Activity Level

AnimeGirlThighs
AnimeGirlThighs Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello, I'm not not sure to put my activity level as.

I workout in the mornings, then I'm at work, but I workout on my lunch break.
Usually a brisk walk, cycling, or calisthenics
But otherwise I sit a lot because I have two desk jobs.

I had it on "lightly Active" which put me at 1840cals
But I got worried maybe that was wrong and I should put it as not very active since I'm only moving around when I'm exercising, or like cleaning house and stuff.
Which put me at 1590cals

But then someone told me eating under while working out can damage the heart, and well I don't want that.
So I'm not sure if that's under or if my previous was over

Replies

  • Megan_smartiepants1970
    Megan_smartiepants1970 Posts: 42,774 Member
    I would say go back to lightly active .... readjust after a month of so .... good luck :)
  • isobelg5484
    isobelg5484 Posts: 5 Member
    How many days do you workout per week? How many minutes per day?

    Sounds like you're 'lightly active', but there's still a bit to be considered here.
  • AnimeGirlThighs
    AnimeGirlThighs Posts: 7 Member
    I workout 6 days a week with an active rest day.
    And I guess around an hour and a half or more?

    35min walk/morning
    Then calisthenics for 20mins

    Stationary bike during lunch for 15mins

    Then another 25/35min (depending on the trail) after work

    I did go back to lighty active, I guess I was worrying too much.
    I've lost 45pounds so far so it's not like there was an issue
  • TwistedSassette
    TwistedSassette Posts: 8,814 Member
    I think the activity level setting is your day-to-day movement except for intentional exercise. MFP will then calculate your recommended calories based on this, and increase it on the days that you exercise. For instance, I work a desk job (9 hours a day sitting at a desk). I take my son for a walk most afternoons which usually burns 2-300 calories. I have my MFP setting as 'sedentary' because, in the event that we don't take a walk or I don't do any other exercise, my calorie target for the day is still right. On the days we do walk, I can eat the extra calories (commonly called "eating back" your exercise calories) and still be on the path to a calorie deficit. Make sense?

    Congrats on your weight loss so far!!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Activity level is absolutely nothing to with your exercise so discard all of that noise!
    It is to reflect your lifestyle, job, general moving about.

    Exercise is accounted for separately and after the event and increases that day's allowance.

    It's just a start point and after a month you will have a better idea if you need to adjust or not.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    isobelg5484 wrote: »
    How many days do you workout per week? How many minutes per day?

    Sounds like you're 'lightly active', but there's still a bit to be considered here.

    That has absolutely nothing to do with MFP Activity level.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    AnimeGirlThighs wrote: »
    Hello, I'm not not sure to put my activity level as.

    I workout in the mornings, then I'm at work, but I workout on my lunch break.
    Usually a brisk walk, cycling, or calisthenics
    But otherwise I sit a lot because I have two desk jobs.

    I had it on "lightly Active" which put me at 1840cals
    But I got worried maybe that was wrong and I should put it as not very active since I'm only moving around when I'm exercising, or like cleaning house and stuff.
    Which put me at 1590cals

    But then someone told me eating under while working out can damage the heart, and well I don't want that.
    So I'm not sure if that's under or if my previous was over

    Do you have kids, pets, and household duties that keep you a little busy after desk job and on weekends with no work?
    Lightly-Active.

    Outside of exercise are you on the couch or chair at home watching TV or computer or games and have no household duties?
    Not very Active or Sedentary.

    Because for many, there is 8-9 hrs of work for 5 days, there is 6-7 hrs of sleep, but then there is 8 other hours on weekdays besides all weekend to account for.
    So what happens at work is not even the majority of activity for the majority of time.
  • AnimeGirlThighs
    AnimeGirlThighs Posts: 7 Member
    Well, I'm only off one day a week and this is the day I deep clean my entire house, so I'm up on my feet the first half of the day.
    Then I usually do my shopping on this day if I need to get groceries.
    I also still exercise on this day, just not as much.
    I've been sick the past week so my exercises have pretty much just been a 40min walk and maybe 15mins on the bike.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,715 Member
    AnimeGirlThighs wrote: »
    Hello, I'm not not sure to put my activity level as.

    I workout in the mornings, then I'm at work, but I workout on my lunch break.
    Usually a brisk walk, cycling, or calisthenics
    But otherwise I sit a lot because I have two desk jobs.

    I had it on "lightly Active" which put me at 1840cals
    But I got worried maybe that was wrong and I should put it as not very active since I'm only moving around when I'm exercising, or like cleaning house and stuff.
    Which put me at 1590cals

    But then someone told me eating under while working out can damage the heart, and well I don't want that.
    So I'm not sure if that's under or if my previous was over

    You have two possible ways to get a starting calorie goal:

    1. Use the MFP guided set-up, including best guess activity level based on routine life (not including intentional exercise), then log exercise as you do it (or synch an activity tracker like Fitbit, Garmin, etc.).

    2. Use an outside TDEE calculator to estimate you calorie needs, to get an estimate with your planned exercise estimated into it, so have the same calorie goal every day. Then, subtract 500 calories to lose a pound a week (or multiples/fractions of that to lose different amounts per week, but don't go crazy fast). An example TDEE calculator would be Sailrabbit. (https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/).

    EIther way, follow that for 4-6 weeks (full menstrual cycle at minimum if a premenopausal woman, so you can compare weights at same relative point in two cycles). Then adjust.

    Unless you have a pre-existing heart problem, a month at a reasonable-guess activity level is unlikely to result in heart damage. (For example, that 250-calorie difference between the two MFP estimates is unlikely to make a truly dangerous difference.) That said, if during the trial month, you seem to be losing weight very fast (>1% of current weight weekly) and at the same time starting to feel fatigued, weak, severely moody, or something like that, for otherwise unexplained reasons, then start eating more calories, and restart your "4-6 weeks" timeline.

    If you feel concerned about potential for damage, go with the lower activity level. The worst that can happen is that you'll not lose, or lose very slowly . . . but you will plan to adjust after that multi-week trial period, so that too-slowness-for-caution is just a temporary thing.

    Best wishes!

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