Another light vs. moderate thread - help!

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kaylakaminski
kaylakaminski Posts: 34
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, I don't know if I should calculate based on light or moderate activity for TDEE. I am 140lbs and 5"7. I am 23 years old and am very sedentary during the day. I work about 40 hours a week, at my desk for the most part. I usually lift weight 3-5 times a week for about 30 minutes, with about 2-3 of those days also doing light cardio for another 20 minutes. Some days I just do cardio, some days just weights. Then I usually have a 1-2 rest days a week.

I know some advocate setting TDEE to sedentary then logging all workouts and eating back those calories, but I don't know if this is a better option or if picking ONE number would be a better option.

Let me know! And ask any addtional questions you may have.

Replies

  • marissastephens13
    marissastephens13 Posts: 7
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    Hey!

    I would say to set it to moderate, seeing as how you workout 3-5 days a week, and some of those days for 50 minutes. If you do this, I don't think there's a need to enter in your exercise into MFP, since it's already calculating for your exercise. Hope this helps.
  • kaylakaminski
    kaylakaminski Posts: 34
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    Thanks girl. I appreciate the feedback. Are you doing TDEE-20% too or just MFP and eat back your exercise?
  • kaylakaminski
    kaylakaminski Posts: 34
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    Anyone else have any feedback? If I only burn 300 cals 5 days a week, am I moderate? that's a mixture of weights and cardio.

    If I set myself to Light, then I would be eating 1500 on rest days, would I eat 1700 on work out days. Does this make sense? or should i just decide to eat 1700 and set myself to moderate always?
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Anyone else have any feedback? If I only burn 300 cals 5 days a week, am I moderate? that's a mixture of weights and cardio.

    If I set myself to Light, then I would be eating 1500 on rest days, would I eat 1700 on work out days. Does this make sense? or should i just decide to eat 1700 and set myself to moderate always?

    I brn about 600 calories 3x a week and set my TDEE to moderate activity. I eat 1850 per day every day (TDEE -12%).
  • leahayliffe
    leahayliffe Posts: 16
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    What I've been doing is eating 1400 on rest days and 1700 on workout days
  • kaylakaminski
    kaylakaminski Posts: 34
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    Have you been losing accordingly? (jzammetti)
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
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    I usually err on the side of less activity. Worst case, I'm losing weight faster than I intended and struggling to maintain my calorie goals, in which case I will switch to the next highest level.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    You'll probably find that you're somewhere in between.
  • bc119
    bc119 Posts: 34 Member
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    Bump... thank you for asking 'cuz I was wondering the same thing.

    When I calculated my TDEE at "sedentary" a 20% deficit was 1700 cals/day. When I calculated my TDEE at "light activity" a 20% deficit was 1950. Some days I do weights, some days cardio, some days both and some days I do absolutely nothing! I too have a desk job and sit most of the day.

    I took an average between those two amounts (1800/day) and it seems to be working (when I stay within my calories)... though I am thinking about lowering it to 1700/day and just eating back my exercise calories.

    Hope you find what works for you! A 100-200 calorie difference per day shouldn't make a huge difference in your progress if you're consistent :)
  • kaylakaminski
    kaylakaminski Posts: 34
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    Bump... thank you for asking 'cuz I was wondering the same thing.

    When I calculated my TDEE at "sedentary" a 20% deficit was 1700 cals/day. When I calculated my TDEE at "light activity" a 20% deficit was 1950. Some days I do weights, some days cardio, some days both and some days I do absolutely nothing! I too have a desk job and sit most of the day.

    I took an average between those two amounts (1800/day) and it seems to be working (when I stay within my calories)... though I am thinking about lowering it to 1700/day and just eating back my exercise calories.

    Hope you find what works for you! A 100-200 calorie difference per day shouldn't make a huge difference in your progress if you're consistent :)

    That's what I need to be reminded of - that 100-200 calories isn't really that big of a difference for my goals. I'm only 15-20 pounds away anyways. Right now I am aiming for 1500-1750ish a day, and will probably eat back about 80% of my exercise calories if I do 1500. That way I am in between light and moderate.

