Is it too much?

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MichaelFrankson2015
MichaelFrankson2015 Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
A bit about me: Age: 38, male, 203 pounds, 5' 5".

I have a question regarding activity level. When I started with MyFitnessPal ( a week ago), I chose sedentary as I work a deskjob and had little to no excercise. That changed the next day.

Now I go for brisk walks on my breaks and my lunch hour, plus another with my wife after dinner. At the end of the day my walks total about 4.5 miles per day. I also come under my target goal of 1700 calories by about 400 to 500 calories.

What concerns me is my target goal of 1700 was calculated when I selected 'Loose 1 pound per week' with a 'sedentary' lifestyle. Basically that's 500 calories less than what where I would be to maintain my weight.

So my concern is this: My goal is 1700 (500 less than maintain) to lose 1 pound a week. Plus, I burn off another 400 to 500 with my walks. SO at the end of the day I end up at about 900 calories less than just maintaining my weight.

Is it too much? Is that unhealthy? Will this slow down my metabolism?

I still work a desk job but am no longer sedentary (due to the walking). In fact, Pacer says I'm active to highly active now (go me!).

So should I change my level to 'lightly active" or 'active' instead of sedentary in MyFitnessPal?


I just want to make sure I'm doing this right, healthy, and not working against myself.

Thanks!

Replies

  • pleasepleaseno
    pleasepleaseno Posts: 166 Member
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    It depends. If you log those walks as exercise on here do not change your activity level because it will then be accounting for those calories twice.
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    You're on the right track. Keep your settings as is and "eat back" about half your exercise calories. Monitor that for about 4 weeks to see how much weight you are losing. If too much, each 3/4 of your exercise calories back. Monitor for another 4 weeks. You'll find your balance point.

    So, for your settings: 1700 + 400 exercise = 2100 calories. Eat back half of your exercise calories: 1700 + 200 = 1900 = aim for that many calories.
  • _incogNEATo_
    _incogNEATo_ Posts: 4,537 Member
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    I count activity level as everything other than exercise. I log all exercise. Activity level is for setting your calorie allowance and remains consistent.
  • martycon400
    martycon400 Posts: 7 Member
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    calories seem low to me to be honest, start of a bit higher and trim back as needed when weight loss stalls/stops, thats just my opinion, i also dont log exercise or 'eat back' any calories i 'burned of'. seems like your just complicating it. pick a number hit it, if no weight loss happens after a week or so cut 100 of works very well for me when I am dieting. Id imagine you can handle more food
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    TDEE method for me, takes all the exercise calorie eating back hit and miss shenanigans out of the mix.

    Set a custom goal in MFP, stick with it for 4 weeks.

    Adjust as necessary.

  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Seriously low for a male......
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Activity level is not meant to include exercise. If you have a desk job you are sedentary. You earn additional calories through exercise.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,849 Member
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    Since MFP already includes your desired caloric deficit in the base food recommendation, I believe people should eat back their true net exercise calories--subject to adjustment based on your actual weight loss results after a few weeks.

    However walking is a more interesting type of exercise because MFP's basic SEDENTARY level already includes a level of activity equivalent to moving around 3 to 5,000 steps a day.

    So, if your current "walking for exercise", together with the rest of your daily activities, do NOT exceed 5 to 6,000 steps, I would suggest that you should NOT eat back any of your walking exercise calories.

    However, if your walking/daily activities are such that you consistently exceed 5,000 steps a day, I would suggest you should eat back the calories you spend on any steps above 6,000.

    **Alternatively**
    --if your walking/activity is consistently > 6,000 steps, I would change MFP to LIGHTLY ACTIVE & also eat back steps above 8,000.

    --if your walking/activity is consistently >10,000 steps, I would change MFP to ACTIVE & also eat back steps above 12,000.

    --if your walking/activity is consistently > 15,750 steps, I would change MFP to VERY ACTIVE & also eat back most steps above that, or save them for a special occasion : - )

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