MFP Estimate for Desk Job = 1510 cal--good, or no?

modelktford
modelktford Posts: 24 Member
edited November 8 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi, all! I've just started a new job (a desk job! agh!) and it involves, naturally, quite a lot of sitting. I'm still going to try to exercise as often as possible, but obviously the first week or two is always sort of unpredictable as I try to figure out how much time I have between work/making dinner/etc and try to plan my workouts accordingly. I usually try to do 3-4 50-minute sessions of cardio and toning a week (Blogilates!) and on a really good week I get up to 5-6. But to be safe, let's say when I'm doing well it's 3-4.
I adjusted my settings for "sedentary" since one of the examples was "desk job", and it gave me a daily estimate of 1510 cals. Is that going to be too much, or does that sound about right? I'm 22, 5'2 and about 105 lbs give or take depending on the day. I generally try to be pretty active even when I'm not working out (I stay busy around the house, always out and about, etc) but obviously unless I get up and walk around during my lunch break (which I plan to!) it will limit my daily activity.
I'm also in the middle of getting therapy/recovering from an ED, so naturally it's pretty important to me to make sure I have about the right amount of food going in, since my tendency would naturally be to restrict to 1200 or less otherwise. To be honest, I'm a little bit nervous to even try to do 1400 now that I'll be having a desk job, but that's why I came to you all for insight since this is a pretty supportive community. Thanks!

Replies

  • angela233Z
    angela233Z Posts: 312 Member
    I have a sedentary lifestyle, desk job and not very active in evenings. I am 5'0 and 49 years old, and use a fitbit, which usually clocks in about 1550 calories per day.

    Since you are younger than me and taller, but weigh less, I would think that number is fairly accurate.

    I can lose weight on 1400 calories a day.
  • modelktford
    modelktford Posts: 24 Member
    Thanks :) I'd love to get a FitBit--maybe someday!
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    edited November 2014
    modelktford wrote: »
    I'm also in the middle of getting therapy/recovering from an ED, so naturally it's pretty important to me to make sure I have about the right amount of food going in, since my tendency would naturally be to restrict to 1200 or less otherwise. To be honest, I'm a little bit nervous to even try to do 1400 now that I'll be having a desk job, but that's why I came to you all for insight since this is a pretty supportive community. Thanks!

    Is a professional aware that you are doing this? If you are recovering from an ED, it's vital to have professional guidance during this process.
  • modelktford
    modelktford Posts: 24 Member
    Aware that I have a new job, or aware that I'm recovering? Sorry if I wasn't clear--I'm in therapy now, and I have told my doctor about my new job. However, she's not necessarily a nutritionist, she's just trying to help me work through the psychological aspects of my ED. She did say that having a job would help with some of my depression symptoms (giving me something to do, sense of purpose, etc.) but we haven't gotten into the effects of a sedentary job on my ED specifically. I just started this week, so I was hoping to get into it more at the next appointment.
    Also, if that's not the question you were asking, sorry ^^;
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    modelktford wrote: »
    Aware that I have a new job, or aware that I'm recovering? Sorry if I wasn't clear--I'm in therapy now, and I have told my doctor about my new job. However, she's not necessarily a nutritionist, she's just trying to help me work through the psychological aspects of my ED. She did say that having a job would help with some of my depression symptoms (giving me something to do, sense of purpose, etc.) but we haven't gotten into the effects of a sedentary job on my ED specifically. I just started this week, so I was hoping to get into it more at the next appointment.
    Also, if that's not the question you were asking, sorry ^^;

    I meant someone like a doctor; sorry!
    I would highly recommend you see about speaking to someone who specializes in eating disorders who can guide you through maintenance calories; especially if you are recovering from an ED, it's vital to make sure you are giving your body enough fuel to heal itself.

    Good luck!
  • modelktford
    modelktford Posts: 24 Member
    If it helps, I...guess I refer to it to my doctor as a controlled ED? Like, I definitely never got to the point where I was seriously ill or couldn't function (except once, many years ago). But I'm not trying to recover in the sense that I necessarily damaged myself physically, it's more the restrictive attitude and obsessive tendencies and the use of exercise/food deprivation as punishment.
    Part of why I want a FitBit or something someday is so I can have solid evidence of how much I actually need--for whatever reason, it helps me to be able to see the numbers and know that I'm not getting enough for sure so I have something to work towards.
    Anyway, I'm really sorry about that tangent. Thanks for your advice! I'll definitely look into finding someone on the side to help with the caloric aspect of things.
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
    Hi! One question I have for you... can you walk on lunch breaks? Or are there things you can do around the office that are active? I work in a clinic where there is alot of administration and computer work, but I try hard not to sit down. In my downtme at work I pace around the office. Othertimes I do cleaning or take out the garbage to get steps.

    One thing you can try is getting a step counter and even when you're at work, you will find you are motivated to get up and walk around.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Your exercise isn't part of your activity setting on MFP. So the calorie suggestion from MFP is 1510 + exercise calories not 1510 total.

    What is the calorie difference between whatever activity level you selected before starting this job and now you have made it sedentary?
    I generally try to be pretty active even when I'm not working out (I stay busy around the house, always out and about, etc) but obviously unless I get up and walk around during my lunch break (which I plan to!) it will limit my daily activity.
    Are you really sure you want to pick sedentary? Your job is only part of your lifestyle.
  • 5stringjeff
    5stringjeff Posts: 790 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    Your exercise isn't part of your activity setting on MFP. So the calorie suggestion from MFP is 1510 + exercise calories not 1510 total.

    What is the calorie difference between whatever activity level you selected before starting this job and now you have made it sedentary?
    I generally try to be pretty active even when I'm not working out (I stay busy around the house, always out and about, etc) but obviously unless I get up and walk around during my lunch break (which I plan to!) it will limit my daily activity.
    Are you really sure you want to pick sedentary? Your job is only part of your lifestyle.

    I second all of this. When I was losing weight (6'4" male, went from 211 to 180) and had my settings on sedentary (desk job), I was eating something like 1650 calories a day. But I logged all my exercise calories and ate them all back. If you choose to use the sedentary setting, you will need to do the same - log every bit of exercise and include those calories in your daily intake. I have never set my MFP calories on other activity levels, so I can't give advice on how to use those. But 1510 calories to maintain at a desk job is certainly a reasonable amount.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    edited November 2014
    Edited: I didn't realize you were managing an ED. But to your basic question:

    I have a desk job but I can run around a lot some days and walk to work. I set to sedentary and spent $40 on a fitbit zip pedometer. I synchs with fitbit automatically and adds in extra calories. If I walk my typical 5 minutes it adds almost 700 calories to my baseline. If I spent all day at the computer I need to be more careful. I log exercise that doesn't register well on MFP.

    It works great for people with uneven schedules. I've maintained for 2 years with it.

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