it to the public. Am I sedintary?

This is what my typical day looks like:

- I work a desk job - data entry type stuff. I literally sit at my desk for hours at a time as I rarely have any printing or copying to do.
- I get 2 15 min coffee breaks a day, during which I go for a walk (more like a stroll, really) with some co-workers. It's nothing crazy fast - mostly just an excuse to get some fresh air and remove my behind from my chair.
- During my hour lunch I usually spend half the time on here logging my day's food, etc, and the other half reading a book as I eat my lunch.
- My evenings usually consist of eating dinner and watching TV or hanging out with friends. And by hanging out I mean sitting around gossipping or playing board games.

My weekends are usually my shopping and cleaning days, so I'm usually on my feet for a good part of the day, but I don't do anything crazy strenuous.

I'm not doing any other form of exersize right now (for shame, I know...January! I'll start walking again in January!!). Does that even count towards your activity level, or does it get logged seperately under exercize it I have been doing with my 30 min of walking a day...?

Anyway, thanks in advance for the help!

KenosFeoh

I'd classify that as sedentary.

Mokey41

That's about as sedentary as you can get.

DoomCakes

I'd say sedentary. Sounds like my average day except I can't walk on my lunch break (I don't get 15 minute coffee breaks, wish I did!). Just log your walking since sedentary is basically saying you do nothing past the normal.

MonkeyBars

"sedentary"

I train from 6hrs to 12hrs per week, but I have a sit down job.

I'm sedentary

SLRamirez2012

That is for sure sedentary. Sorry to say

Jpinpoint

Very sedentary.

I'm sedentary 3 months out of the year, that's when I have a sit down job.

I workout 5-6 days a week, 60-90 minutes each day, I still think all I do is sit on my butt. I feel active but really I could do more.

I'm sedentary.

CM9178

I have been reading a couple of topics on this forum that include the words "if you do xx regularily, you are not sedintary" and "give yourself more credit for the activity you do." So it got me thinking...I have myself set to sedintary, but am I really? Should I "give myself more credit" for what I do all day?

So, I take it to the public. Am I sedintary?

This is what my typical day looks like:

- I work a desk job - data entry type stuff. I literally sit at my desk for hours at a time as I rarely have any printing or copying to do.
- I get 2 15 min coffee breaks a day, during which I go for a walk (more like a stroll, really) with some co-workers. It's nothing crazy fast - mostly just an excuse to get some fresh air and remove my behind from my chair.
- During my hour lunch I usually spend half the time on here logging my day's food, etc, and the other half reading a book as I eat my lunch.
- My evenings usually consist of eating dinner and watching TV or hanging out with friends. And by hanging out I mean sitting around gossipping or playing board games.

My weekends are usually my shopping and cleaning days, so I'm usually on my feet for a good part of the day, but I don't do anything crazy strenuous.

I'm not doing any other form of exersize right now (for shame, I know...January! I'll start walking again in January!!). Does that even count towards your activity level, or does it get logged seperately under exercize it I have been doing with my 30 min of walking a day...?

Anyway, thanks in advance for the help!

You sound like you are describing my lifestyle pretty much - except I don't go on walks during the day.
It is definitely sedentary. I would just count stuff you might do that is out of the ordinary, like if you go somewhere and you are walking for a few hours, or cleaning for a few hours, that is more exercise than you get in a typical day, so I'd log that.
For example, if you go to the mall for 4 hrs, log the walking. If you clean your entire house from top to botton and it takes a few hours, log that.

yoovie

100%

amberlykay1014

I think I'm going to have to disagree with everyone who posted so far and say that this is "light activity." You are still getting out of bed every day and going to work. You walk a little bit twice a day, and you go home. I'm sure you also run typical errands like most people and you don't sleep all weekend.

Sedentary is literally reserved for people who do not do anything at all.

Wonderwoman2677

yes

taso42

"sedentary"

I train from 6hrs to 12hrs per week, but I have a sit down job.

