What do I set my 'normal daily activity' to for the goals?

NicoleSchimmel
NicoleSchimmel Posts: 162 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I' ve been a member of MFP since December, and thought that 'sedentary' was the most accurate to my lifestyle. I work a desk job (sitting for 8-9 hrs a day). When I first started MFP, I was exercising 1 or 2 times a week. For the past 2 months, I've been exercising 3-4 days a week (burning 500-800 calories each time). I hope to increase it to working out 5 days a week. Right now, I'm allowed 1,220 calories/day, but I want to make sure that's correct for exercising 3-4 times a week. I'm not sure if I should go to 'light' normal daily activity, or just change how much I exercise per week in the goal section.

How do you pick your 'normal daily activity' goal--based on your job or based on your job and exercise?

Thanks!

Replies

  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
    Great question... I'm wondering the same, actually.
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 549 Member
    My "job" is sedentary so i picked that, but I add in any exercise I do. So with your example if it gives you 1220 a day when you add in the 500-800 a few days a week that is 500-800 more you can eat that day. And modifying the exercise int he goal section doesn't change anything. It only changes when you add in exercise you did.
  • 967_1111
    967_1111 Posts: 221 Member
    I have a desk job, and set it as sedentary. I hit the gym every weekday and burn about 500 calories, which I log and eat!

    I'd leave it at sedentary & log the workouts.
  • MrsORourke
    MrsORourke Posts: 315 Member
    That IS a great question. Your scenario completely sums up my own, and the thought never occured to me to change my activity level. I would think that as long as you are accounting the calories you burn while exercising, you should be okay. But WTF do I know? :ohwell: I'm interested to hear what others have to say on this.
  • inetgirl
    inetgirl Posts: 174 Member
    I set my lifestyle to sedentary-which is sitting at a desk most of the day. Any exercise I do, I add in.

    The goals are just goals, they don't actually change the calorie number on the diary part.

    I believe that if you set your lifestyle to something different to account for your exercise, that you shouldn't add exercise calories in.
  • NicoleSchimmel
    NicoleSchimmel Posts: 162 Member
    Awesome! It sounds like I'm doing it right. I log all the exercise I do, I just wasn't sure if I should change the goal. That makes sense though--that's why it's called 'normal daily activity'.
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
    I think I wonder about it because, when you calculate your TDEE (as here: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html) it distinguishes between different amounts of exercise. I suppose that's just where eating back the calories you burn comes in, though.
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