MFP Activity Level Question

FitBlackChick

I'm quite confused about what it really means when MFP asks you what your activity level is when you're setting your goals.

When asked about what your activity level is (i.e sedentary, lightly active etc), is this asking about your lifestyle OUTSIDE of exercising? For example, if you have a lifestyle where you basically sit at a desk almost all day, but you work out hard on a daily basis for say, an hour, would you be considered sedentary or active?

Not understanding these concepts has made it hard for me to set nutrition goals, so all help will be much appreciated Thanks in advance!

Alison12121

I think they mean your activity outside of exercising. If you sit at your desk most of the day but exercise for an hour daily, you would still be sedentary for most of the day. You would just choose sedentary, and just track the exercise you do outside of work. A construction worker would choose very active, and still track exercise they do outside of work separately.

kMcMahan2010

If I had a desk job but worked out for an hour a day outside of work, I would choose sedentary, then add that hour workout on MFP (like you do food).

For me personally, I chose lightly active. I am a preschool teacher of 2 year olds. My average Monday-Friday day generally goes like this:

7:30-8 Arriving to work, getting bleach bottles for the day ready, setting up the classroom, etc.
8-8:30 Kids start showing up. They wash their hands and eat breakfast. After breakfast is over I have to clear away the dishes, discard of remaining food then send the cart out into the hallway. (Or if my co teacher does this, I'm in the bathroom with the kids. Changing diapers, or helping them use the potty. Brushing teeth and washing faces.)
8:30-9 We are on the carpet reading books and singing songs.
9-9:45 Free play or activity (sometimes we sit at the table and paint. Other times it's free play and I'm up and about with them. Talking/interacting, and breaking up fights.)
9:45-10 Take all kids potty again.
10:00 line up and head outside (takes about 10 minutes, on a good day)
10:10-10:40 play with children outside. Make sure kids aren't fighting, jumping off the slide, climbing the fence, etc.
10:40-10:50 Put all the cars, trucks, trikes, etc in the storage room. Making sure they are stored properly so we don't get a fine if DCF shows up.
10:50-11 Head inside and wash hands.
11-11:30 Lunch
11:30-11:45 Potty, brush teeth/wash faces and hands, get kids to lay down and go to sleep (if co teacher does this, then I am cleaning off the table, sweeping the food from under the table, throwing away remaining food, pushing cart into the hallway).
11:45-12:45 Nap time. I am either cleaning toys, or doing paperwork. Or if I'm lazy, I will read, then double up on paperwork another day lol
12:45 wake up 2 of the children to leave with daycare. Take them to the bathroom, and get their stuff together.
12:50-1:30 Finish nap time, unless a child wakes up early, then I keep him occupied so he doesn't wake up the rest of the kids.
1:30 Wake kids up and get snack ready.
1:45 Clean snack up, sweep classroom
2:00 hopefully kids are gone by now. If so I start with the rest of the days work. Sweep and mop classroom. Vacuum the carpet.
Wash, then sanitize all used toys and lay out to dry over night. Clean the bathroom (sweep/mop, clean toilet, sink and mirror) We also have assigned "chores" that we have to do (not every week, but most weeks. Includes sweeping and mopping half of the center hallways, cleaning the adult bathrooms, vacuuming the mats and cleaning the windows, cleaning the breakroom, or cleaning the playground (actually done in the morning), which includes drying off all toys, taking cars, trucks, trikes, etc out of the the storage room, checking for hazards). Once all cleaning is done I do paperwork and whatever else needs done until 3:30 when I get to go home

FitBlackChick

Thanks guys for your input!