Activity level....!

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  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
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    Alpine021 wrote: »
    Just had a play about on MFP and "not very active" and "lightly active" have the same calorie goal? It only changes when I move it to "active" ??

    Were they both 1200 calories? MFP will not give a calorie goal below 1200 calories under any circumstances. So, if your weight loss goal is aggressive enough to put you there, it will just "stop dropping" at 1200.

    For most people (who aren't sedentary and small), a weight loss goal that has MFP telling you 1200 calories/day is too aggressive.*

    *That comment is NOT for small sedentary women pursuing a conservative weightloss goal. But it's very common for people who are close to healthy weight to choose "lose 2 pounds/week" or people who want to lose vanity weight to choose "lose 1 pound/week" - and "it told me 1200" is often a good sign that the goal chosen was too aggressive.
  • Alpine0021
    Alpine0021 Posts: 12 Member
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    Both 1500...
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    There should be about a 250 calorie difference between activity levels...at least that is what it usually is for me.
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Annie_01 wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    You are "sedentary" if your work involves bouts of sitting for an hour, interrupted by less than 5 minutes of activity.

    That's why the various fitness gadgets which remind you to get up and move frequently are so NEAT. They raise your NEAT. Get it? NEAT. That's really the nut of the issue. If you get paid to sit and work, you're sedentary.

    No. If you get 10,000 steps/day and are not logging it as exercise, you are "active". Because you get enough NEAT to put you there. Doesn't matter what you do for a living.

    So, the question is: are the 10,000 steps/day including the steps you get working out? If not, you're active. If they do, look at how many steps you get outside of workouts:

    1) <5000 steps/day (sedentary);
    2) 5000-7499 steps/day (low active);
    3) 7500-9999 steps/day (somewhat active);
    4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps/day (active); and
    5) > or =12,500 steps/day (highly active)
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035

    I use this chart to figure out my calorie allotment. I am set at sedentary. Once I hit 7500 steps I add through exercise 125 calories to my daily allotment. Then if I reach 10000 steps I will add another 125 calories and then again at 12500.

    I chose this method based on the fact that there is about a 250 calorie difference between activity levels.

    This method covers me if I have a in-a-coma day all the way through a I-can-conquer-the-word day.

    Plus...I got tired of trying to figure out how many calories I was burning through exercise. I don't worry about the calories I burn at this point from my light resistance workouts. Most of my cardio comes from brisk walks so the method that I use covers that part. My first 5000 steps covers my sedentary activity level and all the rest of the steps (regardless of how I got them) are covered in 2500 step increments.

    OMG that makes it so complicated.

    If you have an active job that requires you to be on your feet, set to sedentary and get a fitbit or similar that can link up with your MFP and do the hard work for you. If you are doing a non-step related exercise log it.

    If you have a desk job / mostly sitting job, set to sedentary, log exercise. I walk as part of my commute but have a desk job. I used to log that using a GPS and let MFP sort out the maths. Now I have a fitbit which does it for me.

    In both cases, eat back some or all of your exercise calories.

    Boom!
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    mumblemagic wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    You are "sedentary" if your work involves bouts of sitting for an hour, interrupted by less than 5 minutes of activity.

    That's why the various fitness gadgets which remind you to get up and move frequently are so NEAT. They raise your NEAT. Get it? NEAT. That's really the nut of the issue. If you get paid to sit and work, you're sedentary.

    No. If you get 10,000 steps/day and are not logging it as exercise, you are "active". Because you get enough NEAT to put you there. Doesn't matter what you do for a living.

    So, the question is: are the 10,000 steps/day including the steps you get working out? If not, you're active. If they do, look at how many steps you get outside of workouts:

    1) <5000 steps/day (sedentary);
    2) 5000-7499 steps/day (low active);
    3) 7500-9999 steps/day (somewhat active);
    4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps/day (active); and
    5) > or =12,500 steps/day (highly active)
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035

    I use this chart to figure out my calorie allotment. I am set at sedentary. Once I hit 7500 steps I add through exercise 125 calories to my daily allotment. Then if I reach 10000 steps I will add another 125 calories and then again at 12500.

    I chose this method based on the fact that there is about a 250 calorie difference between activity levels.

    This method covers me if I have a in-a-coma day all the way through a I-can-conquer-the-word day.

    Plus...I got tired of trying to figure out how many calories I was burning through exercise. I don't worry about the calories I burn at this point from my light resistance workouts. Most of my cardio comes from brisk walks so the method that I use covers that part. My first 5000 steps covers my sedentary activity level and all the rest of the steps (regardless of how I got them) are covered in 2500 step increments.

    OMG that makes it so complicated.

    If you have an active job that requires you to be on your feet, set to sedentary and get a fitbit or similar that can link up with your MFP and do the hard work for you. If you are doing a non-step related exercise log it.

    If you have a desk job / mostly sitting job, set to sedentary, log exercise. I walk as part of my commute but have a desk job. I used to log that using a GPS and let MFP sort out the maths. Now I have a fitbit which does it for me.

    In both cases, eat back some or all of your exercise calories.

    Boom!

    It isn't complicated...takes me about 30 seconds to log the extra calories after a quick look at my pedometer to see how many steps I have taken. When I reach 7500...I log a 125 calories of exercise...when I reach 10000 I log another 125 calories.

    I am set at sedentary...I am retired.

    I am just not sure why you think it is so complicated. If I have a lazy day or don't go for a walk then I just eat at sedentary level. I do it this way because MFP does not offer us a moderately active option. There is a big difference IMO between lightly active and active...I need something in between.
  • Alpine0021
    Alpine0021 Posts: 12 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Well for me not very active and slightly active are 1500 cals. Active bumps it up to 1700. I think I'm going to set mine to slightly active anyway to give me a buffer even though I walk my 12,000 or so steps every day. Then log gym sessions separately. Need to go tomorrow. So don't fancy the thought of that right now
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
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    Alpine0021 wrote: »
    Both 1500...

    Male? Same answer applies at 1500 for men as for 1200 for women. MFP will not go lower than 1500 for a man. Which usually means your proposed rate of weightloss is too aggressive (unless you are very short and sedentary).

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