Sedentary or Lightly Active?

serenity1097
serenity1097 Posts: 135 Member
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
I categorized myself as sedentary when I started because I work a desk job. Since then I've started exercising more and make a point to get up & move around the office more than usual. Should I keep the Sedentary choice or switch to Lightly Active?

Replies

  • serenity1097
    serenity1097 Posts: 135 Member
    Main reason I ask is because I want to make sure I am getting enough calories. I'm set for 1200 calories a day right now, doesn't seem like it's enough & I am often hungry :\
  • ryry2169
    ryry2169 Posts: 90 Member
    I also have a desk job and use an app that monitors my steps. It called Pacer and if you end up getting 3000+ steps during your normal work day, I would switch from "Sedentary" or to "Lightly Active"
  • serenity1097
    serenity1097 Posts: 135 Member
    I use a fitbit and generally get anywhere from 2500-4000 steps daily, before exercise
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
    I think it would still go under sedentry as this is your main activity of the day.
  • serenity1097
    serenity1097 Posts: 135 Member
    Thanks for the input!!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    serenity1097 wrote: »
    I categorized myself as sedentary when I started because I work a desk job. Since then I've started exercising more and make a point to get up & move around the office more than usual. Should I keep the Sedentary choice or switch to Lightly Active?

    With MFP you're supposed to define your activity by your day to day...you log exercise after the fact and that's why you get calorie to eat back...that's how you account for exercise activity with MFP.

    If you want to include exercise in your activity level I would strongly suggest using an actual TDEE calculator and customizing your goals here.
  • serenity1097
    serenity1097 Posts: 135 Member
    I want to keep it as simple as possible so would rather stick with doing it through MFP. I wasn't sure if I needed to change my activity level with my increased activity, so thank you for clarifying that for me!
  • kimberlydgarcia
    kimberlydgarcia Posts: 78 Member
    I am glad I ran into this. I get about 10,000-13,000 steps a day. Since almost half of those are from the gym, I kept mine set at lightly active. Does this sound about right?
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    I find it a lot easier to stay set on Sedentary and just add in my exercise when I do it.
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
    Hmmm. I walked 13kms yesterday via the Fitbit but most of the time I am sedentary. I think I will stick with that setting anyway.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    I'd still consider that sedentary. What do you have your weekly loss goal set as? If it's set as 2 lbs/week, change it to 1 and see if that gives you a more reasonable amount :)
  • hellobirdie_xo
    hellobirdie_xo Posts: 31 Member
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    I find it a lot easier to stay set on Sedentary and just add in my exercise when I do it.

    totally agree - easiest way for me :)

    I have a fitbit which i sync up, and use mapmyrun to sync up my running (to both fitbit and mfp) - i try to eat half of these cals back and most days I end up eating between 1500 - 1800 cals which is really doable! :)

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    serenity1097 wrote: »
    I categorized myself as sedentary when I started because I work a desk job. Since then I've started exercising more and make a point to get up & move around the office more than usual. Should I keep the Sedentary choice or switch to Lightly Active?

    Nope you're still sedentary because it relates to your job

    just enter your exercise on top
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    If all you're doing is steps from your daily activities, you are still sedentary. If you do any workouts in additon, you can add them separately.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    For MFP, exercise doesn't count toward the sedentary/lightly active setting. You should set it at sedentary and log your exercise. This will give you more accuracy in determining how many calories you are burning.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Stick with sedentary. Then log the rest of your exercise and eat back those calories.

    But 1200 calories may well be too low for you. That's a different setting on MFP. Check how fast you said you want to lose the weight. If you used 2lbs/week, try setting it to something less aggressive like 1 or 1.5lbs.
  • serenity1097
    serenity1097 Posts: 135 Member
    I actually tried setting it to 2lbs a week, but it keeps changing to 1.5lbs...maybe I will try 1 lb and see how that works. That's about all I'm losing at this point anyways!!
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    kimberlydgarcia wrote: »
    I am glad I ran into this. I get about 10,000-13,000 steps a day. Since almost half of those are from the gym, I kept mine set at lightly active. Does this sound about right?
    only sounds right if you actually work at the gym.


  • kimberlydgarcia
    kimberlydgarcia Posts: 78 Member
    cw106 wrote: »
    kimberlydgarcia wrote: »
    I am glad I ran into this. I get about 10,000-13,000 steps a day. Since almost half of those are from the gym, I kept mine set at lightly active. Does this sound about right?
    only sounds right if you actually work at the gym.


    I do actually work while I'm there.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories