"lightly active" question

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missbethea
missbethea Posts: 280 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I start a new job next week. I've been unemployed for a long time- and really do have a sedentary lifestyle. I'm curious, though, as to what would make me change that to "lightly active". I'll be on my feet with my new job (as a cashier at a grocer), but I'm not sure if working three-four days a week constitutes "lightly active" if I'm not going to be on my feet a substantial amount of time on the other days of the week.

I don't want to change my lifestyle, up my calories, and sabotage the efforts I've put in so far.

Other than a heart-rate monitor (which I can't afford at the moment, but am probably going to invest in after a few paychecks) how can I be sure what I need to have my calories set at for a part-time job?

Would it be fine to simply try to eat higher calorie foods on days I work, to "compensate" for the extra activity level? I know it's not particularly hard work (I've done it before) but after six or more months sitting on my butt all day long in front of the computer, not doing much of anything, it's probably going to make a difference.

Any helpful hints/suggestions would be awesome to help me figure out how to adjust with the change in my life.

Replies

  • aquarianpixi
    aquarianpixi Posts: 131 Member
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    I'd say keep it at "sedentary" for a few weeks then if you feel like you are not getting enough food, or start to plateau, bump it up then.

    I also have a job were I am on my feet nearly 100% of the time. I had it on lightly active and haven't lost a lb so I just recently changed it to sedentary.

    Good luck with your new job!
  • Irishmoonwitch
    Irishmoonwitch Posts: 97
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    I'm a teller at a bank and so on my feet for 8 hours a day. And i still have mine at Sedentary lifestyle. When I worked at a gas station and moved around and worked for 8-12 hours a day I had put it up to light activity. I would suggest keeping it where you have it. As for eating more on days you work. Only if you are feeling hungry and then only add about 100-200 calories. That is what I do. Hope it helps.
  • ncole3
    ncole3 Posts: 164
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    I'd say keep it at "sedentary" for a few weeks then if you feel like you are not getting enough food, or start to plateau, bump it up then.

    Good luck with your new job!

    I agree with this statement.
  • treehopper1987
    treehopper1987 Posts: 505 Member
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    I am curious to know this as well. Some days I move around a lot and lift heavy stuff, but some days I'm mostly at the computer and am wondering if I should switch to at least lightly active.
  • cornfritter22
    cornfritter22 Posts: 230 Member
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    I'm kind of in the same boat. I was considering just upping the calories on the days I work though I haven't tried it yet. First I did change to lightly active and saw a pretty dramatic loss on the scale. This led me to believe trying to stick to the 1200 calorie mark was actually not helping. Then this week the scale went back up. Soooo...I don't know, but my best guess is we should keep it at sedentary and increase only those days we work. Of course, everyone is different.
  • SCC88
    SCC88 Posts: 215 Member
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    You could set it to lightly active, find out the kcals (which I imagine wont be high enough to cause weight gain damage). Set it back to sedentary and then add the extra "lightly active" kcals manually to the days where you work? I'm considering doing this as I spent a looooong time on MFP down as being "active" - which i was! But not 7 days a week. I am a waitress and have to run around carrying heavy stuff for 7hrs and I'm knackered after! But I started to realize, for 3 days a week I am DEFINITELY sedentary as I sit on my @ss playing the playstation lol! Hope this helped? Xx
  • alyssaanagram
    alyssaanagram Posts: 73
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    Honestly, I don't think cashiering would qualify to up your calories at all. What do you do on your days off?
  • LordBezoar
    LordBezoar Posts: 625 Member
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    I was sedentary for a long time, but then have been walking a lot more at work and recently changed to a standing desk while at work. However, I leave my activity level at sedentary and have a FitBit to track how active I am during the day. I eat back most of my FitBit Calories each day and call it good. I had changed myself to Lightly Active, but really felt like I was getting some double Calories from my FitBit, so I switched it back.
  • missbethea
    missbethea Posts: 280 Member
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    Honestly, I don't think cashiering would qualify to up your calories at all. What do you do on your days off?

    It depends on the day. I go to the gym most days of the week, but left my lifestyle as "sedentary" so I can log my exercise & not worry if I eat back those calories.

