Definition of Sedentary

Mokey41

Seems like there's a lot of misinformation about what choosing sedentary as your activity level means. A lot of people equate it to someone who lays in bed all day or rarely moves which would be closer to your BMR. Being sedentary only means that you work a desk job instead of doing more intense physical activity for 8 hours a day. Being sedentary still assumes that you do that basic functions of living.

Example:
Sleeping - 8 hours
Personal care (dressing, showering) - 1 hour
Eating - 1 hour
Cooking - 1 hour
Sitting (office work, selling produce, tending shop) - 8 hours
Driving car to/from work - 1 hour
General household work - 1 hour
Light leisure activities (watching TV, chatting) - 3 hours

It seems like being sedentary is almost a bad word. For the MFP calculations it only means you're a slave to a desk all day. You can still be an exercise fiend and add on all those intentional exercises that you do but it also means that you don't add back the fact that you cleaned your house or prepared some food.

vim_n_vigor

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

prudism

well great thats cleared that up then

erickirb

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

No its not. Sedentary will uses a multiplier to BMR of 1.2, so by default it will be 20% higher than BMR, your goal may be lower due to the weekly weight loss goal you chose.

ami5000psu

Okie doke

vim_n_vigor

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

No its not. Sedentary will uses a multiplier to BMR of 1.2, so by default it will be 20% higher than BMR, your goal may be lower due to the weekly weight loss goal you chose.

Fair enough, choosing 1/2 lb week goal is the only option that puts me above calculated goal. My point really is that there are a lot of people on here with their goals set as sedentary and well below their BMR. They should be eating more.

eowynmn

I agree on your version of the levels, but it is very vague and easy to interpretation. People just have to choose what they think closely fits with their level of daily activity.

I choose the light activity, because I'm a stay at home mom days and work part time as a nurse. I think I deserve that distinguisher, but if I worked a desk job days and chased after my kids in evening, I'd probably choose sedentary.

Mokey41

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

vim_n_vigor

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

I didn't choose that goal. I know it isn't enough food. However, there are very many people on this site that have chosen that goal and are eating well below their BMR. I have over 60 lbs to lose, I should be able to choose a more aggressive goal in theory, but 1/2 loss is the only setting that gives me a net over my BMR. Most people have no idea what this stuff means, they only know that they are starving.

calisunrise

totally sounds like me. sigh gotta love being a student

AngryDiet

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

I didn't choose that goal. I know it isn't enough food. However, there are very many people on this site that have chosen that goal and are eating well below their BMR. I have over 60 lbs to lose, I should be able to choose a more aggressive goal in theory, but 1/2 loss is the only setting that gives me a net over my BMR. Most people have no idea what this stuff means, they only know that they are starving.

This has nothing to do with the definition of sedentary.

Perhaps you have an agenda of your very own, but it's off topic here.

Dragonflag07

It can be hard to get it spot on. I'm a desk jockey myself but put in 60-90 minutes hard exercise before work every day and take the stairs at work anytime I pop out the office (10 flights). I reckon that if people work out in the morning their metabolism is elevated for most of the day so sedentary might not be the closest definition even for those who are desk-bound.

keem88

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

I didn't choose that goal. I know it isn't enough food. However, there are very many people on this site that have chosen that goal and are eating well below their BMR. I have over 60 lbs to lose, I should be able to choose a more aggressive goal in theory, but 1/2 loss is the only setting that gives me a net over my BMR. Most people have no idea what this stuff means, they only know that they are starving.

i get what you're saying. personally, i think the numbers mfp gives are ****ing retarded. why yes mfp, my maintenance goal for fiber should be 19, which is UNDER the recommended amount for an adult. and yes, it should be 1610 when my tdee to maintain my weight is in the 1800s. dur dur dur

vim_n_vigor

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

I didn't choose that goal. I know it isn't enough food. However, there are very many people on this site that have chosen that goal and are eating well below their BMR. I have over 60 lbs to lose, I should be able to choose a more aggressive goal in theory, but 1/2 loss is the only setting that gives me a net over my BMR. Most people have no idea what this stuff means, they only know that they are starving.

