Activity level. Am I doing this right?

DianaGabriela2013
DianaGabriela2013 Posts: 108 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I have on office job which MFP describes as sedentary. That gave me 1200 calories a day.
I have 4 kids at home including 2 babies so its hard to get exercise in daily but I do what I can, I walk at work daily during my 15 break. When I have time (usually 3-4 times a week) I will do a 30 minute zumba or jillian michaels video but get interrupted here and there if the toddler is about to do something that makes me stop.

Because of this activity I set myself up as "lightly active" instead of sedentary, it has me at 1380 cals. I don't want to do the sedentary 1200 cals, add exercise, eat back calories method because my exercise is never 30 minutes straight of running, or dancing or what not, its constantly interrupted and I move when I get a chance.. for example when I go upstairs to change babies diaper I will go up and down the stairs 4 times instead of once. I just move when I can an that is hard to log so I thought setting my activity level to lightly active and NOT loggin my activity is easier for me.

Does anyone do this? Is this method okay? I realize the days I don't get any dedicated activity in I may be over eating at 1380 cals, but its not by a lot, and I don't mind losing just .5 lb a week. OR ill keep a mental note to try to stay closer to 1200 and not 1380 since I was not able to exercise.

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited August 2017
    I'd go with the 1380, personally. Keep track of your weekly losses. If you are losing more than expected, you could add a few more calories. If you are losing more slowly than expected, you can deal with the slower loss or cut calories a bit.
  • DM_78
    DM_78 Posts: 57 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd go with the 1380, personally. Keep track of your weekly losses. If you are losing more than expected, you could add a few more calories. If you are losing more slowly than expected, you can deal with the slower loss or cut calories a bit.

    I agree.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    With four kids, I'd go with even higher than "lightly active."

    How much weight do you have to lose? You may be set too aggressively in general.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,745 Member
    I agree as well. The other thing is that it doesn't have to be the number MFP gives you. If your two options are 1200 or 1380, and you think 1380 might be slightly high, you could manually set it to 1350 or 1335 or whatever number you like.

    Stick with whatever number you choose for 3 weeks, then reassess the situation. :)
  • DianaGabriela2013
    DianaGabriela2013 Posts: 108 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    With four kids, I'd go with even higher than "lightly active."

    How much weight do you have to lose? You may be set too aggressively in general.

    I have 20-25 pounds to lose.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I agree that you are probably active enough throughout the rest of the day to be light active and add exervise separately.

    Set mfp to lose 1lb per week.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories