Should I keep my activity level as sedentary on mfp?

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Jaegur
Jaegur Posts: 80 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've always listed my activity level as sedentary and use that caloric intake number as my goal. I drive a truck 4 days a week so I'm sitting about 10 hours a day.

However, I also work out 4 days a week for roughly 2 hours at a time, strength and cardio, and sometimes play racquetball on the weekend for an hour or two.

I'm mainly worried about eating at too much of a defecit and shooting myself in the foot.

Replies

  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,449 Member
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    Log your exercise and eat half the calories back
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    On MFP you are expected to set your activity level without including exercise, so sedentary is correct. If you log your exercise correctly then the calorie goal the app gives you will prevent you from eating too little.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Jaegur wrote: »
    I'm mainly worried about eating at too much of a defecit and shooting myself in the foot.

    After a period of weeks you will know the rate of loss you are actually getting - then make adjustments if needed.

    First couple of weeks weight loss can be exaggerated by losing water weight so take that into account.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    JerSchmare wrote: »
    amtyrell wrote: »
    Log your exercise and eat half the calories back

    This, generally, is not good advice. You should eat all of your calories. Look at your results though, then make adjustments as necessary.

    Agree.
    Randomly halving an estimate is a mathematical abomination!

    Inaccuracy in food logging is far more significant anyway but people aren't advised to double their food calorie estimates....
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    JerSchmare wrote: »
    amtyrell wrote: »
    Log your exercise and eat half the calories back

    This, generally, is not good advice. You should eat all of your calories. Look at your results though, then make adjustments as necessary.

    That depends on what your exercise is and which estimates you're using.

    MFP, Mapmyrun/Strava, and quite a few others estimate over by as much as 120% in some cases. 50% is generally reasonable.
  • Jaegur
    Jaegur Posts: 80 Member
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    Thanks, all! I've lost over a hundred pounds already, but lately I've just started worrying about my body holding on because I may be cutting more than 30 percent of my calories with my activity level and what not. But, I shall leave it as is and keep monitoring.
  • its_whisper
    its_whisper Posts: 112 Member
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    I have mine as secondary because with me it varies week to week. Some weeks depending on how I'm feeling and how busy I am I will work out 3 to 4 days a week then other weeks I won't work out at all so I figured putting secondary is my best bet.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    JerSchmare wrote: »
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    amtyrell wrote: »
    Log your exercise and eat half the calories back

    This, generally, is not good advice. You should eat all of your calories. Look at your results though, then make adjustments as necessary.

    That depends on what your exercise is and which estimates you're using.

    MFP, Mapmyrun/Strava, and quite a few others estimate over by as much as 120% in some cases. 50% is generally reasonable.

    No. It doesn't matter at all. And it's just really bad advice for people that are new.

    The proper advice is eat as much food as possible and hit your goals. Random nonsense such as "eat half your exercise calories" is bad advice. It doesn't depend on anything.

    In the end, you have to track results. So, over time, you will find where you lose, gain, and maintain. But, telling people random advice that has no bearing on anything and is completely made up and false is, bad advice.

    The goal again, is to EAT AS MUCH FOID AS YOU CAN WHILE REACHING YOUR STATED GOAL.

    Using bad estimates like 1300 calories for a 4 mile run WILL NOT HELP YOU REACH YOUR STATED GOAL
  • LotusCass
    LotusCass Posts: 145 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    amtyrell wrote: »
    Log your exercise and eat half the calories back

    This, generally, is not good advice. You should eat all of your calories. Look at your results though, then make adjustments as necessary.

    Agree.
    Randomly halving an estimate is a mathematical abomination!

    Inaccuracy in food logging is far more significant anyway but people aren't advised to double their food calorie estimates....

    I actually found that accounting for half the calories that MFP gives me for exercise was fairly accurate when I calculated my TDEE after the second month of tracking.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    edited July 2017
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    sijomial wrote: »
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    amtyrell wrote: »
    Log your exercise and eat half the calories back

    This, generally, is not good advice. You should eat all of your calories. Look at your results though, then make adjustments as necessary.

    Agree.
    Randomly halving an estimate is a mathematical abomination!

    Inaccuracy in food logging is far more significant anyway but people aren't advised to double their food calorie estimates....

    Most people overestimate their exercise calories and underestimate their food calories. So Yes, that would be a great suggestion. Although, it's a much easier error to correct since food can be weighed.

    Which compounds the error. Since 1200 estimated CI is actually 1500 and 2200 estimated CO is actually 1600. Which leads to threads about "Why am I gaining weight on 1200 calories.... I'm working out for 2 hours 5 days a week burning 1100 calories a session"

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Eating back all your exercise calories doesn't mean blindly following MFP or any other source.

    Telling people to halve estimates when what exercise they do isn't even known is ridiculous.

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