Sedentary or Lightly Active?

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megant53214
megant53214 Posts: 20 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know this has been asked a bunch, just want some input on my own personal situation. I just got a FitBit for Christmas, and on the website there is a pie chart showing your level of activity throughout the day. I'm a stay at home mom, I work out for 40 minutes or so 5-7 days a week. On the fitbit dashboard it shows my level of activity is sedentary for roughly 50% of the day, lightly active for about 35%, fairly active for 8% and very active for about 6%. I have my activity level on MFP set as lightly active, and have done since joining. I know with the holidays I haven't been totally religious about what I eat, but for the most part I've done really well and I'm struggling over the past 2 weeks to lose any weight. Just want to make sure I have this all set up right - please, any input is welcome. I am pretty new to both MFP and Fitbit. Thanks!

Replies

  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
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    Are your children young enough that you're chasing them around the house all day or do you do a lot of cleaning? If so, then put "lightly active".
  • megant53214
    megant53214 Posts: 20 Member
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    Are your children young enough that you're chasing them around the house all day or do you do a lot of cleaning? If so, then put "lightly active".

    I have one, he's almost 4 so yes to an extent I am and I do a fair amount of cleaning every day.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,080 Member
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    Definitely Lightly Active, if you are using MFP's definition. Then log your exercise, and eat those additional calories on those days that you do your planned exercise.
  • megant53214
    megant53214 Posts: 20 Member
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    Thank you! That's what I was thinking as well, but I definitely don't want to overstate my activity level, if anything I'd rather understate it. With exercising, I've gotten around 12000 steps a day so far since I've gotten my Fitbit so I think that would be considered lightly active and I can eat (or drink :) )back most of my exercise calories.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
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    Very few people actually need to use the "Sedentary" setting.
  • mambagirl
    mambagirl Posts: 137 Member
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    Very few people actually need to use the "Sedentary" setting.

    That's what I thought before I got my fitbit. You have to walk 2-3 miles in daily activity to be over sedentary.If you walk only to the car and to your office where you sit all day,go to the grocery store,and back home to sit..maybe take out the trash and walk to the mailbox you are sedentary.....Mine is set to sedentary and it will NOT give me extra calories unless I walk more than 5,000 steps per day...There are plenty of people without active jobs who drive mostly everywhere....
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Sedentary is often considered to be under 6000 steps a day, which you are well over.

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