please help me determine my activity level

I'm a SAHM and a student. I'm set at lightly active and then I add my exercise as I go.... then its not taken for granted each day. Some days I lift and burn 150 cals, others I run and burn 500. So I add my exercise/ extra activity on a daily basis

Are you using the MFP method of eating back exercise calories or trying to work out your TDEE so you can set a calorie amount for TDEE minus a percentage?

If using the MFP method then your activity level is entirely separate from your added exercise - if represents normal everyday lifestyle. I work in an office all day so I'm sedentary although I burn approx 5000 calories a week in added exercise. As you aren't sitting down all day (sedentary = not moving, seated) you aren't sedentary. Sounds like you should be lightly active.

Another way you can do it is to set up your MFP using the guided method, then add in your intended exercise to see how many calories you would burn for a week. Then you can add those calories into your regular calories (that MFP determines) for the whole week, divide by 7 days, and get a daily average. Then you can go back and adjust your goals in MFP (over-ride or manually set your calories) so that you are dealing with a daily average based on your workout plans. But if you do this, do not eat back your exercise calories! I do it this way, and I log exercise but set the calorie at 1, just to keep track of my exercise time. I like this much better than doing the roller-coaster eating, where calories are different every day.

I found it easier to set my activity level to Sedentary and add my exercise calories. Then I know what I have each day.... I'm also not getting twice the exercise calories.

I am a hairdressing and I work 3 and a half days a week, plus do exercise everyday for about 30 minutes what should I set mine for ?

I just changed my activity level to "sedentary" because I have a desk job...even though I'm working out 5-6 days per week. My calories per day changed to 1200. I've always been told that's not enough and my body will go into "starvation mode". Thoughts?

I just changed my activity level to "sedentary" because I have a desk job...even though I'm working out 5-6 days per week. My calories per day changed to 1200. I've always been told that's not enough and my body will go into "starvation mode". Thoughts?

It takes 72 hours of not eating to even see metabolic adaptation, so you won't go into starvation mode. But eating too little can cause a famine response which your body will release cortisol to protect your body. What you can do to prevent that is have a smaller deficit and fuel your body properly. Below is a general guideline to follow. Also, if MFP is calculating your exercise calories eat about 50% of them or since you consistently workout 5-6 days a week, change your account to moderately active and do not eat exercise calories but aim to get within +/- 100 calories of your goal daily.


If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

Okay, so this is a terribly SLOW response, but I wanted to THANK YOU for your help "psulemon". I changed my activity level to "lightly active". I think that may be a little easier for me to track rather than wondering if I've eaten too many exercise calories, or not enough...etc.

Thanks again psulemon!

haha, no problem. How has it worked out for you?