Sedentary or Lightly Active?

choconuts
choconuts Posts: 208 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a stay at home mom with kids in school all day. I aim for 3-4 workouts a week, and do all of the cleaning/cooking/shopping.

I should have it set to lightly active, correct?

I wear a HRM and eat some of my calories burned, not always all.

Replies

  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Yep! Definitely lightly active....
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    I work out 6 days/week and set to Sedentary. If you're actually moving around all day, maybe lightly active makes sense.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    I work at home and do all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, yard work, etc. and I consider myself to be sedentary. MFP's activity level is based on what type of job you have - workouts are logged separately.
  • choconuts
    choconuts Posts: 208 Member
    So set it to sedentary, and continue to add workouts manually?
  • cals83
    cals83 Posts: 131
    Personally, I would set it to lightly active and log your intentional workouts. See how that goes for a few weeks.

    I know when I had mine set to sedentary even with eating back exercise calories it wasn't enough for me....unless I logged every time I went outside for a 15-20 minute walk and logged those calories, logged when I was cleaning etc.

    IMO, it is easier to set it to lightly active and not worry about logging the day to day stuff unless it is an intentional workout.

    If it doesn't work for you after a few weeks, you can always change it.
  • choconuts
    choconuts Posts: 208 Member
    Sounds perfect. I do NOT log day to day. You'll never see me logging cleaning or cooking, hahaha! I only log when I pop on the chest strap to my HRM and head out for a workout.
    Personally, I would set it to lightly active and log your intentional workouts. See how that goes for a few weeks.

    I know when I had mine set to sedentary even with eating back exercise calories it wasn't enough for me....unless I logged every time I went outside for a 15-20 minute walk and logged those calories, logged when I was cleaning etc.

    IMO, it is easier to set it to lightly active and not worry about logging the day to day stuff unless it is an intentional workout.

    If it doesn't work for you after a few weeks, you can always change it.
  • natasa26ca
    natasa26ca Posts: 107 Member
    Yes that is what i did. I am stay home as well and do cleaning/cooking/shopping but other than that i sit infront of computer whole day. I work out 5 days a week. Definately sedentary.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    So set it to sedentary, and continue to add workouts manually?

    If you do it the way MFP intends for you to do it, then yes...and eat back exercise calories. MFP is a NEAT method calculator (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). This is good for people who are inconsistent with their workouts...aren't in a routine...skip a lot, etc. because MFP gives you a calorie goal which includes a weight loss deficit without any exercise being included in your activity level setting...so if you don't exercise and just meet the calorie goal, you will still lose weight; if you do exercise, well...you get to eat a bit more.

    You could also include exercise in your activity level...this is called the TDEE method (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)...but you should use an actual TDEE calculator for that, not a NEAT calculator...an actual TDEE calculator will be more accurate and you can just customize your goal on MFP.

    When I did MFP I always ate back at minimum, 50% of my exercise calories, but usually around 70-75%. I only did 70-75% to account for estimation error of calorie burn.
  • SKAVY7178
    SKAVY7178 Posts: 165 Member
    me too...I had set it to lightly active but I was not happy with the results, although I was given the same 1200 calories when I downed to sedentary ! Anyhow, now I have it Sedentary and log my workouts separately and eat most of the calories burned "sometimes" ..

    PS: nice profile pic! I'm like that with my kids :P
  • laele75
    laele75 Posts: 283 Member
    I started out as sedentary and 2 lbs a week. I work out every day on top of my stay at home mom/caretaking. After realizing I walk to different stores at least 3 times a week, do all the bending and reaching over my head and lifting that comes with housework, I realized there is no way in hell any stay at home mom is sedentary. Not unless your kids and spouse help with the housework and you don't chase kids around.

    So I changed it to lightly active and 1 lb a week. Working for me.
  • choconuts
    choconuts Posts: 208 Member
    Ive been at 0.5 pound a week and sedentary,but I did just change it to lightly active and 0.5 pound a week. I'll give it a month or so, and focus on eating back the majority of my exercise calories.


    I started out as sedentary and 2 lbs a week. I work out every day on top of my stay at home mom/caretaking. After realizing I walk to different stores at least 3 times a week, do all the bending and reaching over my head and lifting that comes with housework, I realized there is no way in hell any stay at home mom is sedentary. Not unless your kids and spouse help with the housework and you don't chase kids around.

    So I changed it to lightly active and 1 lb a week. Working for me.
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    You definitely sound lightly active to me! No way a mom doing all of that is sedentary, surely?

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