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Am i sedentary or lightly active??

bluebike2013
bluebike2013 Posts: 30 Member
edited January 6 in Health and Weight Loss
I would like to know if i am considered sedentary or lightly active. I do curves 3 times a week and i ususally get between 6000 and 11,000 steps per day. I use a pedometer to check this. 10,000 steps per day is 5 miles i am told.

I am trying to figure out how many calories i need per day. I am female, 5 ft. 5 in. and 48 y/o. Any help is appreciated.. thanks much. M

Replies

  • aeich8899
    aeich8899 Posts: 55 Member
    what do you do for work? I have found that what you do for work plays a big role in your activity level
  • tristahenry
    tristahenry Posts: 175
    Bump - I'm curious regarding these classifications. I figure since I don't work (SAHM) and don't exercise regularly, I'm sedentary. I would think if you work out at least 3 times per week you're considered active.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    You're definitely not sedentary. If you were you'd pretty much be sat in a chair all day not doing anything.
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member
    I would like to know if i am considered sedentary or lightly active. I do curves 3 times a week and i ususally get between 6000 and 11,000 steps per day. I use a pedometer to check this. 10,000 steps per day is 5 miles i am told.

    I am trying to figure out how many calories i need per day. I am female, 5 ft. 5 in. and 48 y/o. Any help is appreciated.. thanks much. M

    When trying to figure out formulas for caloric needs, I always recommend for people to calculate at sedentary unless they are athletes.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    It sounds like you're lightly active.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    You're supposed to calculate your activity level not including exercise. If your steps are not including exercise, and just your daily routine, you're probably lightly active.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I set my activity level to sedentary then add in any actual exercise that I do. There's a difference between going out for a brisk 5 mile walk or accumulating 5 miles of steps over a whole day. It's a lot easier to add some calories if you experience rapid weight loss than it is to take back the extra that you ate.
  • bluebike2013
    bluebike2013 Posts: 30 Member
    ok, thanks everybody. I have a desk job. and the steps are a combo of mostly getting up and doing things mixed in with a short 1-2 mile walk. I had listed myself as sedentary to begn with several weeks ago but then got to thinking about it when i read somewhere on here that maybe if you are really lightly active then you are not eating enough and therefore would not lose as much as you could.

    I think i will change my profile to lightly active for a few weeks and see how that works out. Thanks again.
  • luckypbk1
    luckypbk1 Posts: 1
    lol i have the same questions... I sit some and walk some all day. I run a mile 2 times a week and lift heavy 3 times a week. But when i set my cals to the set at lightly active i feel like im eating to much... 2900 cals.

    I'm 33
    188 #'s
    5' 9"
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    It's your activity not including deliberate exercise. If you work an office job and then go work out for 4 hours after work, you'd still count yourself as sedentary, and then account for your exercise by adding the calories burned for the specific exercise you did. I have classified myself as lightly active because I work in a store 49 hours a week and am on my feet stocking shelves, bending walking, etc.. I take 5,000-7,000 steps per day. The activity level is pretty accurate according to my BMF. When I don't do any additional exercise, my BMF credits me with nearly identical calories that MFP does. NOW, NEITHER of these calorie counts is accurate for me since I have metabolic issues including a thyroid disorder, but they are accurate for over 90% of people out there.
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