Activity level?!

sabaraba
sabaraba Posts: 42
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I am a little bit confused about the activity level. I workout average 6 days a week about a hour a day. ( so, 6 hours a week, but most of the time even 1-2 hours more )
The other time of the day I sit a lot. It depends..sometimes I walk also a little bit..or just do some stuff at home.
So, some calorie calculators tell me, if I make 5-6 hours sport a week, I am very active..and others say, I need to have a pretty active job to reach this level of activity.
*sigh*
So, both right? Or rather moderately active..or sedentary, don't know.
Thanks in advance, Sarah

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Depending if you follow the TDEE method (includes exercise as part of your activity level) or MFP method (eat back exercise calories and activity is based on non exercise factors) will determine your answer. Personally, I follow the TDEE method where my account is set to active (5-6 hours of exercise a week) and aim for the same calorie goal daily. If i exercise above and beyond my normal, i will eat an additional 100-300 calories if I am hungry.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You h ave to undrestand the method you're using. Other calculators include an estimate of your exercise activity in your activity level. You will note that MFP's descriptors say nothing about exercise...that is because you account for exercise after the fact with MFP...you log it after the fact and that's when you get those calories to "eat back"

    Take a read of the stickies...they explain how this tool works. It is designed to give you a calorie goal for weight loss without any exercise whatsoever...so exercise becomes an extra activity that needs fueling...and additional calories give incentive for people to get off their *kitten*.
  • sabaraba
    sabaraba Posts: 42
    Depending if you follow the TDEE method (includes exercise as part of your activity level) or MFP method (eat back exercise calories and activity is based on non exercise factors) will determine your answer. Personally, I follow the TDEE method where my account is set to active (5-6 hours of exercise a week) and aim for the same calorie goal daily. If i exercise above and beyond my normal, i will eat an additional 100-300 calories if I am hungry.

    Well, I know. Art the moment I use the MFP method, but I'm thinking about swichting to TDEE. - So I am not quite sure what to chose..
    My workouts are always pretty intense. ( including HIIT, strength, pilates, cardiovascular etc. )
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Depending if you follow the TDEE method (includes exercise as part of your activity level) or MFP method (eat back exercise calories and activity is based on non exercise factors) will determine your answer. Personally, I follow the TDEE method where my account is set to active (5-6 hours of exercise a week) and aim for the same calorie goal daily. If i exercise above and beyond my normal, i will eat an additional 100-300 calories if I am hungry.

    Well, I know. Art the moment I use the MFP method, but I'm thinking about swichting to TDEE. - So I am not quite sure what to chose..
    My workouts are always pretty intense. ( including HIIT, strength, pilates, cardiovascular etc. )

    Just use the descriptors...if you use TDEE, you're going to incorporate your exercise into your activity level...if you use MFP, you're not. Just pick one...pick an activity level, and then go from there. Realize that these calculators are just tools to get you started...they are estimates just like anything else...nobody has a calorie requirement of exactly XXXX calories per day. Just pick one and go with it and make adjustments as per real world results and the math...EZ. You're wanting a machine and other people to tell you exactly what needs to be done, and that's just impossible.

    This is called paralysis by analysis....rather than just jumping in and doing, you're over analyzing and doing nothing.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Depending if you follow the TDEE method (includes exercise as part of your activity level) or MFP method (eat back exercise calories and activity is based on non exercise factors) will determine your answer. Personally, I follow the TDEE method where my account is set to active (5-6 hours of exercise a week) and aim for the same calorie goal daily. If i exercise above and beyond my normal, i will eat an additional 100-300 calories if I am hungry.

    Well, I know. Art the moment I use the MFP method, but I'm thinking about swichting to TDEE. - So I am not quite sure what to chose..
    My workouts are always pretty intense. ( including HIIT, strength, pilates, cardiovascular etc. )

    Just use the descriptors...if you use TDEE, you're going to incorporate your exercise into your activity level...if you use MFP, you're not. Just pick one...pick an activity level, and then go from there. Realize that these calculators are just tools to get you started...they are estimates just like anything else...nobody has a calorie requirement of exactly XXXX calories per day. Just pick one and go with it and make adjustments as per real world results and the math...EZ. You're wanting a machine and other people to tell you exactly what needs to be done, and that's just impossible.

    Pretty much.


    At some point, you need to pick a calorie level, monitor progress for 4-6 weeks and adjust up or down to meet your needs.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    There is no way to know till you try really. Finding your TDEE is a laborious process. Basically there is no catch all "activity level" that will fit you perfectly not unless you are very lucky. To find your TDEE look at your actual weight loss over a period of time (or gain whatever) And then using the commonly accepted approximation that 3500 calories = 1lb you can gauge your own TDEE.

