What activity level am I?

Janaglass32
Janaglass32 Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm having a hard time deciding what activity level I'm really on.

There's sedentary and then there's lightly active.

I'm a full-time cashier and I work about eight hours a day. I spend a good couple of hours scanning groceries quickly, some are quite heavy!

Replies

  • Janaglass32
    Janaglass32 Posts: 9
    I also work about an hour to an hour 1/2 at the gym.
  • NicoleLFifield
    NicoleLFifield Posts: 30
    Cashier work can be physically demanding at times, depending on your job. Are you stocking coolers and tossing around cases of soda and things, or do you just stand behind a register. I have putting a lot of thought into this also as I cannot decide on my activity level either.
  • datleprechaun
    datleprechaun Posts: 21
    Yeah it's confusing. Sedentary though is literally just sitting on the couch and not really moving though right? I don't think cashier would fall in to that tbh. Too much moving around and lifting/standing.
  • Janaglass32
    Janaglass32 Posts: 9
    You know, there's day's where's it 's just really crazy paste and I'm just checking and swiping like yesterday. And then their's days where i get 'a really crazy at last part of my shift, and somedays where I'm just real board- most the time I'm Pretty steady. I'm also shipped around to different types registers. Sometimes I get a lot of heavy stuff . I guess it just depends on the day and which register they stand me to register meaning-conveyor belt, speedy, self check-out, etc
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Hi, I'm having a hard time deciding what activity level I'm really on.

    There's sedentary and then there's lightly active.

    I'm a full-time cashier and I work about eight hours a day. I spend a good couple of hours scanning groceries quickly, some are quite heavy!
    I think you sound active.
  • NicoleLFifield
    NicoleLFifield Posts: 30
    Having thought about it more and having been a cashier for about 12 or 13 years(convenience stores), I would personally go with active, you can always lower it to lightly active later if you need.
  • mayfrayy
    mayfrayy Posts: 198 Member
    sedetary, and log your workouts
    a fitbit might be nice to get all your walking around.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Hi, I'm having a hard time deciding what activity level I'm really on.

    There's sedentary and then there's lightly active.

    I'm a full-time cashier and I work about eight hours a day. I spend a good couple of hours scanning groceries quickly, some are quite heavy!
    I think you sound active.
    if anything, lightly active
  • shireeniebeanie
    shireeniebeanie Posts: 293 Member
    Lightly active, at the very least. On your feet, so definitely not sedentary.
  • klkarlen
    klkarlen Posts: 4,366 Member
    I used sedentary, and log all my activities like cleaning stalls, and walking around the office building and up and down the stairs. I have a desk job, but live on a horse farm.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Lightly active.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    To those of you who say lightly active (and the OP), the reason I say active:

    I have a desk job, work out five to six days a week (running and weight lifting) and my activity level is set to active. Sedentary and lightly active, I lose weight.

    I think it's more trial and error than anything, and everybody is different.
  • defauIt
    defauIt Posts: 118 Member
    I worked as a cashier for 3 years back in high school and university, I would log as lightly active personally.
  • litsy3
    litsy3 Posts: 783 Member
    I agree with SSLRunner. My job is nowhere near as active as yours sounds, but I have had to change to active or I lose weight quicker than I want - I sit down most of the day, with a bit of walking round and initially set my activity to lightly active just because I cycle 10 mins (not fast) to work and back each day. Even logging and eating back my exercise calories separately I was losing weight when I wanted to maintain.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I agree with SSLRunner. My job is nowhere near as active as yours sounds, but I have had to change to active or I lose weight quicker than I want - I sit down most of the day, with a bit of walking round and initially set my activity to lightly active just because I cycle 10 mins (not fast) to work and back each day. Even logging and eating back my exercise calories separately I was losing weight when I wanted to maintain.
    That's what happens to me as well. I am still slowly losing, so I'm tracking my calories and weight each day to see what my average calorie intake is.
  • Jkj95
    Jkj95 Posts: 64 Member
    I'm a cashier at McDonald's and I put active, but that's mostly because I have to move around a lot no matter how busy it is. I wouldn't put anything less than lightly active if you're on your feet the whole day, though.
  • Janaglass32
    Janaglass32 Posts: 9
    Thank you for all your general feed back-I have an idea where I need to beM
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I also work about an hour to an hour 1/2 at the gym.

    This is not part of your activity level it should be logged separately under exercise
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    To those of you who say lightly active (and the OP), the reason I say active:

    I have a desk job, work out five to six days a week (running and weight lifting) and my activity level is set to active. Sedentary and lightly active, I lose weight.

    I think it's more trial and error than anything, and everybody is different.

    Do you log at least your running separately or are you using more of a TDEE approach? MFP settings assume you will log your exercise separately as mentioned by a previous poster. I suppose another method if you don't feel like you can properly quantify your exercise is to pick a higher activity level than you really may be

    Per the app: Sedentary: on your buns most of the day - desk job. Lightly active: on your feet most of the day - teacher, salesman . Active: a good part of the day doing physical activity - waiter, mailman. Very active: heavy physical activity - bike messenger, carpenter.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    To those of you who say lightly active (and the OP), the reason I say active:

    I have a desk job, work out five to six days a week (running and weight lifting) and my activity level is set to active. Sedentary and lightly active, I lose weight.