This has nothing to do with the definition of sedentary.

Perhaps you have an agenda of your very own, but it's off topic here.

I don't have any sort of hidden agenda, and this is not off topic here. There is a level of understanding of some of these background calculations that aren't necessarily easy for people to understand. People need to understand more than just the definition of sedentary to make good decisions on what their calorie goals should be. When I started on this site, I didn't know or understand BMR, I didn't know what made someone lightly active or active. What I did see was the recommendations on how much a person could try to lose a week based on how much weight they needed to lose. That put me at something like 1320 a day. I was ravenous. For the first time in my life I would find myself just eating everything that I could find in the house without even realizing it. I didn't understand that I needed more food to fuel my basic needs. It wasn't until I started learning about my BMR and more about what makes up the activity levels that I needed to eat more. Once I moved up to 1800 calories, I was losing weight, and I felt much better, and I was no longer worried that I had zero self control anymore. My desperation was gone.

AngryDiet

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

I didn't choose that goal. I know it isn't enough food. However, there are very many people on this site that have chosen that goal and are eating well below their BMR. I have over 60 lbs to lose, I should be able to choose a more aggressive goal in theory, but 1/2 loss is the only setting that gives me a net over my BMR. Most people have no idea what this stuff means, they only know that they are starving.

This has nothing to do with the definition of sedentary.

Perhaps you have an agenda of your very own, but it's off topic here.

I don't have any sort of hidden agenda, and this is not off topic here. There is a level of understanding of some of these background calculations that aren't necessarily easy for people to understand. People need to understand more than just the definition of sedentary to make good decisions on what their calorie goals should be. When I started on this site, I didn't know or understand BMR, I didn't know what made someone lightly active or active. What I did see was the recommendations on how much a person could try to lose a week based on how much weight they needed to lose. That put me at something like 1320 a day. I was ravenous. For the first time in my life I would find myself just eating everything that I could find in the house without even realizing it. I didn't understand that I needed more food to fuel my basic needs. It wasn't until I started learning about my BMR and more about what makes up the activity levels that I needed to eat more. Once I moved up to 1800 calories, I was losing weight, and I felt much better, and I was no longer worried that I had zero self control anymore. My desperation was gone.

I didn't say you had a hidden agenda. I said you might have an agenda. You do, and it's pretty clear what it is.

This has nothing to do with the definition of sedentary.

vim_n_vigor

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

I didn't choose that goal. I know it isn't enough food. However, there are very many people on this site that have chosen that goal and are eating well below their BMR. I have over 60 lbs to lose, I should be able to choose a more aggressive goal in theory, but 1/2 loss is the only setting that gives me a net over my BMR. Most people have no idea what this stuff means, they only know that they are starving.

This has nothing to do with the definition of sedentary.

Perhaps you have an agenda of your very own, but it's off topic here.

I don't have any sort of hidden agenda, and this is not off topic here. There is a level of understanding of some of these background calculations that aren't necessarily easy for people to understand. People need to understand more than just the definition of sedentary to make good decisions on what their calorie goals should be. When I started on this site, I didn't know or understand BMR, I didn't know what made someone lightly active or active. What I did see was the recommendations on how much a person could try to lose a week based on how much weight they needed to lose. That put me at something like 1320 a day. I was ravenous. For the first time in my life I would find myself just eating everything that I could find in the house without even realizing it. I didn't understand that I needed more food to fuel my basic needs. It wasn't until I started learning about my BMR and more about what makes up the activity levels that I needed to eat more. Once I moved up to 1800 calories, I was losing weight, and I felt much better, and I was no longer worried that I had zero self control anymore. My desperation was gone.

I didn't say you had a hidden agenda. I said you might have an agenda. You do, and it's pretty clear what it is.