I'm sedentary

you're very active

secretlobster

If there was a "check periodically to see if still breathing" category you'd fit into that.

No offense, that describes my typical day too. But yeah it's sedentary, no doubt

melsmith612

You guys are saying sedentary like it's a bad thing, for shame! I probably don't even get this much movement each day unless I work at it. I also have a desk job that's primarily just sitting in the same spot all day and like Doomcakes I don't get walks in during work (except in my case it's not because I couldn't but because it would literally be dangerous in the neighborhood where I work).

I'd agree that your setting should be sedentary but there's nothing wrong with that... it just means that the exercise you do get in will be that many more calories you're allowed each day and that much more impact on your body.

omma_to_3

I agree you are sedentary - just like me :-) Though I work out a lot. I add that into MFP and eat the extra calories.

cwolfman13

definitely sedentary.

secretlobster

Sedentary is literally reserved for people who do not do anything at all.

Can you define your source for this please?

According to MFP, which I assume is the OP's reference:
"Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)"

BeeElMarvin

You are sedentary.

secretlobster

You guys are saying sedentary like it's a bad thing, for shame!

No, actually, not one person did that

omma_to_3

I think I'm going to have to disagree with everyone who posted so far and say that this is "light activity." You are still getting out of bed every day and going to work. You walk a little bit twice a day, and you go home. I'm sure you also run typical errands like most people and you don't sleep all weekend.

Sedentary is literally reserved for people who do not do anything at all.

I disagree. Sedentary is generally thought of as a desk job, with daily living activity only. Her description definitely qualifies. If you look at calorie calculations, sedentary would burn about 115% to 120% of your BMR. Those short walks in there would not put her above that level.

Chief_Rocka

I think I'm going to have to disagree with everyone who posted so far and say that this is "light activity." You are still getting out of bed every day and going to work. You walk a little bit twice a day, and you go home. I'm sure you also run typical errands like most people and you don't sleep all weekend.

Sedentary is literally reserved for people who do not do anything at all.

Fine, "sedentary + a little bit of exercise." Better?

_Wits_

Sedentary is literally reserved for people who do not do anything at all.

Not, not it is not.

OP-Yes, yes you are.

sijomial

Yes definately - you spend almost all your waking hours sitting down.

You really should work at getting some routine activity into your day.

bcattoes

Yes, that would be considered sedentary. I'd log the walks, which aren't going to give you many calories at a slow pace, but it is a little above sitting all day long. And on days you do something out of the ordinary, I'd log that too.

_Elemenopee_

You guys are saying sedentary like it's a bad thing, for shame!

No, actually, not one person did that

:flowerforyou:

denny119

taso42
exactly, MonkeyBars is very active

Missjulesdid

I would agree with sedentary. I'd set it to sedentary and then log additional activities such as heavy mall shopping and your afternoon stroll in order to give yourself credit for these activities. Mine was set to sedentary, but now I work 49 hours a week in a convenience store and I'm on my feet and stalking shelves and walking around the store for 7 hours a day so I put myself as "lightly active"

smantha32

I'd classify that as sedentary.

This.

dunlunicor

I think I'm going to have to disagree with everyone who posted so far and say that this is "light activity." You are still getting out of bed every day and going to work. You walk a little bit twice a day, and you go home. I'm sure you also run typical errands like most people and you don't sleep all weekend.

Sedentary is literally reserved for people who do not do anything at all.

I have to agree here. Here's what I would do: Set it to "light activity", only log exercise if it is out of your normal routine and you are really breaking a sweat, and eat the limit it gives you. Do it for two or three weeks and see what your weight does. MFP basically gives you 1200 calories for being "sedentary" unless you are pretty large, which is not enough. You might see better results with a smaller deficit.

bcattoes

You guys are saying sedentary like it's a bad thing, for shame!

I haven't actually seen any posts saying it was a bad thing, but I will now say that it IS a bad thing. It's one of the worst things you can do for your overall health.

Allyson1985

I also agree with the masses ... sedentary.