Shocked at how low my step count is!
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To put this in perspective it takes me 2500 to 4000 steps to hit sedentary ...so I would guess you are below sedentary..hope you have negative adjustments enabled0
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healthybodyhealthylife wrote: »
Thats awesome! I work and study from home soooo that doesn't help much at all.
I've done home based study - are you able to download mp3s of any lectures?? I used to do this to listen to them on my drive to work - but you could listen to them while out and about walking around. Just one hour long lecture would increase your step count significantly!
ETA: Fixed quoting error0 -
To put this in perspective it takes me 2500 to 4000 steps to hit sedentary ...so I would guess you are below sedentary..hope you have negative adjustments enabled
I thought that's why the sedentary/desk job option was included in all the bmr/tdee calculators. For the people who do no exercise.
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Do very sedentary people then have to not eat over their bmr??0
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healthybodyhealthylife wrote: »This is not an understatement when I say I am going through some pretty major shock. I used my FitBit after quite a few months to see how many steps I get around the house and on a normal day, not counting exercise steps, I clock in at around 1,000 steps a day! Talk about sedentary
why is this shocking to you? how can you not realize that you don't walk a lot?0 -
christinev297 wrote: »Do very sedentary people then have to not eat over their bmr??
BMR is the number of calories you would burn basically by being in a coma.
"Sedentary" has calories built into it over and above BMR already, since most of us are non-comatose and even the relatively sedentary among us do things like sit at a desk, type, walk around our house, go to the bathroom, etcetera. Those things burn calories. So, for example, my BMR is estimated at 1205 and my sedentary TDEE would be estimated at 1446 according to the calculator. That's a difference of 241, which is the calories I would be burning each day through my normal activity if I were sedentary. (My TDEE is higher than that because I'm not sedentary, I'm moderately active. But this is just an example.)
Either way, if you want to lose weight, you're looking to create a deficit from your daily calories that are burned. A reasonable deficit would be, say, 15-20% below TDEE. So yes, some very sedentary people might actually have to eat under their BMR. In my above example, if I were sedentary and targeting a 20% deficit, I'd have to eat 1156 calories, which would be under my BMR of 1205.
The preferable thing is to create the deficit by adding exercise, not by reducing calories further. I eat more than 1156 calories because I burn more calories by getting in some exercise, which increases my TDEE by a few hundred. It doesn't change my BMR, but it does change the number of calories I can eat to still lose weight.
But for some people it's not an option, due to illness or disability for example, at which point yes, they'd have to lower their calories to compensate.
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Ahhh thanks segacs.
I work from home, a normal single story house, and just potter around all day. I also walk my dog for 30 minutes every day, but she's frustratingly SLOW, there's no way I get my heart rate pumping lol I go grocery shopping every few days, and that's pretty much it for my activity level.0 -
christinev297 wrote: »Ahhh thanks segacs.
I work from home, a normal single story house, and just potter around all day. I also walk my dog for 30 minutes every day, but she's frustratingly SLOW, there's no way I get my heart rate pumping lol I go grocery shopping every few days, and that's pretty much it for my activity level.
That sounds fairly sedentary, yep. But it's still more exercise than someone in a coma would get.
If you can add some workouts to that, it would go a long way towards helping your weight loss as well as your overall health. Can you do some workout videos from home on YouTube? Run up and down the stairs for ten minutes a day? Go for another walk without the dog just to get moving? It doesn't have to be joining a gym or running a marathon; there are tons of ways to get more movement into your life.
But for now, yes, you should probably use the sedentary setting on MFP.0 -
I've been seriously contemplating jillian michaels 30 day shred....0
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christinev297 wrote: »I've been seriously contemplating jillian michaels 30 day shred....
Hey why not? Give it a try if that's your thing. FitnessBlender has a lot of good videos, too, and some of them are available for free on YouTube or their site.
I say, find something you enjoy and do that. Some people love pumping iron in the gym -- it gives them a rush and feels empowering. Other people love the serenity of yoga, or the feeling they get on an early morning run, or the joy they get from dancing.
Personally I love skiing and cycling, and have found kickboxing to be seriously fun lately.
Find something you love and you'll never work a day in your life. That's as valid advice for exercise as it is for a career.0 -
Segacs you deserve the word "wonderful mentor" next to your username. Thankyou for taking the time to help. Much appreciated
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christinev297 wrote: »Segacs you deserve the word "wonderful mentor" next to your username. Thankyou for taking the tine to help. Much appreciated
Awww. Thanks!0 -
Desk jobs for the lose....
I usually come in around 1200-2000 steps a day, but I use the pedometer on my phone and I don't always carry it with me while I'm at work (getting water refills, going to the restroom, etc.). It's so tough to get enough activity in when you sit at a desk for 8 hours
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i walk to and from work every day to get my 10,000 steps, otherwise i'd be really low too.0
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I walk less than a thousand steps on a work day (another one working from home) so get to the Y for at least an hour. I hit 10,000 steps most days now but have to work at it on my "rest" days to be more active. I agree, it is eye opening. Yes, you know you aren't very active, but looking at the data is surprising.0
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christinev297 wrote: »I spend way toooo much time sitting down reading the MFP forums lol I blame that!
Ahahah! So do I!
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HappyCampr1 wrote: »that's impressively low. Last Saturday, I was home sick from a touch of food poisoning. I still got in 2600 steps, which was my lowest day since I started tracking. You're definitely going to have to work on increasing that number. I can't imagine how little you must get to eat with such an activity level. The good thing is...at least you know now.
