Sedentary or Lightly Active

cmuggridge
cmuggridge Posts: 58 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I realize this has been discussed elsewhere on the forums but I am faced with a bit of a nagging doubt regarding my own situation. I want to give this effort my all and I am not sure if I should be eating more or less. I'm afraid that too much one way or the other will negatively impact my progress.

Currently I have my daily activity set as Sedentary as I have a desk job and am not involved in any organized sports or classes. Based on this, MFP sets my daily caloric intake at about 1500. However, I have been using my recumbent bike at least 4 to 5 times a week burning 300 calories each time (I set my goal on the progress counter to calorie). Recently I have also started 30 Day Shred and will sometimes still work on the recumbent bike later that same day. I try as best I can to eat my exercise calories back.

If I understand things right, because I am tracking my actual exercise results I should stay at Sedentary and just continue to eat my exercise calories back but just in case I am wrong and I should have a higher calorie intake, I am hoping that someone can confirm if I am correct in my estimations or whether I should make any changes. I am just trying to get some piece of mind so I can continue without doubt.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Replies

  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I have a desk job too, and I stay with sedentary, then eat my exercise calories back. It makes sense to me.
  • cmuggridge
    cmuggridge Posts: 58 Member
    As a follow up, when doing the 30 Day Shred program I use a Heart Rate Monitor and count the calories it says I've burned. On here I have noticed that many people says you should not count calories when doing weight training but as the 30 Day Shred is a combination of weight training and cardio, should I be counting those calories?
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
    I believe (my 0.02$ worth) the main argument about not logging strength training calories comes from the system not being able to give you a number to use (seeing as there is no way to account for the huge variability of how many reps, how heavy the weights etc).
    I've also read that HRMs are not very accurate when it comes to logging strength training calories.
    But seeing as its a combination of strength and cardio I would go with what the HRM is giving you and re-evaluate after a few weeks - do the results correspond or not.
  • banks89202
    banks89202 Posts: 270
    I have mine logged as sedentary, I am a pet groomer and I stand while I'm grooming (plus I do the 30DS and walk 5 days a week) I just play it this way to be safe.

Categories