Am I sedentary or lightly active?

juggalotus
juggalotus Posts: 227
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, I was messing around with some of my settings and I'm thinking about changing some things. I kinda fell off this for a few months because I was hitting a plateau...I'm back on now, 10 days strong. Iv'e lost 7.2 LBS (water weight) in my first week back...But I was wondering if I should up my calorie intake? I just don't know how I should configure those settings?
Maybe one of you guys could tell me If i should pick "lightly active or sedentary" I work in a residential facility for adults with special needs...here is what a typical work day consists of....

Monday, Wed, Friday, Sat, Sunday:

*Wake up 5:15AM
*At work by 6am
*Start getting my chosen 4 people up and showering (usually break a sweat showering and dressing them...it's HOT in those bathrooms!)
* Get them to the table for breakfast as they are ready
*8:30 am start walking people over to the workshop and school...this includes pushing wheelchairs up a decent sized hill. I'm out of breath with the heavier wheel chairs lol...
*After everyone's gone, I don't really do anything. from about 9am-2pm...I just chill with the residents who stay home, or I go on van rides with them...no much activity...

So what would you say I am? And should I even bother fixing my cals? I have my number of workouts/week set to five...but what If i don't end up working out that much...I'm probably at 3 or 4 for this week...so confused. 1500 cals seems high!

Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    MFP ignores your activity level. It doesn't count activity level until you add it in. So, just log in your actual exercises.
  • mommytobrayden
    mommytobrayden Posts: 28 Member
    I would put your stats as lightly active if I was you. Sedentary to me, is a desk job. :))
  • CrystaLight74
    CrystaLight74 Posts: 88
    As a busy mother of 3 youngsters I wondered the same thing. I have my settings at "sedentary" with no weekly exercise goals. I"m obviously NOT sedentary, but I have it set like this so that I can count cooking/food preparation, cleaning, gardening and such as exercise (I do other exercise as well walking, biking, videos, cardio-dance class, etc). This makes my caloric budget 1300 which has been very easy for me (when I eat at home esp). I don't eat back all of my exercise calories either. I average between 1400 and 1600 with exercise.

    I'm new to this journey, so don't just take my advice. There are sure to be others that can offer their input! HTH :)
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    MFP ignores your activity level. It doesn't count activity level until you add it in. So, just log in your actual exercises.
    The activity level (Sedentary, Lightly Active, Active, or Very Active) is used to figure your daily calorie goal.

    You're thinking of the question right below it: "How many times a week do you plan on exercising?" That one is ignored and really shouldn't be on the same page in my opinion.
  • Redtango76
    Redtango76 Posts: 144
    Lightly active - if a nurse is lightly active a NAC definitely is that's a pretty physical job ! I've done it !
  • DelilahCat0212
    DelilahCat0212 Posts: 282 Member
    Definitely lightly active, if not more. Definitely NOT sedentary. I'm chained to a desk between 8am and 5pm - THAT'S sedentary!!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Lightly active or active.

    I'm a work at home artist/web publisher/housewife, and I need to be at least set to lightly active to get the right amount calories, plus exercise calories. I'm more active than I was when I had desk job, but less active than when I was a vet tech and on my feet all day.
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
    I would go with lightly active. Also, if you feel like you need to eat more, set your weight loss to 1 lb per week instead of 2. It is easier for me to stick to the 1640 calories than 1200 and I have lost anywhere between .6-3lbs in a week. It is definitely making it easier to stick to this lifestyle!
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
    I would put your stats as lightly active if I was you. Sedentary to me, is a desk job. :))
    What she said. Im "sedentary" bc I have a desk job and the most I do all day is walk to the bathroom and printer.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    Definitely lightly active, if not more. Definitely NOT sedentary. I'm chained to a desk between 8am and 5pm - THAT'S sedentary!!

    This! I have a sedentary job and sit from 8-5...excluding the lunch hour. You're lightly active at the least.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    I'd class it as active at least. I think sedentary would be lying in bed all day and getting no exercise. Mine's set at lightly active and I'm sat at the laptop for a great deal of the day. Hasn't stopped me losing weight :happy:
  • shimmygirl411
    shimmygirl411 Posts: 100 Member
    I concur with the majority.....lightly active.

    And, welcome back! :happy:
  • MerBear1985
    MerBear1985 Posts: 131
    I would say you are at least lightly active with a job like that.

    Here's one for you guys...

    I work shift work (desk job) but I work 12 hr shifts for two nights, two days then have 4-6 days off, usually. On my days off and after work I am always out and about walking around, shopping, cleaning, cooking, laundry etc. Is the desk job for a total of 14 12 hour shifts a month enough to count my lifestyle as sedentary....because the rest of my life is not.

    Help please?
  • SocWkrBee
    SocWkrBee Posts: 374
    I honestly don't think that many of us are actually sedentary when you think of what it means. I walk my dogs for 30-60 minutes a day. I also have to walk uphill from my parking lot to work and then back down the hill to get home. In addition to all of the other things that I exclude.

    I do not count those as exercise, so I changed my level to lightly active. It is about a 150 cal change. To me sitting on the couch or in bed all day and only moving to go to the bathroom is sedentary.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    Completely agree with putting it as Lightly Active. I have a desk job and putting myself as 'Sedentary' by MFP standards is too little calories for me (I'm maintaining).

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