Actually, I can eat quite a bit because I exercise a lot. My BMR is about 1450 so on a good day when I work out my TDEE goes well above 2000 calories. I was talking about my non-exercise activity.
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healthybodyhealthylife wrote: »
Actually, I can eat quite a bit because I exercise a lot. My BMR is about 1450 so on a good day when I work out my TDEE goes well above 2000 calories. I was talking about my non-exercise activity.
That's a very good point, actually, and is one of the reasons why the Fitbit-type trackers can only do so much.
On a typical workday, I'll usually get about 5,000 steps from my commute, just from walking to and from the metro stations. In the summer, if I cycle to work instead of using public transit, I won't get those 5,000 steps in so it will look like I'm a lot less active, when actually I burn a heck of a lot more calories in 30 minutes by cycling.
Steps aren't everything. There are lots of forms of movement.0 -
When I started with my Fitbit my step count was extremely low too. I decided that wasn't okay with me, and changed it immediately. I do 5 days a week at least of 10000+. I actually shoot for 15K on days that I don't work late and 20K on days that I do. I am a teacher, and luckily the nature of my job is that I can be constantly up circling my classroom. I set little goals for myself throughout the day - like I try to do 2000 steps per class period (1 hour). So my advice would be to find those little extra minutes in your day when you can improve on what you're doing, and just do it. Slowly work on finding those precious minutes and use them. Good luck!0
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healthybodyhealthylife wrote: »HappyCampr1 wrote: »that's impressively low. Last Saturday, I was home sick from a touch of food poisoning. I still got in 2600 steps, which was my lowest day since I started tracking. You're definitely going to have to work on increasing that number. I can't imagine how little you must get to eat with such an activity level. The good thing is...at least you know now.
Actually, I can eat quite a bit because I exercise a lot. My BMR is about 1450 so on a good day when I work out my TDEE goes well above 2000 calories. I was talking about my non-exercise activity.
sounds like your step count is kind of irrelevant then.0 -
I have similarly low steps, especially on days that I don't have class. Even when I have class & have to walk into campus from a far-away parking lot, I'm lucky if I hit 5,000. Weekends can be under 1,000 if I'm doing school work all day, & I lose calories. :[ Doesn't seem to be affecting my weight loss, but I definitely need to work on getting in some more steps!0
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txteachermom wrote: »When I started with my Fitbit my step count was extremely low too. I decided that wasn't okay with me, and changed it immediately. I do 5 days a week at least of 10000+. I actually shoot for 15K on days that I don't work late and 20K on days that I do. I am a teacher, and luckily the nature of my job is that I can be constantly up circling my classroom. I set little goals for myself throughout the day - like I try to do 2000 steps per class period (1 hour). So my advice would be to find those little extra minutes in your day when you can improve on what you're doing, and just do it. Slowly work on finding those precious minutes and use them. Good luck!
Thanks! 0 -
Wait--1000 steps in a WHOLE DAY?
I get that many, or more, when I spend the day sick in bed. I don't see how that few steps is even possible. Do you have your FitBit on all day?
I work from home at a sedentary job and still manage to get around 12,000 steps/day unless I am injured, sick or deliberately resting. My father, who is going to be 73 in a few days, averages around 15,000 steps/day.
I try to walk if I need to run any errands within two miles of where I live. I also walk to the gym unless I need to carry my heavy swim bag.0 -
If I don't leave the house, I can easily get only 1,000 steps. My husband gets 3,000 going to work and sitting at his desk all day. I agree, it is shocking how little a person can move. I'm all for quitting the sitting!0
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »Wait--1000 steps in a WHOLE DAY?
I get that many, or more, when I spend the day sick in bed. I don't see how that few steps is even possible. Do you have your FitBit on all day?
I work from home at a sedentary job and still manage to get around 12,000 steps/day unless I am injured, sick or deliberately resting. My father, who is going to be 73 in a few days, averages around 15,000 steps/day.
I try to walk if I need to run any errands within two miles of where I live. I also walk to the gym unless I need to carry my heavy swim bag.
to average 12,000 or 15,000 steps a day, you must be deliberately doing something to get that high. it doesn't just happen from sitting around. if someone doesn't deliberately walk to do everything, i'm not surprised at all that it's only 1,000 in an entire day. if i took a cab to work, sat at my desk most of the day and took a cab home, i'd probably be under that. in fact, i used to do that. no wonder i was getting fat. i no longer do that. just from a cost standpoint, it was dumb.0 -
HappyCampr1 wrote: »that's impressively low. Last Saturday, I was home sick from a touch of food poisoning. I still got in 2600 steps, which was my lowest day since I started tracking. You're definitely going to have to work on increasing that number. I can't imagine how little you must get to eat with such an activity level. The good thing is...at least you know now.
Maybe it was all those trips to the bathroom...
Seriously, I have a fairly large house, and the days I'm home, I don't put more than 2000 in just walking around the house doing chores, even washing floors, etc. I have to take a walk or do a kickboxing or zumba class or video to get enough steps in. However, the days I teach, I'm getting at least 6000, and sometimes even 10,000 because I'm on a huge campus. That doesn't even take into account the 20 lbs. roller bag I drag everywhere and carry up two flights of stairs.0 -
score one for having young children I guess. I get 2000 before I even leave the house in the morning with making breakfasts, prepping lunch, corralling and all that. Even 2 days after I had ankle surgery, I got 1900 steps while using a walker.0
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