This has nothing to do with the definition of sedentary.

You are so right - my agenda is that people should understand more than just what sedentary means.

AngryDiet

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

I didn't choose that goal. I know it isn't enough food. However, there are very many people on this site that have chosen that goal and are eating well below their BMR. I have over 60 lbs to lose, I should be able to choose a more aggressive goal in theory, but 1/2 loss is the only setting that gives me a net over my BMR. Most people have no idea what this stuff means, they only know that they are starving.

This has nothing to do with the definition of sedentary.

Perhaps you have an agenda of your very own, but it's off topic here.

I don't have any sort of hidden agenda, and this is not off topic here. There is a level of understanding of some of these background calculations that aren't necessarily easy for people to understand. People need to understand more than just the definition of sedentary to make good decisions on what their calorie goals should be. When I started on this site, I didn't know or understand BMR, I didn't know what made someone lightly active or active. What I did see was the recommendations on how much a person could try to lose a week based on how much weight they needed to lose. That put me at something like 1320 a day. I was ravenous. For the first time in my life I would find myself just eating everything that I could find in the house without even realizing it. I didn't understand that I needed more food to fuel my basic needs. It wasn't until I started learning about my BMR and more about what makes up the activity levels that I needed to eat more. Once I moved up to 1800 calories, I was losing weight, and I felt much better, and I was no longer worried that I had zero self control anymore. My desperation was gone.

I didn't say you had a hidden agenda. I said you might have an agenda. You do, and it's pretty clear what it is.

This has nothing to do with the definition of sedentary.

You are so right - my agenda is that people should understand more than just what sedentary means.

Yes it is. And it's off topic in this thread.

erickirb

If I choose sedentary as my activity level on MFP, it is about 500 lower than my BMR. What do you say about that?

I say you chose to aggressive of a goal. Artificially inflating your calorie allowance by adding fake exercise or a higher activity level is no different than just choosing a realistic goal in the first place. MFP only does math, you have to add the common sense.

I didn't choose that goal. I know it isn't enough food. However, there are very many people on this site that have chosen that goal and are eating well below their BMR. I have over 60 lbs to lose, I should be able to choose a more aggressive goal in theory, but 1/2 loss is the only setting that gives me a net over my BMR. Most people have no idea what this stuff means, they only know that they are starving.

i get what you're saying. personally, i think the numbers mfp gives are ****ing retarded. why yes mfp, my maintenance goal for fiber should be 19, which is UNDER the recommended amount for an adult. and yes, it should be 1610 when my tdee to maintain my weight is in the 1800s. dur dur dur

The TDEE of 1800 is probably pretty close to MFP's 1610, as MFP says maintenance is 1610 plus what you burn from exercise, whereas TDEE says it is 1800. so if you burn 400 cals 4 days/week MFP would say 4 days at 2010, 3 days at 1610, TDEE says 1800 for 7 days.

1800*7=12,600, whereas MFP would day 2010*4+1610*3 = 12,870, which is pretty close to 12,600

cmriverside

I love MFP. In less than 15 posts, an argument breaks out over agendas and the definition of Sedentary.



And someone else attacks the tool, when it's the input. Dur.

imchicbad

Sedentary means siting on your *kitten* all day. I work out 6 times a week. Cook, clean etc. I dont sit all day even though i have a desk job, i get up a lot. so calculations moderate with sport/ excercise 5-6 times a week. Problem solved. ( read people) :huh:

AngryDiet

I love MFP. In less than 15 posts, an argument breaks out over agendas and the definition of Sedentary.



And someone else attacks the tool, when it's the input. Dur.

Since the topic of the thread was the definition of sedentary, I think that should get a pass. If the thread had stayed on topic and free of confusing extraneous information to muddle the message, it would have had imparted nice clear and concise information.

You forgot to mention the poster who feels the need to point out the failures of others in the thread and make mock the whole thing and MFP.

And the poster who decided to point that out besides.