Activity level definitions?

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lolamangue
lolamangue Posts: 8 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi.
So I am confused about the activity level definitions, and which one to choose. When I googled them they described the levels by the amount of movement we get daily (sedetary or on our feet, etc). But what about exercise? I go to the gym about 3-4 times per week and I lift heavy, and my goal is to stay lean but to build muscle. I don't know which option to choose because from what I've learned (based on my height, weight, gender, activity level and goals) I should consume about 2000-2400 kcal per day to gain. But according the app (because I am very sedetary at the moment as I am a student and as it's a pandemic, so that's the option i chose) I should eat about 1800 kcal. How does this make any sense? Will I build any muscle this way?

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  • lolamangue
    lolamangue Posts: 8 Member
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    I should also add that eating only 1800 kcal will leave me pretty hungry and most likely just loose weight and I highly doubt that I will see any muscle gain from that small amount.. Just my thoughts.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Remember exercise is absolutely nothing to do with the activity level and it starts to make sense.

    Your daily calorie goal intends you to log your purposeful exercise and you will then get credited with more calories to compensate for your higher calorie goal that day. If you are getting 1800 cals then in reality it's 1800 + exercise calories for a variable daily goal. (Most other calculators lump activity and exercise together to give you a same every day calorie goal - over time they should work out pretty close.)

    For weight training search for the "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training)" entry in the cardiovascular part of the diary and log the entire duration of your workout as pauses between sets are assumed and accounted for.

    With all these things it's an estimate and some adjustment based on results may be required after a period of weeks.
  • lolamangue
    lolamangue Posts: 8 Member
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    Thank you. But how does that go with bulking? Isn't what you're saying strictly maintaining? Cause if I eat as much as I burn based on my resting metabolic rate + calories burned from lifting weights there will be no muscle gains. I though the app could count that in, but maybe I need to adjust that for myself and add some extra calories myself everyday I go to the gym for bulking purpose?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited December 2020
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    lolamangue wrote: »
    Thank you. But how does that go with bulking? Isn't what you're saying strictly maintaining? Cause if I eat as much as I burn based on my resting metabolic rate + calories burned from lifting weights there will be no muscle gains. I though the app could count that in, but maybe I need to adjust that for myself and add some extra calories myself everyday I go to the gym for bulking purpose?

    As part of your goal set up you pick a desired rate of weight loss, to maintain current weight or you can pick a rate of weight gain.
    e.g. if you take the option to gain half a pound a week your goal is elevated by 250cals/day.

    Your goal isn't calculated as RMR.
    It's estimated BMR multiplied by your activity level (daily life) and then you add exercise on top.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    lolamangue wrote: »
    Thank you. But how does that go with bulking? Isn't what you're saying strictly maintaining? Cause if I eat as much as I burn based on my resting metabolic rate + calories burned from lifting weights there will be no muscle gains. I though the app could count that in, but maybe I need to adjust that for myself and add some extra calories myself everyday I go to the gym for bulking purpose?

    You need to set the calculator to "gain" and then eat back exercise calories after they have been logged. MFP is a NEAT method calculator...exercise is added separately after you have completed it and logged it. Conversely, you could use a TDEE calculator and just customize your calorie targets in MFP for tracking purposes.

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