How to use Guided Goals properly?

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nikmaack
nikmaack Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I used to have my guided goals set for "moderately active", which is more or less true. My job does involve some running around and lifting of boxes. But lately I feel guilty for wanting to include things like walking my dogs (which I do 2 to 3 times a day) and walking to and from work (half hour, each way) as a cardio work out.

So today I thought maybe I'd change my goal settings to sedentary, and include all the walking that I do as cardio. I carry a pedometer, so I can actually punch in genuine amounts of calories burned.

I try to keep reminding myself that sedentary people sit around at home, DRIVE to work, sit around at their desks, DRIVE back home, and sit around and watch TV. So maybe every time I get up, walk somewhere, or walk my dogs, should be counted as burned calories beyond the norm. Maybe my best bet is setting my lifestyle at the sedentary level and tracking the calories burned walking with my pedometer.

How do you guys do your settings and track your walks? Am I over thinking it?

Thanks!

Nik

Replies

  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I am set at sedentary. I work at a bank and sit all day. I, too, carry a pedometer all day to count calories burned from just general walking around. Any movement other than sitting, I basically count (that I would be able to figure out calories of without going to TOO much effort). So... you can tell in my exercise diary, I usually have 1 minute of walking that could be 20-200 calories. This is my general walking around during the day. Then I count exercise. Hope this helps!
  • prettylyzard
    prettylyzard Posts: 98 Member
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    I work with kids, but I put mine as sedentary to help me lose more weight. I also have some days where I do alot of desk work, so rather than fluctuation per day, I just rolled it all up into sedentary!
  • mommyhof3
    mommyhof3 Posts: 551 Member
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    I have mine set as sedentary then calculate my other calories on top of that. I also work with kids so some days I am very active and other days not so much. I wear a HRM to get a better record of what I have burned.
  • nikmaack
    nikmaack Posts: 28 Member
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    Here's why I feel a little weird including my walks as cardio. Today I did the following:

    1. Walked my dogs for 45 minutes.

    2. Worked out on my elliptical for 30 minutes.

    3. Walked downtown. (30 minutes)

    4. Walked back. (30 minutes)

    5. Took my dogs for a long walk to a distant dog park (80 minutes)

    mind you, I am on holidays, and don't normally do this much walking.

    And this hardly seems sedentary. :)

    All this walking, and I'm still 265 pounds. How does that work? Oh yeah! The over eating I have done regularly in the past. I forgot. ;-)

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