Activity level???

Pale_Green · January 2017

So I never know what to put, I know it doesn't really matter a ton if I'm keeping my calories at a moderate amount. But what would others think of my activity level and where it should be.

So lately I haven't been doing dedicated exercise, and reason why I tend to get pooped right out given my work. So I do commercial janitorial, I clean 7 buildings each week.

Mondays I clean a big oil field building it takes 4-5 hours! That's straight non stop go go ...hauling vacuums, sweeping, mopping...

Wednesday's I clean a smaller building that is more lighter cleaning...and a bigger oil field building that takes 3-4 hours. Total I am on my feet doing full service clean of both buildings for 6 hours!

Then on the weekend I have 4 lighter clean buildings that take 6 hours combined.

So every week in total I am doing a very physical job for 16 hours.

At home I do have a lot more down time I find I'm left pretty exhausted nights after I do one of my cleans...but I do keep a clean home and keep busying around my house.

So activity level?

malibu927 · January 2017

I would start at lightly active, and if after a month you're losing quicker than intended bump that up

SezxyStef · January 2017

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18562971

Per this article
1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)

I go by this actually...not sure if you can track your steps or not...

but I would put you as active if you are cleaning as a job...

donjtomasco · January 2017

SezxyStef, do you count steps that you accumulate while working out? I would think so, since otherwise it would be a nightmare keeping track. I just got a Polar Flow Band so I can see how many steps I actually take each day. But I am getting walking or treadmill work in each day, so I am not sure if that is counted as extra exercise calories burned or just part of the steps for the day?

SezxyStef · January 2017

donjtomasco wrote: »

SezxyStef, do you count steps that you accumulate while working out? I would think so, since otherwise it would be a nightmare keeping track. I just got a Polar Flow Band so I can see how many steps I actually take each day. But I am getting walking or treadmill work in each day, so I am not sure if that is counted as extra exercise calories burned or just part of the steps for the day?

If you are using a tracker they suggest setting your activity level to sedentary actually...that way all your activity can be accounted for using the tracker.

But yes I do count all activity in my exercise burn and have mine sync'd into MFP...if you look at my exercise diary you can see the adjustment in there.

I can also tracker "other exercise" as well either through logging it on the app or through the sync in map my fitness...

Tacklewasher · January 2017

SezxyStef wrote: »

If you are using a tracker they suggest setting your activity level to sedentary actually...that way all your activity can be accounted for using the tracker.

There can be a downside to this.

I did some playing at one point and changed my activity level. I've got a Garmin i wear 24/7.
If I set it to sedentary, it added calories to my day.
If I set it to lightly active, it took away calories. So I'm somewhere in between (before exercises). The net was about the same for both.

So if someone is active, it may be better to set it at that so you don't get MFP giving you 1300 cals and then adding 800 as your day goes along. I guess if you know that is where you are at, you can mentally adjust, but it may be better to start at an appropriate level and not have the big +/-. Just be sure negative adjustments is turned on.

I didn't like losing the calories so I set it back to sedentary.

Anyway, just food for thought.

Pale_Green · January 2017

I don't track steps.

SezxyStef wrote: »

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18562971

Per this article
1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)

I go by this actually...not sure if you can track your steps or not...

but I would put you as active if you are cleaning as a job...

VintageFeline · January 2017

SezxyStef wrote: »

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18562971

Per this article
1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)

I go by this actually...not sure if you can track your steps or not...

but I would put you as active if you are cleaning as a job...

Worth noting MFPs steps for each level are lower than this (I self tested last year), it starts at 2500 for sedentary and increases by that amount at each level.

OP, I'd go with lightly active or active and then see where you are in 4-6 weeks. In cases like yours, your own accumulated data is the best thing to work from.

SusanMFindlay · January 2017

Tacklewasher wrote: »

So if someone is active, it may be better to set it at that so you don't get MFP giving you 1300 cals and then adding 800 as your day goes along. I guess if you know that is where you are at, you can mentally adjust, but it may be better to start at an appropriate level and not have the big +/-. Just be sure negative adjustments is turned on.

I do this. I'm set to "active" which is still an underestimate but it means I don't have to look at absurdly low calories as my default. I start with about 1700 for the day and watch it climb (which is psychologically better for me than watching it start at 1200-1300 - even though it ends in the same place either way).

Activity level???

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