Do these settings really matter????

Each of those settings is going to assume that you are burning a different level of calories during the day. It is important because if you set it too high MFP will tell you that you should eat more calories than you are really burning each day.

I sit most of the day at my desk, but I also go on two 13-14 minute walks each day. I have my activity level set to sedentary and I record the calories from my walks as well as any other exercise I do.

I sit most of the day at my desk, but I also go on two 13-14 minute walks each day. I have my activity level set to sedentary and I record the calories from my walks as well as any other exercise I do.

EXACTLY! Your settings are based on "typical activity" - so you should be doing this as well

I have mine set to sedentary and then I record all my exercise.

I am a SAHM so while I'm milling around doing school runs and washing etc I still spend some yummy time on the sofa with my tv remote ;o)

I describe my daily activities as sedentary. If I'm sitting for most of the day (at my desk job) that's the way to look at it. I think they do matter, because it will allow you more calories as a base depending on what you choose. If I go for a walk at lunch, I log it separately, but I don't log all the walking in the office as long as it's not extreme.

Same here! In fact, I don't even log walking at lunch. I save my exercise for the evening - gym or Wii Fit and just log that instead.

I agree with all the posts that it really does matter. I have a desk job but walk quite a bit - about a mile each way to and from the subway every day - and also try to get other exercise every day. I have my profile set to sedentary and then track all my exercise. So, for example, I walk a mile to and from the subway each day and record the walking time as cardio.

I'm just 2 weeks in but I can say that this appears to be pretty accurate. I've stuck to my calorie allowances (including increased allowances when I input more exercise) and I'm losing weight at close to the rate targeted (targeted 1 pound per week and I've lost 1.7 in two weeks plus appear to have reduced my body fat).

Also, I try to under-report my exercise calories slightly: on the assumption that machines at the gym over-estimate calories burnt and calorie counts from even the healthiest of restaurants tend to under-estimate calories eaten.

Yes, it matters because it is used to determine your base level of calories. Basically, the way activity level is used is that it determines the multiplier for your BMR to get your daily maintenance calories. So, if you have a BMR (That's Basal Metabolic Rate or the amount of calories your body burns just to maintain function while doing nothing) of 1200 calories per day and select Sedentary then the 1200 will be multiplied by 1.2 (This is the multiplier in the formula I use for my clients. I'm not sure it is the same in MFP.) So you basically get 1440 calories for your normal daily activity. If however, you picked Very Active for your activity level. That 1200 BMR would be multiplied by 1.9 giving 2280 calories per day. This is used so that people who are doing a lot of different things each day aren't having to track every single exercise they do. Because I use the Very Active setting, I don't have to track my walks to and from classes, the exercise I do in my classes, the exercise classes I teach, or the individual exercises I demonstrate for my clients. I only add in my workouts that way because it would be impossible to track everything I do each day.

When actually figuring your calorie intake needs for your goals, MFP uses that number after the multiplier for your calorie goal. If you have that you want to lose 1 pound a week, it subtracts 500 calories per day. If you have that you want to lose 2 pounds per week, it subtracts 1000 calories per day. It also doesn't allow anyone to go below 1200 calories without giving warnings about going too low. Each person is different, however, and I've been taught that we're not suppose to go less then 80% of what we burn (The BMR x the multiplier + exercise) so some people can drop too low with the 500 or 1000 calorie deficit already built in before they exercise. If you add in an additional deficit on your own by selecting too low of an activity level and not adding back exercise calories for the activity you do, then you are at risk for malnutrition, so please pick your activity level carefully.

Thank you everyone for the response, you all gave me good information. I believe I have the wrong setting and that could be part of the problem why I am not loosing anymore. Going to go back to sedentary since it gives 1210 calories and eat my exercise calories back.

My BMR states 1363 so I think I have been eating more than that.