    For example if averaged over a 2/3 month period you lose a lb a week that equates to a 500 calorie a day deficit. Which means your TDEE is 500 higher than what you are actually eating.
  • sabaraba
    sabaraba Posts: 42
    Well, thanks for the answers :). As I said, I know what TDEE is, also I know what's the difference between the MFP-method and the TDEE-method is..I was just quiet unsure about my acitivity level - but I guess there's just no other way to find out your "perfect" TDEE than to try it out.
    :)
  • michelleepotter
    michelleepotter Posts: 800 Member
    I think I understand. You want to use TDEE, but you're not sure what activity level to pick since you exercise a lot but are rather sedentary the rest of the time, right?

    You've already lost quite a bit using the MFP method, so I assume you have an idea of how many calories you burn at exercise right? Try this. First, use the MFP method. Pick an activity level that doesn't count your exercise at all, get your result. Then add in your exercise calories.

    Let's say for example that you are like me, and at a sedentary activity level MFP suggests you eat 1430 to lose half a pound a week. And say you burn 400 calories per workout, 6 times a week, that comes out to an extra 343 calories per day -- so you could assume that if you ate 1773 per day, that would cover your normal activity level, plus your exercise.

    Someone tell me if I'm not making any sense.

    PS, another thought. If you've been successfully losing weight on the MFP method, you could add up how many calories you've actually been eating (gross, not net), and take an average.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    but I guess there's just no other way to find out your "perfect" TDEE than to try it out.

    True story...but, you've already lost quite a bit...it seems to me that you could easily just do the math at this point using your average weight loss per week as you've been going and pretty easily identify your TDEE and thus whatever cut would be necessary. You really shouldn't even need a calculator at this point...just use the math.
  • feltlikesound
    feltlikesound Posts: 326 Member
    My TDEE, with calculated reduction for weightloss, creates a similar calorie result to MFP baseline + eating back my exercise calories. Have you compared the two? It may make very little difference.
  • CLM1227
    CLM1227 Posts: 61 Member
    When using TDEE, I use my lifestyle outside of intentional fitness in the calculation.

    I sit at my computer a lot even though I do 30-60 minutes at the gym daily. I'm sedentary lifestyle and I just add my workouts into my calories as I do them.

    A construction worker's daily lifestyle is significantly different than mine even if we go to the gym for the same amount of time daily.

    I don't like counting my workout schedule as part of my TDEE because if I don't feel like working out that day (my natural lifestyle), but I still eat those calories, I'm screwed up for the day.
  • sabaraba
    sabaraba Posts: 42
    I think I understand. You want to use TDEE, but you're not sure what activity level to pick since you exercise a lot but are rather sedentary the rest of the time, right?

    You've already lost quite a bit using the MFP method, so I assume you have an idea of how many calories you burn at exercise right? Try this. First, use the MFP method. Pick an activity level that doesn't count your exercise at all, get your result. Then add in your exercise calories.

    Let's say for example that you are like me, and at a sedentary activity level MFP suggests you eat 1430 to lose half a pound a week. And say you burn 400 calories per workout, 6 times a week, that comes out to an extra 343 calories per day -- so you could assume that if you ate 1773 per day, that would cover your normal activity level, plus your exercise.

    Someone tell me if I'm not making any sense.

    PS, another thought. If you've been successfully losing weight on the MFP method, you could add up how many calories you've actually been eating (gross, not net), and take an average.

    You got it :). Well, right, I used a method to calculate my TDEE if I wanted to maintain ( something like you take all the days..and the punds you've lost..and etc. I think you know what I mean ) and If I wanted to maintain, I would need to around 2300..so, it seemed pretty accurate to me, since I've lost more than 1 pound every week since I've started..And here I selected to lose 1 pound/week, so, my deficit must be higher than 500 :).
    Well, thanks anyway.
    Guess, I just would like to have the perfect answer, of course - who wouldn't? ;) - but..it will work out :).
  • sabaraba
    sabaraba Posts: 42
    When using TDEE, I use my lifestyle outside of intentional fitness in the calculation.

    I sit at my computer a lot even though I do 30-60 minutes at the gym daily. I'm sedentary lifestyle and I just add my workouts into my calories as I do them.

    A construction worker's daily lifestyle is significantly different than mine even if we go to the gym for the same amount of time daily.

    I don't like counting my workout schedule as part of my TDEE because if I don't feel like working out that day (my natural lifestyle), but I still eat those calories, I'm screwed up for the day.

    I'm doing pretty much the same! :)
  • sabaraba
    sabaraba Posts: 42
    My TDEE, with calculated reduction for weightloss, creates a similar calorie result to MFP baseline + eating back my exercise calories. Have you compared the two? It may make very little difference.

    I did, and MFP actually set my calories a bit too low, but I'm fine with that. If I wouldn't feel good about it, I'd change them :).
    I also, ALWAYS eat my exercise calories back..would feel like starving if not.

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