Stay at home mom...sedentary or lightly active?

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rebekah_anne81
rebekah_anne81 Posts: 52
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there! I'm a stay at home mom with two little boys (5 & 2 1/2). In trying to determine the best calorie goal, I'm having trouble decided whether I should put my lifestyle/daily activity as sedentary or lightly active. Some days are super busy but some are more lazy. What do you think? Any insight would be greatly appreciated! :happy:

Replies

  • Kalee34
    Kalee34 Posts: 674 Member
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    Definately not sedentary!
  • justdoingit
    justdoingit Posts: 185 Member
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    I would do lightly active...good luck!
  • vitacat
    vitacat Posts: 81 Member
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    With two little ones not sedentary for sure!
  • famlyluv
    famlyluv Posts: 206 Member
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    hey hun. I am a stay at home mom also. i put mine as light activity because i am cleaning, and yes, chasing little ones around. i also try to take them on a good walk during the day. yes, some days are more lazy than others but we are never sitting on our butts for too long!
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    ACTIVE! Not even lightly. Seriously. The categories here are set lower than they should be so you have to go higher than you think to get enough calories.

    I have to choose VERY active because I work on my feet and it still puts my maintenance calories a few hundred less than I actually need to maintain.

    Basically if it gives you 1200, you're settings are off. Far too many people go with that starvation (IMO) number and fail. Eat to lose. You need the fuel.
  • ncvane
    ncvane Posts: 2
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    At least lightly active if not active. I am sure you are up, down and around more than you think you are. My kids are taking care of themselves mostly, and I have moved to a smaller place with no stairs. I feel like I am sedentary. You are definetly not. Keep up the good work!
  • aschmidt1020
    aschmidt1020 Posts: 1
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    I am not a stay at home mom, but I work with people who have Cerebral Palsy. Sometimes I'm very active at work & other times not much at all. I had a hard time deciding as well. I set it at sedentary to start with & found that I was hungry ALL the time (not enough calories). Plus I wasn't losing any weight (not eating enough so my body was holding on to every calorie I could!) Then I set it on lightly active & found I wasn't hungry all the time & the weight started to come off. Maybe you'll need to try it a few different ways before you can get it right.
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
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    I stay at home with my 1 1/2 year old. I put my activity level at sedentary, just to be safe. I do a big cleaning to my house on Mondays ( sweep, mop, vacume, clean bathrooms, dust) and I will add 1/2 the amount of time I spend cleaning. I don't count every day stuff like dishes, laundry, picking up toys. I would rather be burning more calories than I think then fewer! I'm not worried about not eating enough because I think the calorie differance is only a few hundred.
  • crshinn
    crshinn Posts: 23
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    I also put lightly active because I am tending to the kids and doing household chores for a good part of the day. Sedentary would require you to be sitting all day, which I'm sure you are not doing with two small kids. Some people log cleaning house as exercise but I don't because I feel that it falls under my "lightly active" status.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    If you put your settings on sedentary then you can log on top of that more "mundane" exercises you may or may not be doing everyday such as cleaning or slow 2.0 walking to the park and such.

    If you put yourself at lightly active then you shouldn't be logging such activities. If you put yourself as active you cannot have any lazy days.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I work but put lightly active due to my "mom" time in the mornings, evenings and weekends. But I also don't count cleaning and/or walking as an exercise. You don't want to count things twice.
  • ering
    ering Posts: 183 Member
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    I set mine as sedentary for days when we read books and fold laundry. BUT on heavy cleaning days, park days, gardening day etc., I log that in as excercise. So I'm sure it evens out.
  • djh1980
    djh1980 Posts: 18
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    Thats me too I did lightly active.
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
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    i have a one year old and 4 yr old and i have mine set to lightly active. unless your sitting on your butt all day long watchin soaps and letting them rule the house, yours should probably be lightly active as well.
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
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    i have a one year old and 4 yr old and i have mine set to lightly active. unless your sitting on your butt all day long watchin soaps and letting them rule the house, yours should probably be lightly active as well.
    unless of course you want to log your household stuff in as exercise, then i guess go sedentary.
  • DAVEGETSLEAN
    DAVEGETSLEAN Posts: 59 Member
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    From a stay at home dad of 2 boys still in diapers, lightly active is an understatement. I am set at likely active. I think that would be safe for you.
  • 2pinks1blue
    2pinks1blue Posts: 50
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    I would say lightly active, active if you take your kids to the park and play with them, go for walks, and things like that..
  • rebekah_anne81
    rebekah_anne81 Posts: 52
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    Thanks everyone!

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