How to determine normal daily activities?

ceredonia
ceredonia Posts: 61
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to figure out what to set my normal daily activity level at. :)

My day job is running a video store. I'm on my feet probably for half the day or more (much more if we're busy!), but not exactly running or anything--just walking back and forth from the computer to the movies and back, over and over. When I'm at home I like to sit and watch TV, but I'm always finding time to clean--either doing dishes, vacuuming, organizing, taking out trash, etc. I'm kind of a neat freak.

Originally I had my settings as "sedentary" because I do spend a good chunk of my day sitting at the computer at work, surfing the internet or watching TV/movies, or sitting at home. I think I should probably change it to "lightly active" instead since thinking about it, I do spend a good portion of my day walking around. I've been counting steps for a few days and I seem to average around 3000+ on a good active day (today I'm nearing 5000 because of having to move a ton of movies around!).

Having it at "sedentary" my goal for daily calories is 1360cal (at "losing 1lb/week"), and I'm still crazy hungry most of the day, even when meeting that goal reasonably with healthy snacks and portions and a varied amount of food. Changing it to "lightly active" ups it to 1510cal, which seems reasonable to me. Maybe it's because I'm always moving and burning more energy/calories? I used to have it at 1 1/2lbs/week which put me at 1200cal, but I was constantly going over by 200-300 calories, so I changed it to 1lb/week, putting it at 1360cal.

Would it be smart to change my activity level? Otherwise I might be burning too many "daily average" calories and not eating enough overall.

Replies

  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    IMO to be lightly active, you should be walking an average of 5000 steps a day. But it really doesn't matter ... it matters what setting matches your weight loss. Why do I say that?

    It's is because MFP estimates your BMR. If it estimates it too high, then you have to set your activity level lower to make up for that and vice versa if your BMR estimate is too low.

    Let's put it this way... my activity level should be "lightly active", but MFP sets my BMR 200 calories a day too low. So I have to set my activity level to the highest setting so I don't lose weight (I'm in maintenance). That gives me the 1650 calories base per day that you'd get if you used my real BMR * the activity level factor for "lightly active".

    So... if you are losing the pounds per week that MFP predicts for you, your settings are right on. If you are losing more, you need to adjust them to get more calories. If you are losing less, you need to adjust them to get less calories.
  • mariposadedios
    mariposadedios Posts: 27
    I had a hard time deciding my activity level as well - I am a home health nurse, so I spend a lot of the day sitting in the car and in people's homes, but I walk a lot to and from my car and their houses, up and down flights of stairs, and doing activity in the homes depending on what kind of care they need, plus cleaning and such at home. But I decided since it is not always consistent, to put myself at sedentary.

    Plus I read once that sedentary lifestyle is less than 5000 steps/day. I don't remember where I originally read it, but it says it here as well (http://walking.about.com/cs/measure/a/locke122004.htm), and I know I don't get that in everyday.

    Is the at least 3000 + steps a day just at work or for the whole day? If it is for the whole day, then probably keep it at sedentary, and hopefully your body will adjust to the calories. Or I have found the more I work out, the less hungry I am because I am feeling good and healthy, and the more calories I can eat!

    Also, I've been told that trying to stick to 1200 calories or so is kind of crazy, because any lower than that is starvation mode, I've always heard that 1500 calories is a rule of thumb for losing weight. So maybe you could try that for a while, and see if you lose weight and are less hungry, you can always decrease it more later!

    Good luck!
  • mariposadedios
    mariposadedios Posts: 27
    nicely put MacMadame, I agree!
  • ceredonia
    ceredonia Posts: 61
    So... if you are losing the pounds per week that MFP predicts for you, your settings are right on. If you are losing more, you need to adjust them to get more calories. If you are losing less, you need to adjust them to get less calories.

    It's really hard to tell since I've only been at this for a couple of weeks. :) I think I'll change it, because I think I've lost a couple of pounds already. I'm getting more active at work (business is increasing lately) and I've been working out as well, so allowing myself closer to 1500 than 1200 is probably a smarter idea for me. If I'm consistently hitting closer to 1300, I'll change it back.
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