Setting activity level etc

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noeys
noeys Posts: 56
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello. Im trying to figure out how to do this all properly... I feel like MFP is giving me too many calories and I will never lose weight.

I am a stay at home mom... not overly busy, do some cleaning now and then, up and down the stairs to put laundry away etc.... I put lightly active for my activity level. MFP is giving me 1750 calories (to lose 1 lb a week) and IM just nervous that Im never going to lose because the calorie count is so high.
I am working out, and put on there that I would work out 5 times a week for 35 minutes etc.....

anyways, do I want my fitness level as lightly active or sedentary? I dont want to have it set too high and be eating too much to lose and end up frustrating myself.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

Replies

  • autumnblingsz
    autumnblingsz Posts: 17 Member
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    I put lightly active too and mfp gave me a number that I thought was too high as well. I've read a lot about 1200-1500 being a really good goal to lose weight, so I changed my goal to 1200 but I don't beat myself up if I go a little over.. I just try not to go higher than 1500. Since it's saying you should eat around 1750 and you think that's too much I'd try setting yours to 1500 and seeing how you feel.. You know your body better than a computer does so if you know that 1750 might be a lot for you to lose weight on then you should go by you.. If you try 1500 for a few days and you don't feel hungry then I'd say stick with it. If you do feel hungry, maybe add 50 calories until you're at the amount that you and your body feel comfortable
  • skierxjes
    skierxjes Posts: 938 Member
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    MFP suggested me to be at 1680 cals a day but I changed it to be 1500 cals a day. I choose sedentary for my level even though I book it across campus 5 days a week and whatnot.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    If it gives you 1700 after you put lightly active and chose lose 1lb a week --- that actuallysounds perfectly normal.
    This number varies also based on you age, height, weight, goals etc.

    I'm only 5'4 and f I put lightly active mine would be close to that number as well. (I had to put sedentary since I have a desk job so my daiy is 1400)

    (PS don't listen to people who think 1200 is some magic number -- it is too low for most people if they did their settings and goals correctly unless they are already super tiny/short or have over 75lbs to lose and can choose to lose 2lb a week for awhile.
  • noeys
    noeys Posts: 56
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    I have no clue what to do. On the one hand Im happy to have the high calories, cause Im able to live my life sort of normal, without obsessing about food etc. But on the other hand I think my weight loss will be SO SLOW and will make me sad.... but I know that slow weight loss is better anyways, and IM trying to get myself used to that.

    The whole weight loss industry is a PITA!!!!!!! Im so messed up mentally about losing weight... and my body is all messed up from all the crappy diets Ive tried! :(
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    I'd stick with Lightly Active and know that you're probably actually burning more. I had mine at sedentary for a really long time cuz I have a desk job. But after I got my BodyMedia Fit and saw what my daily average burn really is, it turns out that for the right base number of calories through MFP, I'm actually considered Lightly Active. So I'd have to imagine that a stay at home mom is at least that, if how busy my sister stays all day is any indication. :)
  • mamitosami
    mamitosami Posts: 531 Member
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    Hmmm, I'm also curious about this... I put myself at lightly active also, but then dropped it down to sedentary so I didn't get an overestimation of calories. I consider myself to be an active person, but being home with kids, well, things have slowed down a little! We walk my son to school every day, to and from (so back and forth 4 times), it's only about a ten minute walk (40 minutes, I guess throughout the day...). Anyway, I will keep it at sedentary to see what happens. I'm on the last 5 to 10 pounds, so I think it will be tough no matter what.
  • macobb91
    macobb91 Posts: 3
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    I need to add some work outs to my routine but I don't have a lot of time. Advice?
  • noeys
    noeys Posts: 56
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    I need to add some work outs to my routine but I don't have a lot of time. Advice?
    you will get better advice if you start your own post instead of hijacking one with a totally different subject.

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