What's my activity level?

Venetia27
Venetia27 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a SAHM to 3 kids and walk everywhere locally - normally with a 20lb toddler slung on my back, and pushing a 30lb preschooler in a buggy. I estimate I walk at least 1 hour in total per day (fairly briskly as the older child will be on her bike if not in school) but in 5-10 minute stretches.
Obviously having small children I do sit down playing with them for periods, but also cleaning, laundry, general childcare means I'm never sat down for long. So does this count as sedentary or lightly active?

I'm also still breastfeeding the toddler (loads), but haven't been giving myself extra calories for this.

The reason I'm asking is because I'm averaging 1500 per day, but seem to have stuck at 130lb for a couple of weeks. I'm 5'6" and want to get to 125 as I'm small build. I also manage 2 or 3, 20 minutes runs a week, but this is the only exercise I do.

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    What are you set at now and what is your calorie goal?

    Typically if you aren't losing weight and you are confident that you are actually eating 1,500 calories (that is, you're choosing correct database entries and weighing solid foods), then you'll want to eat less. A couple of weeks is probably too early to make an adjustment though.
  • Venetia27
    Venetia27 Posts: 6 Member
    I'm set at lightly active, and calorie goal is 1510. I don't think I can eat less tbh as I've cut back where I can - breastfeeding has always given me the hungries, and lack of sleep makes it worse - and my youngest is an awful sleeper!
    Yes I'm weighing and measuring and tend to overestimate where I can.
  • Venetia27
    Venetia27 Posts: 6 Member
    So I'm not eating back exercise calories, or giving myself an allowance for breastfeeding, and the calorie goal it had given me is to lose 0.5lb per week.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Venetia27 wrote: »
    I'm set at lightly active, and calorie goal is 1510. I don't think I can eat less tbh as I've cut back where I can - breastfeeding has always given me the hungries, and lack of sleep makes it worse - and my youngest is an awful sleeper!
    Yes I'm weighing and measuring and tend to overestimate where I can.

    If you open your diary, we may be able to help you troubleshoot your logging. At 130 and 5 pounds to lose, your deficit is going to be smaller and your logging will need to be pretty tight.

    If this isn't something you want to do, I would give it a few more weeks before you decide it isn't working. Two weeks is well within the range of a normal pause in weight loss.

  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    I would definitely go with at least lightly active, maybe active, but it sounds like your concern is about your rate of loss. 130 to 125 at your height (or most heights, really) is a very small change and any loss can easily be disguised by water weight. Two weeks is simply too little time to know. You also have very little margin of error when it comes to your calorie counting, so you're just going to need to be patient.

    Anecdotally, I've also read a number of women report trouble dropping weight while breastfeeding. I have no idea how common that might be or whether there's data supporting it, but there you are.
  • Venetia27
    Venetia27 Posts: 6 Member
    I have absolutely no idea how to open my diary!
  • Venetia27
    Venetia27 Posts: 6 Member
    How weird I typed a load then and it only posted the first sentence!
    I'll give it a couple more weeks then thanks. The weight loss has been so consistent these past few months that this sudden plateau confused me.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Venetia27 wrote: »
    How weird I typed a load then and it only posted the first sentence!
    I'll give it a couple more weeks then thanks. The weight loss has been so consistent these past few months that this sudden plateau confused me.

    It usually happened to me after a period of consistency as well. Sometimes our body just needs to take a pause and catch its breath before moving on.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Easily Lightly-Active.

    Sedentary is bump on a log 7 days a week - don't sell yourself short.

    Honest activity level and reasonable 250 cal deficit will be your friends.

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