Activity Level

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I am a SAHM of 3 kids, 3 and under (no twins). I am very busy during the day but I put my activity level at sedentary to calculate my calories because I only get to go to the gym 2-3 times a week now. Well, I got a Fitbit last week and I have averaged 12,000 steps daily not counting exercise. I’m losing weight at about 1 pound a week and I don’t want to change it now but I’m less than 10 lbs from goal weight and I’d like to be able to have more calories for maintaining. Which activity level would you put yourself on with 12,000 steps?

Replies

  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    Is it 12,000 steps with intentional exercise or on a non-exercise day?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    if you have your fitbit linked you can keep it on sedentary and just eat back your adjustment cals?
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
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    if you have your fitbit linked you can keep it on sedentary and just eat back your adjustment cals?

    this is what I do. or i eat back 50%, as my steps are a mix of purpose walks and just lots of steps over the day, as test to see if my weight loss is on track (safe weight loss track) and adjust from there if not.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    If you get between 10,000 and 12,500 steps a day on average you can set your activity level to ACTIVE and eat the number of calories mfp has as your daily goal, and keeping your weight loss setting at one pound a week.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Are you using your daily goal from MFP or from your fitbit if linked?

    If you are using MyFitnessPal then.....
    • Exercise is nothing to do with your activity setting here, completely separate things. Your number of gym visits is an irrelevance to your activity setting.
    • Do you not see the conflict between being busy all day, doing a really high number of steps but selecting sedentary (meaning mostly seated) as your activity setting?

    If you are using your fitbit for your daily goal then do you want massive daily adjustments or smaller ones from setting your activity more accurately?

    If you are losing at 1lb a week then your approximate maintenance calories will be 500/day higher.
  • Beeingthin
    Beeingthin Posts: 40 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Are you using your daily goal from MFP or from your fitbit if linked?

    If you are using MyFitnessPal then.....
    • Exercise is nothing to do with your activity setting here, completely separate things. Your number of gym visits is an irrelevance to your activity setting.
    • Do you not see the conflict between being busy all day, doing a really high number of steps but selecting sedentary (meaning mostly seated) as your activity setting?

    If you are using your fitbit for your daily goal then do you want massive daily adjustments or smaller ones from setting your activity more accurately?

    If you are losing at 1lb a week then your approximate maintenance calories will be 500/day higher.

    Thank you, this is what I was looking for! Yes, I do now see the conflict with busy and my settings since I got the Fitbit. I knew I was busy but I didn’t know I was that busy. I thought I was doing more sitting than what I actually am. I work harder now than I did when I was managing a a whole office. I kind of feel like I did when I waited tables in my 20s.
  • sbrooks0387
    sbrooks0387 Posts: 167 Member
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    It’s crazy how many steps you put in as a SAHM! I have 4 (within 5 years of each other-no twins). I borrowed my hubby’s Fitbit and realized I was putting in 10,000k steps a day. I am set at lightly active. I put in 3,000 steps within the first 40 mins of waking up.
  • Beeingthin
    Beeingthin Posts: 40 Member
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    It’s crazy how many steps you put in as a SAHM! I have 4 (within 5 years of each other-no twins). I borrowed my hubby’s Fitbit and realized I was putting in 10,000k steps a day. I am set at lightly active. I put in 3,000 steps within the first 40 mins of waking up.

    Yeah, I didn’t realize it was that much! Being a SAHM is no joke. My husband was out of town for work for 6 days and I wish I had the tracker then because I’m sure it was near 20k daily. Lol! I did a dumb thing and took the kids to an amusement park by myself. Wearing one and pushing 2 in a double stroller. It had been years since I went and I forgot there was really steep inclines!