Steps taken at work

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ironkid55
ironkid55 Posts: 23 Member
edited May 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
My step count varys from day to day should i log that or just the extra cardo

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Don't log regular day to day steps as exercise. That's what your activity level is for. You will have some double counting if you do.

    If you go for a deliberate walk, then log it as exercise. Cardio (for me) is something that raises my heart rate. Walking to the copy machine (or around a grocery store) doesn't do that. But a deliberate, brisk walk can raise my heart rate.

    Now, an activity tracker (when synced) can compare your stated activity level to your actual activity....and then give you credit for the difference.

    To figure out your activity level.....http://www.fitnessforweightloss.com/rate-your-activity-level-based-on-steps-per-day/
  • Muana1005
    Muana1005 Posts: 172 Member
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    It really depends on your day to day activity. I usually walk the equiv of 5-7 miles a day (10-12k steps) without any effort (commuter, despite having a desk job I have a lot of meetings and climb stairs, I take a walk at lunch etc etc). If I didn't eat back some of those calories I'd be dead. :)

    If you're only walking under 5k steps then don't bother.
  • vivelajackie
    vivelajackie Posts: 321 Member
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    I factor in how much I typically walk at work as part of how I set my activity level, which means that walking is accounted for in how my calories are figured out.

    Sure, I work at a facility that got me going around 10...to 18mi a day, but I'm also on 4 off 3 and I'm fairly inactive on my days off. So I settled for 'lightly active'. And some people disagree and say my level should be set higher, but I'm not dropping weight at an unhealthy speed either so I figure I have it alright. Good luck and don't be afraid to experiment with your calories and activity level. Just be patient.
  • Skee_2802
    Skee_2802 Posts: 296 Member
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    Buy a fitbit
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
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    I count mine because I've set my activity level as sendetary and I purposefully take the stairs, go for long walks at lunch and make it a point to stand up and walk around on conference calls.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    If you don't have a fitness tracker synced to here, then you are better off setting yourself as lightly active over counting all the steps, etc. as you really won't have a good idea of what the calorie burn is from the short walks and "stuff". Then see how the weight comes off.
  • InkAndApples
    InkAndApples Posts: 201 Member
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    My days vary wildly - some days I can take 16K steps at work, other days I don't even hit 2K. My solution was to buy a Fitbit, set everything to sedantary and let that do all the figuring out for me.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    It's already built into your activity level, so no.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    It's already built into your activity level, so no.

    Becomes confusing when your activity level varies. I'd have mine set to sedentary and add some calories on more active days, if I didn't have a tracker. I'm all over the map with daily, non-exercise steps. Some days under 2K, others I can hit 8-9K, not counting runs. It's the benefit of using a tracker.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    It's already built into your activity level, so no.

    Becomes confusing when your activity level varies. I'd have mine set to sedentary and add some calories on more active days, if I didn't have a tracker. I'm all over the map with daily, non-exercise steps. Some days under 2K, others I can hit 8-9K, not counting runs. It's the benefit of using a tracker.

    I get that, and I also have a Fitbit. But it would still probably average out, right?
  • Lizakabibbis
    Lizakabibbis Posts: 370 Member
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    I don't log my daily steps. I just log what I do at the gym.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I agree get a tracker.

    Set activity level to sedentary and let the tracker do it's work.

    I get about 8500 at work....20 mins x2 purposeful walking to get the steps the rest just taking the long way around to get water or bathroom breaks.

    but my goal is 10k at least.
  • Brian_Dempsey
    Brian_Dempsey Posts: 25 Member
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    There was a great blog post on the MFP app about counting steps. I've never understood the whole obsession with steps - at all.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Brian_Dempsey wrote: »
    There was a great blog post on the MFP app about counting steps. I've never understood the whole obsession with steps - at all.


    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)

    This might help you with that...

    Steps taken help detail your activity level ...which defines your NEAT/TDEE which defines how much food you can eat.

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    I use my phone to count steps. Both android and iphones have free options. I set MFP to sedentary, but I generally get 5,000-8,000 steps/day. Google Fit tells MFP how many extra calories to credit me.
  • Skee_2802
    Skee_2802 Posts: 296 Member
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    @Fstar2014

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