Activity settings?

steff274
steff274 Posts: 227 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Okay so say you are set as very active.. Some of what you do day to day would already be included in your settings.. For example you wouldn't track bringing in horses, haying the fields, filling haynets, grooming etc.. But I count mucking out stables and sweeping.. someone did point out by doing this I am giving myself more calories because that should also come under being very active?.. I obviously count my gym activities as excersize too.. I know I am not eating too much anyway because I actually struggle to keep it on!! I guess my question is what do YOU count as just day to day activities that come under your activity setting? and what do you count as excersize?

Replies

  • doingthisfortheboys
    doingthisfortheboys Posts: 35 Member
    Exercise for me is dog walking, gym and aerial training. I have my settings as lightly active as stay at home mum so stuff like cleaning or going to the park etc would come under that and I'm not sat on my *kitten* all day so I think that works for me x
  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
    Anything I do 5 or more days a week I see as my activity level. If it is something I do once or twice a week, and it takes more than 30 min with an elevated heart rate would be extra and I would log it.
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
    Hey thanks for the insight guess I want reassurance I am doing it right!! I don't usually go over unless I am having a cheat day I think sometimes I don't eat enough for what I actually do though!!
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    Exercise for me is something I do with intention of getting fit or burning calories.. So I wouldn't count walking to the café, but would count walking or running for the sake of steps. I also justify that it's not something I do in my every day life - like going to the gym takes a conscious effort vs moving patients all day at work. (My days tend to be rather varied however, so because of this I keep my profile set to sedentary and let my fitbit dictate my daily goal. )
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    You are making this way too complicated! The activity setting just gives you a reasonable start point to help you find the number of calories that actually result in the desired result whether that's loss, maintenance or gaining weight. Your body doesn't partition calorie intake remember!
    I think sometimes I don't eat enough for what I actually do though!!
    Does this mean you are actually losing weight instead of maintaining? Then you aren't eating enough. If your weight is fairly stable within a range to allow for normal fluctuations then clearly you are eating the right amount.

    You seem to be logging activity that is part of your job ("professional poo spreader") as exercise, why not make life easier and just average that out and add it to your calorie allowance?
    Maintenance is much easier if you keep it simple and reduce the stress of micro managing things.
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
    Sometimes I lose an really quite tiny these days.. Am only just within my healthy range and am abit ribby.. So I obviously don't want to lose anymore! It could be just fluctuations but as I am as low as I want to be a 2 pound downwards fluctuation is abit worrying for me..
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    steff274 wrote: »
    Sometimes I lose an really quite tiny these days.. Am only just within my healthy range and am abit ribby.. So I obviously don't want to lose anymore! It could be just fluctuations but as I am as low as I want to be a 2 pound downwards fluctuation is abit worrying for me..

    Then eat a bit more and stop worrying about double logging poo spreading!
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
    Lol it's err *kitten* shoveling?! :p But yeah will try!! ;) Spend half my life working hard the other half in the gym!! I am getting a decent amount muscle biceps and calves are quite unlady like!! And my abs are starting to show but I am ribby!! :\
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    If you struggle to get in some extra food for whatever reason then a few high calorie snacks can easily tip the balance from a slow loss to maintenance. Just wash your hands first! :wink:
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
    Lol thanks!! :) I added you realised you wanted a message after I had already done a quick lazy add!! :p
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    The whole idea of having an activity level is that you don't have to log every exercise. MFP counts that as the base. If you do the same thing every day it works well.

    I don't. I set to sedentary, add in steps from my fitbit and then add in things that aren't my usual stuff or steps - mucking out chickens, heavy yard work, bicycling - that burn a lot more calories than that estimate gives me.

    If you are set to a higher activity level, it takes a lot more to get you over that 'yeah, that's what this activity level means' threshhold so the calorie estimate works.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited November 2014
    Steff, you are very active in general and that's why you're still losing..eat some more lol.
    For me I only log my strength training and let fitbit do the rest. I have my settings to lightly active rather than very active (even though I'm more likely very active) - I like to see the higher cals burns even if my starting figure is a bit lower.
    - I follow TDEE method anyway so don't eat back any exercise points unless I'm very hungry.

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