    Thanks!
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
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    i dont understand your question but if you have a full time desk job you are sedentary.
  • kaylakaminski
    kaylakaminski Posts: 34
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    i dont understand your question but if you have a full time desk job you are sedentary.

    But I'm not sedentary. I take sedentary to mean that I work a desk job and then don't work out. That you literally don't do much at all. I do 3-7 hours of exercise a week, that's hardly sedentary. I'm trying to determine my exercise level, not my work level, for TDEE-20% approach.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Bump... thank you for asking 'cuz I was wondering the same thing.

    When I calculated my TDEE at "sedentary" a 20% deficit was 1700 cals/day. When I calculated my TDEE at "light activity" a 20% deficit was 1950. Some days I do weights, some days cardio, some days both and some days I do absolutely nothing! I too have a desk job and sit most of the day.

    I took an average between those two amounts (1800/day) and it seems to be working (when I stay within my calories)... though I am thinking about lowering it to 1700/day and just eating back my exercise calories.

    Hope you find what works for you! A 100-200 calorie difference per day shouldn't make a huge difference in your progress if you're consistent :)

    That's what I need to be reminded of - that 100-200 calories isn't really that big of a difference for my goals. I'm only 15-20 pounds away anyways. Right now I am aiming for 1500-1750ish a day, and will probably eat back about 80% of my exercise calories if I do 1500. That way I am in between light and moderate.

    Thanks!

    If you use the TDEE method, exercise is accounted for in your activity level. If you do moderately active with a 10-20% cut but eat back your exercise calories, it's not going to work. Don't confuse TDEE method with the NEAT method (MFP method)...apples and oranges.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    i dont understand your question but if you have a full time desk job you are sedentary.

    But I'm not sedentary. I take sedentary to mean that I work a desk job and then don't work out. That you literally don't do much at all. I do 3-7 hours of exercise a week, that's hardly sedentary. I'm trying to determine my exercise level, not my work level, for TDEE-20% approach.

    OP, you are not sedentary. Use Moderate...this site sets goals too low on Sedentary or Light.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    i dont understand your question but if you have a full time desk job you are sedentary.

    You are correct if she was using the NEAT method (MFP method)...incorrect if you use the TDEE method, as the TDEE method accounts for Total daily activity, including exercise. The NEAT method does not account for exercise and exercise is "extra" activity.
  • HappyKite
    HappyKite Posts: 36 Member
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    I'm doing TDEE-20% and eat 1650 every day, even on a rest day (like today).
    It works for me and I am having consistent weight loss.
    I find that exercise suppresses my appetite, so I actually need to have as many calories on a rest day. I would have struggled to eat 1350-1400 today, which would be my goal if I was set to sedentary.
    However, I agree that a few hundred calories either way aren't going to make a big difference or railroad your weight loss plans.
    Do what feels best for you and fits in with your lifestyle.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,771 Member
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    I put mine on sedentary, then figured my calorie requirements using IPOARM using the correct activity modifier based on my exercise level (5x/wk) and set my MFP goals using the "custom" option. I am set at 1800 cals/day and I don't eat back my exercised. I lose about 1 - 1.5 lbs/week (20lbs since I started logging food & exercise in Feb 2013).
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
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    Log it as sedentary, you'll be overeating on the days that you're not working out.
  • kaylakaminski
    kaylakaminski Posts: 34
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    Okay I think I'm just going to roll with moderately active and eat the suggested 1700 range calories EVERYDAY. It's still not my maintenance cals so it's not the worst thing in the world if i do this for a few weeks and see where I end up. Thanks everyone.

    Oh and just for those confused, i don't eat my exercise cals back. i know tdee
    already accounts for it. i was just saying i could do lightly active and eat back some and it would be about the same but i prefer one number to go by everyday. way easier!

    thanks everyone. you're the best.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Okay I think I'm just going to roll with moderately active and eat the suggested 1700 range calories EVERYDAY. It's still not my maintenance cals so it's not the worst thing in the world if i do this for a few weeks and see where I end up. Thanks everyone.

    Oh and just for those confused, i don't eat my exercise cals back. i know tdee
    already accounts for it. i was just saying i could do lightly active and eat back some and it would be about the same but i prefer one number to go by everyday. way easier!

    thanks everyone. you're the best.

    Good call....go get it!

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