Activity Level - Define?

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I been working out 7 days a week. An hour every day for cardio in the AM, and additionally lifting weights in the PM 4 days a week, Mon/Tue/Thurs/Fri. For weights I do Upper (Mon)/Lower (Tues), Upper(Thurs)/Lower(Fri). My cardio in the AM is anywhere between 45mins - 75mins. I swim, so depending on my sets and yardage goals, my time varies. It's also varied by day so that I do HIIT workouts as well as Long Distance Endurance workouts. My weights session in the PM starts with weights and ends with 15-20min elliptical, total time of between 45-50mins.

However, aside from my workouts... I do absolutely nothing. I'm currently not working and I don't have anything to do but concentrate on meal prep/exercise/studying/watch tv. So it's like I'm sedentary because I'm not doing anything all day except when I go to the gym. I had my MFP set to sedentary but for the past 2 weeks (I only weigh in on Sundays), I have not budged a pound. I do realize there's some water retention stuff going on from beginning weights (I've just completed week 2 of weights), and menstrual cycle starting up..

But I'm wondering, if maybe I'm not consuming enough calories. So how would you describe my activity level based on my description? Sedentary, Lightly Active, Active.. etc?

(Also,... I just started incorporating 1 rest day a week.)

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    With MFP, you're supposed to account for exercise activity after the fact by logging it...then you will get those calories to "eat back".
  • YumiZoomi
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    I do... but a lot of days I'm under by a little. I've read on here to just eat back half the calories and some of my calories burned are from weight lifting and stuff which I hear can be not accurate. So I try to stay under by 300cals. Also to account for any extra calories I may have not accounted for accurately when logging.

    But I'm not talking about that part. I'm talking about setting the goal calorie by appropriately selecting the right activity level that I'm at right now.
  • mattjft
    mattjft Posts: 114 Member
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    I would log as sedentary and wear a HRM during the cardio and log the calories burned and eat back half of those if you are feeling hungry.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    YumiZoomi wrote: »
    I do... but a lot of days I'm under by a little. I've read on here to just eat back half the calories and some of my calories burned are from weight lifting and stuff which I hear can be not accurate. So I try to stay under by 300cals. Also to account for any extra calories I may have not accounted for accurately when logging.

    But I'm not talking about that part. I'm talking about setting the goal calorie by appropriately selecting the right activity level that I'm at right now.

    Use an actual TDEE calculator and customize your goals here. MFP isn't a TDEE calculator.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    With MFP, you're supposed to account for exercise activity after the fact by logging it...then you will get those calories to "eat back".

    This!
  • YumiZoomi
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »

    Use an actual TDEE calculator and customize your goals here. MFP isn't a TDEE calculator.

    Uhm, I did my calculation at this website..http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

    It says my BMR is 1966 and Total Energy Expenditure is 4389. So... I don't understand what all that means in comparison to what MFP settings are telling me. I'm confused!