Help with my activity level

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jordanhillary
jordanhillary Posts: 46 Member
edited February 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!

I'm curious as to what I should set my activity level to. I realize that there are numerous other posts on this, but I want to explain my situation to give some insight..

I would say that I am lightly active while I am at home. I work part-time as a house cleaner, usually about 15 hours a week and I'm typically sweating and my heart rate is elevated during working hours. I can tell I'm working my body but could still hold a conversation if need be. My work is not consistent, and I usually won't hit the gym if I am cleaning for 5 hours a day.
I also work out vigorously 5 days a week(unless I am cleaning that day for 5 hours...then I do not go to the gym).

I have my activity level set to 'Active' at the moment, trying to lose 2lbs a week. I am 28 years old.. 5'6" and 224lbs. I have been logging for almost a month now(flawlessly, and just under my calorie limit...but eating back my exercise calories plus I do log my cleaning hours as exercise) and have lost 4.4lbs, but gained 1 pound of that back this last week. I'm not happy with the results.

If I set my activity level to lightly active(which would have me eating a little over 1,400) is it true that I won't be eating ENOUGH since my BMR is 1,800? I went to a dietician and she recommended 1,800 calories a day as well. Why am I not losing? Help!!

Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Your exercise is not part of your activity level, so you are active the 15 hours you work your job as a house cleaner and not the rest of the time.

    Do you weigh your food? All of it? Do you eat out? Do you have a cheat day/meal that you don't count?
  • angelsja
    angelsja Posts: 860 Member
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    You are losing you have lost 4.4 lbs in 4 weeks that just over a lb a week a healthy loss also weight loss isn't linear some weeks you won't lose weight and some you will you may even put weight on due to natural fluctuations water weight TOM sodium levels etc
  • jordanhillary
    jordanhillary Posts: 46 Member
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    I've only had one day in the last month that I would consider a "cheat day" food-wise, but still made sure I was under my calorie limit. I do not eat out either.

    I've considered getting a food scale. I have been measuring everything possible but not weighing.
  • angelsja
    angelsja Posts: 860 Member
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    jordanhillary wrote: »
    I've only had one day in the last month that I would consider a "cheat day" food-wise, but still made sure I was under my calorie limit. I do not eat out either.

    I've considered getting a food scale. I have been measuring everything possible but not weighing.

    Get a food scale weigh/measure everything you put in your mouth it will help you may be eating more than you think
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
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    So you've been at this for a month and lost 4.4lbs? That's great! If you're in a calorie deficit then you didn't gain that pound back. It's normal to have weight fluctuations, especially women. Also, keep in mind that it's not a choice between 1400 calories and 1800 calories. You can set your own calorie goal. Try 1700 and see how that works for you. Some people have to tweak things to find their sweet spot. Patience is a huge part of weight loss. Just keep going. Slow weight loss is better than none at all. I have to keep this in mind because fast weight loss just doesn't work for me. I can't eat a low calorie diet and feel well and energetic.
  • jordanhillary
    jordanhillary Posts: 46 Member
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    I've lost a total of 3.4lbs in a month when I'm shooting for 2lbs a week. I should have lost more by now.
    I'm really wondering if 1,400 calories is enough since everything that I've read about BMR says I should never eat less than 1,700 a day... you can actually GAIN if you're not eating enough...thoughts?
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    edited February 2018
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    jordanhillary wrote: »
    I've only had one day in the last month that I would consider a "cheat day" food-wise, but still made sure I was under my calorie limit. I do not eat out either.

    I've considered getting a food scale. I have been measuring everything possible but not weighing.

    You're not at a 1000 calorie deficit for an average 2lbs loss/wk. You said you're logging flawlessly which implies you're recording exactly what and how much you eat, but if you're not weighing that can't possibly be true. Get a scale and start weighing your food so you actually know what you're eating, not what you guesstimate you're eating.

    I don't get "cheat day" and "under my calorie limit". I'm thinking maybe you're referring to eating things you've randomly decided are not good for you to eat. I'd recommend working on your understanding of how weight loss actually works by reading some of the stickies here in the forums.

    It also looks like you might possibly be double counting your cleaning calories. You said your activity level is Active, but that you also log and eat exercise calories. Just a possibility and another place to look if your numbers still are making sense to you.

    All the best.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    jordanhillary wrote: »
    I've lost a total of 3.4lbs in a month when I'm shooting for 2lbs a week. I should have lost more by now.
    I'm really wondering if 1,400 calories is enough since everything that I've read about BMR says I should never eat less than 1,700 a day... you can actually GAIN if you're not eating enough...thoughts?

    You cannot gain weight if you are eating below your BMR. If you think about actual starvation, those people eat below their BMR and aren't gaining. You can destroy muscle by under eating and that means you will still be higher body fat than you anticipate when you reach your goal.

    Invest in a food scale, I'm willing to bet that even though you are measuring you are still eating more calories than you think.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    You are losing weight, just not as fast as you would like. "Almost a month" isn't really much data to go on.

    A part time job makes the activity setting a bit more complex - but you seem to be raising your activity setting from "lightly active at home" to active because of your job and then logging the cleaning hours as exercise too. Seems like double dipping to me, one or the other but not both.

    Did you explain to your dietician the way MFP works and how it accounts for your exercise?
    Was the dietician giving 1800 as a goal with no exercise on top or was it 1800 + exercise calories?

    Be cautious about muddling two different methods of setting your calorie goal, pick one way and follow it and be very careful when making comparisons between the two. (For example you can't just say MFP lightly active setting gives you 1400 as it's 1400 + exercise calories.)





  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
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    jordanhillary wrote: »
    I've lost a total of 3.4lbs in a month when I'm shooting for 2lbs a week. I should have lost more by now.
    I'm really wondering if 1,400 calories is enough since everything that I've read about BMR says I should never eat less than 1,700 a day... you can actually GAIN if you're not eating enough...thoughts?

    Asking if you can gain actual fat while in a calorie deficit is like asking if a one cup measuring cup will spill over if you fill it with 3/4 cup. Often times women will put on one, two, or even more pounds during PMS. You could eat a pickle and gain two pounds of water weight.
    Are you weighing all of your food? Do you use a scale? Are you taking measurements?
    Again, you don't have to lower your calories all the way to 1400. Give it a minor tweak.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    jordanhillary wrote: »
    I've lost a total of 3.4lbs in a month when I'm shooting for 2lbs a week. I should have lost more by now.
    I'm really wondering if 1,400 calories is enough since everything that I've read about BMR says I should never eat less than 1,700 a day... you can actually GAIN if you're not eating enough...thoughts?

    The bold is nonsensical - you must have seen pictures of poor souls in concentration camps?
    Your body can't create energy from nothing.

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