Setting sedentary underactivity level?

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Stephanie2167
Stephanie2167 Posts: 83
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a desk job so I have my activity level set as sedentary but I workout 3-4 days a week for an hour. Should I be changing my activity level to reflect that or does adding my exercise cals make up for that?

Right now my cals are at 1410 but if I change my exercise to lightly active it goes up to 1540.

WWMFPD?

Replies

  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
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    I have mine set to sedentary and then I just add in any exercise. When I set mine to lightly active I still put in for my exercise, but felt like my calorie goal was too high for me. I had to really work out to lose weight. On sedentary it is just a bonus if I workout.
  • MorganStar123
    MorganStar123 Posts: 18
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    No, you should keep it at sedentary, here's why:

    If you have your activity level set to sedentary, any exercise you do will be on top of that, and then you can log it and eat those calories back. MFP calculates your BMR (basal metabolic rate) based on your day to day lifestyle, and then subtracts a deficit from that so you will lose weight. If you change your activity level to lightly active and continue to log your exercise and eat your exercise calories, you may be eating too much. Hope this helps, sorry if it's a bit confusing! Good luck on your journey, sounds like you're off to a great start!
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
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    No, you should keep it at sedentary, here's why:

    If you have your activity level set to sedentary, any exercise you do will be on top of that, and then you can log it and eat those calories back. MFP calculates your BMR (basal metabolic rate) based on your day to day lifestyle, and then subtracts a deficit from that so you will lose weight. If you change your activity level to lightly active and continue to log your exercise and eat your exercise calories, you may be eating too much. Hope this helps, sorry if it's a bit confusing! Good luck on your journey, sounds like you're off to a great start!

    Actually, MFP calculates your BMR then uses a multiplier on it depending on which activity level you select.

    The multiplier is intended to capture NEAT, which is Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis. Exercise is EAT (same without non), and that's separate from your base goal.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    In my opinion, a desk job alone doesn't determine whether or not you should be set to sedentary. How active are you when you get home? