Another "what's my activity level?" post

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l_dubb
l_dubb Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys... So I have a desk job. 3x a week I work with an athletic trainer on a track where I do high intensity running drills. My HRM says i burn about 550 calories each time. On my days off I don't do much activity as my shins and calves are too sore. I want to try the TDEE-20% thing but I just don't know what my activity level should be. Thoughts?

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  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Sounds "moderately active" to me since you are working out intensely 3 days each week. If you aren't losing weight on that setting, drop it down to "lightly active."

    Sedentary is for people who don't exercise at all.
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
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    I'd go with lightly active... Im sure you cook, clean, walk to the restroom, run errands... got kids!?!? So yea I would do lightly active, try it out and see how u feel.. listen to your body :)

    BTW, nice job on the HIIT training sessions
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Sounds "moderately active" to me since you are working out intensely 3 days each week. If you aren't losing weight on that setting, drop it down to "lightly active."

    Sedentary is for people who don't exercise at all.

    ^This
  • l_dubb
    l_dubb Posts: 12
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    I noticed that if I did sedentary tdee-20% plus eating back my calories that would equal lightly active tdee without eating back calories, assuming I'd burn 500 each time. But my thing is that some days I burn 450 and others 700. It just depends so I like to track it with my HRM. So maybe I will do lightly active tdee plusmeat back my calories and see... Ah! This is scary. Hope i don't end up gaining too much by experimenting with this. Also my body fat% is 22. I recently did the water tank test. Trying to get down to 18 (because most of the fat is in my stomach) thanks for your input guys!:smile:
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    With TDEE you're *not supposed to eat back exercise calories,* that's kind of the point if figuring out your activity level properly! If you eat TDEE - 20% + exercise cals, you may as well just eat maintenance. You'll be shooting yourself in the foot!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    With TDEE you're *not supposed to eat back exercise calories,* that's kind of the point if figuring out your activity level properly! If you eat TDEE - 20% + exercise cals, you may as well just eat maintenance. You'll be shooting yourself in the foot!

    Agreed. TDEE includes exercise calories. MFP's calculations are different because they expect you to eat your exercise calories back. (Formula is found on the goals page)
  • l_dubb
    l_dubb Posts: 12
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    With TDEE you're *not supposed to eat back exercise calories,* that's kind of the point if figuring out your activity level properly! If you eat TDEE - 20% + exercise cals, you may as well just eat maintenance. You'll be shooting yourself in the foot!

    Agreed. TDEE includes exercise calories. MFP's calculations are different because they expect you to eat your exercise calories back. (Formula is found on the goals page)

    Ahh okay. Thank you
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    On MFP, prob is lightly active. I now use my Fitbit to determine tdee. Made my life easier.

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