Follow up question to all these TDEE posts?!

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mollyW2012
mollyW2012 Posts: 94 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, using www.scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I have figured my TDEE and 20%. My question is this, do I pick sedentary working a desk job or light activity 1-3 hours a week?

I work full time at a desk, rarely getting up throughout the day. I ride my bike to and from work, at 3-3 times a week (total of 30 mins per day). And, I work out 2 more times, on the weekends, usually about 45 mins.

Which should I choose?
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Replies

  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    You don't pick any. You set Custom goals.

    **sorry, re-reading. If you've figured out what your TDEE -20% is, then you would have picked your activity level already.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I've always read that a desk job is considered sedentary because it is what you are doing 8-9 hours per day (versus working on your feet like a waiter or as a factory worker or in retail).

    Even for those that work out 1 hour to 1.5 hours/day it's what you do the majority of your waking hours that counts.

    At least that's for MFP.

    For that Scooby site it looks like what you're doing is considered lightly active.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

    Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
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    I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    You put your job activity level in MFP. Then you eat back exercise (i.e. activities not job) calories.

    You put your total activity level in TDEE. Then you don't eat back exercise calories.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Here's the definitions as defined by MFP:

    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)

    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

    Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

    We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

    OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?

    Just eat TDEE.. don't take any cuts. There's maintenance!
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
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    I've always read that a desk job is considered sedentary because it is what you are doing 8-9 hours per day (versus working on your feet like a waiter or as a factory worker or in retail).

    Even for those that work out 1 hour to 1.5 hours/day it's what you do the majority of your waking hours that counts.

    At least that's for MFP.

    For that Scooby site it looks like what you're doing is considered lightly active.

    MFP doesn't take exercise into account when you pick an activity level. Then you add back in your calories you earned from exercising.
  • abnerner
    abnerner Posts: 452 Member
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    Try this calc - it lets you put in more specifics - http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
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    I'd definitely go with lightly active, that takes into account 1-3 hours of activity a day which would include your cycling and weekend workouts, although even if you chose sedentary and added back your exercise you'd probably be eating the same amount of calories so it doesn't really matter :flowerforyou:
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

    Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

    We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

    OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

    This!!

    OP - when figuring out your TDEE, choose Lightly Active. Do not log exercise calories.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

    Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

    For Scooby, you have the option of 1-3 hours a week for light activity. I work at a desk job for 8 hours too. I walk to work and workout for a total of at least 45-60 min a day. I wouldn't put my activity level as sedentary, but that's just me. To each their own.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
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    So, using www.scoobyworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I have figured my TDEE and 20%. My question is this, do I pick sedentary working a desk job or light activity 1-3 hours a week?

    I work full time at a desk, rarely getting up throughout the day. I ride my bike to and from work, at 3-3 times a week (total of 30 mins per day). And, I work out 2 more times, on the weekends, usually about 45 mins.

    Which should I choose?

    For me, the big thing when it comes to activity levels for TDEE estimation is the regularity of your activity. If you're regularly active and expect to maintain that level of activity, then use a higher activity level.

    If you're not so regular, you might then want to leave it at sedentary and add in the activities as you do them.
  • mollyW2012
    mollyW2012 Posts: 94 Member
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    If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

    Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

    We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

    OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

    Sounds good, thanks!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I went to the Scooby thing but I had to pick a "goal" and none of the goal options were "maintenance", which is where I am now. So how do I figure it out if I'm not looking to lose/gain fat/muscle/pounds?

    The link above was incorrect. The right one is: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    You are correct, it does not offer a calculation to maintain. There is an option in the drop down to gain muscle and lose fat.
  • mollyW2012
    mollyW2012 Posts: 94 Member
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    Try this calc - it lets you put in more specifics - http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

    Thanks, I'll check it out!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Options
    If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

    Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

    We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

    OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

    Sounds good, thanks!

    That's not true. The OP would be sedentary despite getting activity daily. Here's the MFP definitions:

    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)

    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Options
    If you are riding your bike to work and working out, you are not really sedentary.

    Yes, but the 8-9 hours/day at a desk makes a person sedentary at least in the MFP settings. Even for people that workout an hour/day.

    We aren't talking MFP though, so let's not discuss that goofy system.

    OP you'd be lightly active. Set it and go.

    Sounds good, thanks!

    That's not true. The OP would be sedentary despite getting activity daily. Here's the MFP definitions:

    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)

    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

    And we still are NOT talking about MFP settings.

    The levels, as defined by Scooby's Workshop, which we are actually discussing.

    Multiplier My Description Alternative Description
    1.2 Desk job with little exercise OR Little to no exercise
    1.375 1-3 hrs/wk of light exercise OR Light exercise (1–3 days per week)
    1.55 3-5 hrs/wk of moderate exercise OR Moderate exercise (3–5 days per week)
    1.725 5-6 hrs/wk of strenuous exercise OR Heavy exercise (6–7 days per week)
    1.9 7-21 hrs/wk of strenuous exercise OR Very heavy exercise (twice per day, extra heavy workouts)

    Totally exercise based. What you do for a living is not a factor, unless you don't work out at al;

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