    Some days I'm out literally all day with friends- shopping, hanging out, doing other things. Sometimse I spent all day outside with my dad helping in the yard. Some days I literally sit around and do a lot of nothing. Others I'm with the elderly folks in my family helping them out around the house or taking them shopping, etc.

    Basically- I don't spend 24/7 sitting on my butt doing nothing, but it varies and I don't consider most of things to make me 'active'.

    I know that cashiering isn't doing much more than standing all day behind a register- but there is also the chance you end up stocking groceries, or things like that. But in the past when I've been at a cash register, it can be entirely exhausting- especially if you're very out of shape and not accustomed to being on your feet for extended periods of time.
  • treehopper1987
    treehopper1987 Posts: 505 Member
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    Maybe a dumb question, how do you manually change your calories on a day to day basis?
  • Jthompson1187
    Jthompson1187 Posts: 2
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    It's been a while since I've used MFP, but one thing I do know is that, your occupation is only part of your daily activity. I am a truck driver but, when I'm at home I chase a 4 and 6 year old around my house; even if I'm sitting on the computer its usually 5 min. sitting, then 10 min chasing kids. So if you spend your free time watching Lost or playing WoW then your probably not lightly active, but if you have little ones or spend lots of time doing household chores, you may be more active than you think .I think the best thing to do is to get yourself a heart monitor and and consume the extra calories you burn while at work, you might be surprised at how many it is, I burn about 400 more on a work day then on a weekend day. standing may not feel like much but it adds up. Lastly, if u keep your setting where it is you can log the calories burnt in your exercise, thats what I did when I was working part time.

    Best of luck.
  • Jthompson1187
    Jthompson1187 Posts: 2
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    Sorry if this was answered, the easiest way to add calories to a day is to manually add them in the exorcise section, remember, you are supposed to eat the extra calories you burn from working out, if not you will starve.
  • cdusanka
    cdusanka Posts: 33
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    Honestly, I don't think cashiering would qualify to up your calories at all. What do you do on your days off?

    It depends on the day. I go to the gym most days of the week, but left my lifestyle as "sedentary" so I can log my exercise & not worry if I eat back those calories.

    Some days I'm out literally all day with friends- shopping, hanging out, doing other things. Sometimse I spent all day outside with my dad helping in the yard. Some days I literally sit around and do a lot of nothing. Others I'm with the elderly folks in my family helping them out around the house or taking them shopping, etc.

    Basically- I don't spend 24/7 sitting on my butt doing nothing, but it varies and I don't consider most of things to make me 'active'.

    I know that cashiering isn't doing much more than standing all day behind a register- but there is also the chance you end up stocking groceries, or things like that. But in the past when I've been at a cash register, it can be entirely exhausting- especially if you're very out of shape and not accustomed to being on your feet for extended periods of time.

    It seems to me that you are "Lightly active" and not "sedentary" at all!!!! You are out of the house going somewhere or doing something more than you are sitting around doing nothing! I say change it to "lightly active"!
  • alyssaanagram
    alyssaanagram Posts: 73
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    Honestly, I don't think cashiering would qualify to up your calories at all. What do you do on your days off?

    It depends on the day. I go to the gym most days of the week, but left my lifestyle as "sedentary" so I can log my exercise & not worry if I eat back those calories.

    Some days I'm out literally all day with friends- shopping, hanging out, doing other things. Sometimse I spent all day outside with my dad helping in the yard. Some days I literally sit around and do a lot of nothing. Others I'm with the elderly folks in my family helping them out around the house or taking them shopping, etc.

    Basically- I don't spend 24/7 sitting on my butt doing nothing, but it varies and I don't consider most of things to make me 'active'.

    I know that cashiering isn't doing much more than standing all day behind a register- but there is also the chance you end up stocking groceries, or things like that. But in the past when I've been at a cash register, it can be entirely exhausting- especially if you're very out of shape and not accustomed to being on your feet for extended periods of time.

    If you're doing all of that most of the time then you are definitely lightly active. You can keep your calories the same if you want - 100 to 200 calories isn't going to make a lot of difference. I'm Very Active and keep it at 1300 cals per day.

    As long as you get out and move around, you're lightly active. Especially now with a new job.

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