    I think it's more trial and error than anything[\b], and everybody is different.

    Chose a number, work with that.
    You can also use your own data after a few weeks to create your own estimate.

    cR7Xq80l.png

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/EvgeniZyntx/view/new-mfp-data-export-tool-major-update-659927
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    To those of you who say lightly active (and the OP), the reason I say active:

    I have a desk job, work out five to six days a week (running and weight lifting) and my activity level is set to active. Sedentary and lightly active, I lose weight.

    I think it's more trial and error than anything, and everybody is different.

    Do you log at least your running separately or are you using more of a TDEE approach? MFP settings assume you will log your exercise separately as mentioned by a previous poster. I suppose another method if you don't feel like you can properly quantify your exercise is to pick a higher activity level than you really may be

    Per the app: Sedentary: on your buns most of the day - desk job. Lightly active: on your feet most of the day - teacher, salesman . Active: a good part of the day doing physical activity - waiter, mailman. Very active: heavy physical activity - bike messenger, carpenter.
    I don't count calories for my weight lifting exercises or my leisurely walks to and from parking to the office or anything like housecleaning or other tasks, but I do count running and spinning, and if I take a serious brisk sweaty walk. I weigh all my food mostly in grams, sometimes in ounces. I have my activity level set to active as well.

    It has been my experience that the app is a guideline only, and their activity levels have not been accurate for me.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    To those of you who say lightly active (and the OP), the reason I say active:

    I have a desk job, work out five to six days a week (running and weight lifting) and my activity level is set to active. Sedentary and lightly active, I lose weight.

    I think it's more trial and error than anything[\b], and everybody is different.

    Chose a number, work with that.
    You can also use your own data after a few weeks to create your own estimate.

    cR7Xq80l.png

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/EvgeniZyntx/view/new-mfp-data-export-tool-major-update-659927
    I am currently using my own data to come up with my TDEE.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    I have a desk job, I don't do much else except for clean my home and cook a bit. I may walk back and forth a few times in the office. I have no kids to run around after, since mine is 12. I do not count my exercise in my activity level. I add it separately using the MFP method. I have my activity level set to lightly active and I lose 1 lb a week with that. So I would really think that the OP is active. Trial and error though.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    To those of you who say lightly active (and the OP), the reason I say active:

    I have a desk job, work out five to six days a week (running and weight lifting) and my activity level is set to active. Sedentary and lightly active, I lose weight.

    I think it's more trial and error than anything, and everybody is different.

    Do you log at least your running separately or are you using more of a TDEE approach? MFP settings assume you will log your exercise separately as mentioned by a previous poster. I suppose another method if you don't feel like you can properly quantify your exercise is to pick a higher activity level than you really may be

    Per the app: Sedentary: on your buns most of the day - desk job. Lightly active: on your feet most of the day - teacher, salesman . Active: a good part of the day doing physical activity - waiter, mailman. Very active: heavy physical activity - bike messenger, carpenter.
    I don't count calories for my weight lifting exercises or my leisurely walks to and from parking to the office or anything like housecleaning or other tasks, but I do count running and spinning, and if I take a serious brisk sweaty walk. I weigh all my food mostly in grams, sometimes in ounces. I have my activity level set to active as well.

    It has been my experience that the app is a guideline only, and their activity levels have not been accurate for me.

    If you were able to accurately measure and report your strength training and HIIT, etc that you do and record as 1 calorie, I suspect it would come closer. I would say you are doing an MFP/TDEE hybrid and this is most likely why the activity level chosen could not match your actual non exercise activity level. I do agree about trial and error being best
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    To those of you who say lightly active (and the OP), the reason I say active:

    I have a desk job, work out five to six days a week (running and weight lifting) and my activity level is set to active. Sedentary and lightly active, I lose weight.

    I think it's more trial and error than anything, and everybody is different.

    Do you log at least your running separately or are you using more of a TDEE approach? MFP settings assume you will log your exercise separately as mentioned by a previous poster. I suppose another method if you don't feel like you can properly quantify your exercise is to pick a higher activity level than you really may be

    Per the app: Sedentary: on your buns most of the day - desk job. Lightly active: on your feet most of the day - teacher, salesman . Active: a good part of the day doing physical activity - waiter, mailman. Very active: heavy physical activity - bike messenger, carpenter.
    I don't count calories for my weight lifting exercises or my leisurely walks to and from parking to the office or anything like housecleaning or other tasks, but I do count running and spinning, and if I take a serious brisk sweaty walk. I weigh all my food mostly in grams, sometimes in ounces. I have my activity level set to active as well.

    It has been my experience that the app is a guideline only, and their activity levels have not been accurate for me.

    If you were able to accurately measure and report your strength training and HIIT, etc that you do and record as 1 calorie, I suspect it would come closer. I would say you are doing an MFP/TDEE hybrid and this is most likely why the activity level chosen could not match your actual non exercise activity level. I do agree about trial and error being best
    The problem is you can't accurately measure weight lifting or hiit, not even with a hrm. I had my thyroid checked recently. While it leans toward hypothyroidism, it is in the normal range and I have no other symptoms of an overactive thyroid. Thus, I suspect you are right about why "active" works for me.

    That said, I still think a cashier on her feet all day is active.

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