Need Help! Which activity level would I fall under?

sam932
sam932 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everybody! so I've been struggling for a while determining my daily caloric needs. There's all these online calculators that your suppose to input your activity level based on how many days you work out at the gym. I usually workout 3-5 days a week, so that is in between 2 activity levels, so as to why i'm confused at which activity level to input. I recently (week and a half ago) bought my first Polar Heart Rate monitor (FT60, which i LOVE) to have knowledge of a more accurate calorie burn during my workouts. So i've been using it for a week now.
This past week worked out 5 days, which ended up being a total of 6 hours 30 mins and burning (according to my heart rate monitor) a total of 2,507 calories total for the week. This is a mix of cardio and weight training combined. I know it is 5 workout days, but it ended up being 6 and a half hours total of working out, so would it be considered active?

My BMR (according to www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator) without activity factored into it is roughly 1,600.
I just don't know what activity level I would multiply into it to find my TDEE. Would this past week's workout routine (which i'm going to stick to) be considered moderately active (1,600x1.55) or active (1,600x1.725) ?

I'm trying to lose weight so i know to make a 500 calorie deficit when i find my correct TDEE, but i'm just confused as to what activity level I would fall under according to my exercise hours and weekly calorie burn.

I've been trying to find articles online to figured out activity level based on weekly calorie burn or weekly exercise hours, but i have yet to find any.

Any help, tips, and advice much appreciated :)

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Are you only using the HRM for cardio? It does not have a way to accurately measure burn for weight training, only steady state cardio.

    Not an answer to the question you asked, I realize...

    You could try MPF set to lightly active - assuming you're not totally sedentary in your life outside of exercise. Then input your cardio burn and eat back 50-75% of those extra calories. (MFP will estimate your calorie deficit before exercise.)
  • misscem94
    misscem94 Posts: 114 Member
    Hi there!

    To be honest, I've had the same issue. I workout between 4-10 hours a week (normally lingering around the 7/8 hour mark), and then I am quite busy throughout the day, particularly if I am at work (which is a 4, 6 or 8 hour shift pacing up and down serving). I originally set my activity level as lightly active, but I felt I wasn't getting enough food.

    I too have been there with the calculators, and I selected the 5-6 hours of strenuous activity. That then accounts for two heavy going shifts and all the exercise I do (I don't think I fall into the very active category). Daily calorie goal at 1.5lb loss a week is 1670, which I think is better than the 1480 it was suggesting on lightly active.

    For me, I went by the exercise hours. Have you tried Scooby's workshop? That's the calculator I settled with in the end.
  • sam932
    sam932 Posts: 14 Member
    I wear the heart rate monitor for my entire workout, it bases your calorie burn off of your heart rate so I like to know my heart rate when i'm doing weight training also. It does seem to pick up the calories i burn off when weight training too.

    I have tried other ways of making deficits but none of them seem to be cutting it (literally haa, or maybe its too much of a cut(?)) thats why im really trying to find out my activity level. I have tried eating less and then eating back my workout cals, but that doesnt seem to be doing it.
  • sam932
    sam932 Posts: 14 Member
    Ok i went to the scooby's workshop and It says for 5-6 hours of strenuous working out a week with my stats and 20% deficit plugged in that i'd have to eat about 2,200 cal a day to lose weight. I know i worked out 6 and a half hours... but i don't feel like it would be considered "Strenuous" in any ways. Thats what confuses me, 2,200 calories a day to lose weight seems like a lot!
  • sam932
    sam932 Posts: 14 Member
    Bump
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
    Pick one, if you see results then stick with it, if you don't then change it.

    Also as above, the HRM will only give you a decent estimate of cals burned during steady state cardio, it will give an incorrect burn if you wear it for things like HIIT or strength training.
  • sam932
    sam932 Posts: 14 Member
    Haaa well thank you for putting it so simple, that actually DOES make it seem a lot easier to figure out. So basic haa, thank you! Sometimes you get too wrapped up in your situation you do think of something so simple as that I guess :)

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