Activity level

hi
Ive been logging for over 2 months ive lost 11lbs i only have 6 more to go but im unsure if i my activity level is correct as ive binged a few weekends which i don't want to start this
Currently light active as i have a desk job 3 days a week 6 hours a day but
I work out 5 times a week ( HiiT weight based training) and have 20k steps every day
I have mfp set at lose 0.5lbs a week and another tracker also says 1650 which mfp gives me but i do feel hungry not sure if its just me missing the eating rubbish habit or i am actually hungry
The scales have lulled so not lost anything in 3 weeks which is frustrating

Replies

  • harper16
    harper16 Posts: 2,564 Member
    Are you logging and eating back your exercise calories?
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,742 Member
    This is the way MFP is intended to be used:
    - choose your activity level based on how active you are NOT counting exercise. So that means your job, your commute, your hobbies, housework, etc
    You mention 20k steps, do those all come regular activity outside of exercise? If so, you are way beyond lightly active
    - on top of that, log your exercise separately and eat back (a sensible estimate of) those calories burned.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    You'll notice the MFP activity level makes no references to workouts.
    Because those 4 levels don't ramp up enough to include them - besides the huge variety available.

    So it's likely you are under-eating by not reasonable amount now - you have deficit and under-estimated activity level/exercise combo.

    You could easily have stressed out body by this routine and gaining stress-retained water weight.
    Not a great state for body to be in - talk about usually poor workout results.

    20K steps on their own would put you at Active level.

    0.5 is reasonable, but that 250 cal deficit is so much bigger now since not logging workouts and badly underestimated activity level.

    Your exercise would be logged for the fact you are doing more than MFP is accounting for when it calculates your daily burn with no exercise.

    Did you lose 11 lbs in 2 full months - 8 weeks?

    Or in 5 weeks, and last 3 have lost nothing?
  • I lost 11lbs in 10 weeks ive since list nothing its slowed right down
    I dont log my excerise back in my 20k steps are 2 walks and my day to day life with my 4 year so i am always on the go and then 5 times a week i do hiit based weight work outs for an hour a time
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    20,000 steps per day is very active. Try changing your activity level.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,157 Member
    20K is above MFP very active....
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Your body is telling you that you need to reduce the calorie deficit.

    Yes you should increase your activity level.
    And you should be logging and eating back your purposeful exercise (weight training) calories too.
  • Yeah definitely something as what im doing doesnt seem to be working and i love my excerise so want to focus my energy on this and fuel my body
  • I have increased my activity level to active and left weight lose at 0.5lb a week its jumped my kcals to 1910 which seems alot compared to my 1640 ?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I have increased my activity level to active and left weight lose at 0.5lb a week its jumped my kcals to 1910 which seems alot compared to my 1640 ?

    It's assuming you're using more calories per day (since you told it you are). I'm not sure what you were expecting to see?
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    Upping your calories to account for your activity level: makes sense. And if you were feeling deprived, hungry, etc. and that resulted in binging: more calories per day should help fix those issues.

    On a different topic, no scale change in 3 weeks when you have only a small # left to lose is not really reason for alarm. Water weight could easily be to blame, for normal hormonal fluctuations. And if you're binging on the weekends, the excess food in your system, increased sodium and bloating, could temporarily mask any real weight loss.
  • Yeah thats true i am feeling more bloated im drinking more to try help
    I of course expect an increase in kcals just didn't expect it to be almost 300
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    edited September 2020
    An example of the difference activity makes.

    On Aug 15 I had 7.5k steps, and my Fitbit shows I burned a total of 1760 calories that day.
    On Aug 14 I had 13.8k steps, and my Fitbit shows I burned a total of 2428 calories that day.

    BMR was about 1280, for reference.

    I know these #s do not relate directly to you, because I am a different height/weight/age. I am 45, 5'5" and was about 140 pounds in mid-August. Most of my steps are from walking on a treadmill, or in the neighborhood, or running errands. Being highly active, moving your body constantly thru the day, does use a good deal of energy. It would not be unreasonable to think your activity + exercised burned more than your actual BMR, if you're doing 20,000 steps daily.