You should eat more then BMR. BMR is what you burn laying in bed doing absolutely nothing. Going below BMR is unhealthy. If your BMR is 1363 at sedentary you have to consume 1635.6 calories to maintain. If you exercise and add in 300 more calories that gives you a total of 1935.6 for your total calorie burn for the day. 80% of that is 1548.5 calories per day MINIMUM intake. Eating less then 80% of what you burn total per day can cause a stall in your weight loss because the body tries to hang on to fat to be able to fuel the activity you will do tomorrow. Yes, I know that only gives you a deficit of 387.1 calories per day, which will mean less then a pound a week of loss, but less then a pound of loss is much better then losing muscle and storing fat to fuel your activity later.

I've been thinking about wearing my HRM all day for a few different days on my non training days to see what my body is actually doing on average..

I was thinking of doing that too so that I can see what I burn during the day before my workouts, going to try that next week and see if I get close to what my BMR is stating.

Just so you know HRM's are NOT designed to do this. It won't give you an accurate reading of your daily calories burned at all. Your best bet is to kind of make an educated guess at your lifestyle and then stick with that for two or three weeks and see how it works for you. Works well? GREAT! Keep with it! Doesn't work? Revise your plan. If you are in this for the long term you will discover that you will need to revise your strategy many different times. Eat healthy, exercise, drink water, and get enough sleep. You'll do great

Since it seems that you are trying to do a lot of walking, why not get a pedometer. It will allow you to count how many steps you really are taking regardless if its just around the office or when you are out on walks. This way you can properly track the days when you don't walk as much so you can add more steps into your day.

There is a book called Pedometer Walking (Fenton/Bassett) that is a pretty good read. It's probably at your local public library. Hope this helps. Cheers.

Get a decent pedometer not one of those cheapies. They should run ~$30. I recommend the HJ-720IT from Omron. You can get it on Amazon.

I've been thinking about wearing my HRM all day for a few different days on my non training days to see what my body is actually doing on average..

I was thinking of doing that too so that I can see what I burn during the day before my workouts, going to try that next week and see if I get close to what my BMR is stating.

Just so you know HRM's are NOT designed to do this. It won't give you an accurate reading of your daily calories burned at all. Your best bet is to kind of make an educated guess at your lifestyle and then stick with that for two or three weeks and see how it works for you. Works well? GREAT! Keep with it! Doesn't work? Revise your plan. If you are in this for the long term you will discover that you will need to revise your strategy many different times. Eat healthy, exercise, drink water, and get enough sleep. You'll do great

I wasn't looking for a Accurate (precise) number of calories burned in a day ... I'm looking for an average. My HRM was designed give me a better understanding of what my heart rate looks like for a set period of time (whether I'm working out or not). I can use this data to calculate an average daily burn on a typical day. I feel this method will be much more accurate for determining what my body is doing in comparison to using the general activity level presets that were designed for the general population. But thats my opinion....

What's the difference between using an inaccurate reading and an educated guess? I'm not going to guess... I want data based on actual readings.

It's not Rocket Science.... but if it was... I think I have that pretty much covered. btw, I simply made a statement on what "I want" to do to get an average... I was stating a "must do" method....

Do you have a Bodybugg? It's more accurate for a total daily energy expenditure then a HRM. It's because they use different formulas based on what they are designed for. Even using a Bodybugg or HRM is really just an educated guess in another form because they are easily tricked by changes in heart rate due to medications, caffeine intake, etc. to show a higher or lower calorie burn since the heart rate can increase chemically without the rest of the body's cells burning any extra calories or the muscles can be working hard and burning a lot but the chemicals in some medications prevent the heart rate from increasing because of it which would give a low calorie burn. If you want a more accurate estimate of calorie burn, check with your local university and see if they have a metabolic cart and an exercise science department with students who need to practice using it. It measures the oxygen consumption to determine how much is being used by the body to actually burn calories. It's not as accurate as a human calorimeter, but you also don't have to be locked in a special room that measures everything going into and out of your body.