Activity level

melissa112

So sorry to ask the question you will have answered a million times.

I've been on MFP for about 5/6 weeks now and worked out my TDEE but used sedentary as my activity level and just added back exercise calories. In those 5 weeks I've lost 15.8lbs. Which is great, and I know probably mostly water weight, but I think it's a little too fast considering I only have around another 14lbs to lose.

Whilst I lost those pounds I was walking my own dog around 3 miles a day, my nans dog 3 miles 4 times a week, and doing 30DS nearly every day, just adding those calories onto my 1222 (which was my sedentary TDEE at the time).

I've redone my TDEE since I read to recalculate every 10lbs lost. But I do want to stick to the same number every day, and now comes the time when I need to be honest about my activity level.

At the minute I no longer walk my nans dog due to a new job situation, so I walk my own around 3-3.5 miles a day. Since finishing 30DS I'm doing an hour long DVD (another Jillian) once a week, and redoing 30DS but only 3 times a week.

I work at a desk job if that makes any difference.

What would you say my activity level is. I worked out my TDEE and used moderately active and then TDEE-20% was 1783 a day. For lightly active it was around 1500 (cant remember the exact figure).

Since I'll be sticking to 3/4 workouts a week (although 30DS is only 25mins long) and I'll be walking each day, what would you say my activity was? I know I can always go to the higher one and decrease by 100cals if I've gained weight in a month. But I'd rather get it right now, or at least get some opinions on my activity.

Thanks again, and sorry to ask the same old question!

melissa112

bump. sorry. I really want to get this right!

lwr731

This really can be confusing, and I've heard several different answers. Just when I think I understand it, someone posts something that makes me re-think it! I also work a desk job, but I an up & down very often throughout the day, In addition, I am pretty active after work--cardio, strength training, yoga, though not all on the same day. I typically take one day off exercise. At first I entered my activity level as moderately active, but then I realized I was "double counting" my burn. By claiming "moderately active" I was already giving myself extra calories in anticipation that I would burn that many throughout the day, and then I was "earning" extra calories when I entered workouts.
I just changed my activity level to lightly active, which I think is accurate when I don't workout. I'll enter calories burned under exercise & "eat my burn" on days I work out, which makes more sense to me. Not every workout burns the same calories, anyway. At the very least this simplifies things for me.
If someone reads this and spots an error in my logic, please speak up! Thanks for bringing this up, melissa112. I think many people have the same questions.

melissa112

Thank you for answering It confuses me too. If I started changing to moderately active then I would not eat back my exercise calories, so would this mean that I'm not double counting them? I still enter the exercise on MFP so I can keep track, but just enter it as 1 calorie?

Many times I've lost weight on 1200cals, even 1400 but never ate back any exercise calories. Only to put all the weight back on in a year! So I really want to do it properly, and eat as much as I can so my metabolism is ok for when I want to maintain.

BeachIron

If you're losing that fast then you may need to readjust your intake and changing your settings from sedentary to lightly active should work. Try it. Don't over think it.

MaxxieTibbyMom

I agree, this is just an estimator. Can you involve a licensed dietitian/trainer/medical professional if you are that concerned?

melissa112

That's what I mean, I think I am losing it too fast. I have now set it to 1700 per day so less than the moderately active 1783 but a little higher than lightly active and not eating back exercise calories.

I can't really involve a professional as I don't have cash to spare on that at the minute (my company told me a week ago that I'd have no job come this Wednesday). I'll stick to 1700 and see how that goes for a few weeks.

I know it's just an estimate, but I want my estimate to be based on the right activity level, I don't want to over or under estimate the estimate..!

BeachIron

That's what I mean, I think I am losing it too fast. I have now set it to 1700 per day so less than the moderately active 1783 but a little higher than lightly active and not eating back exercise calories.

I can't really involve a professional as I don't have cash to spare on that at the minute (my company told me a week ago that I'd have no job come this Wednesday). I'll stick to 1700 and see how that goes for a few weeks.

I know it's just an estimate, but I want my estimate to be based on the right activity level, I don't want to over or under estimate the estimate..!

Yep. Try this and see how it goes. The only way to find YOUR real number is to experiment and then you may find it moving anyway. Just treat it as an estimate and leave it at that.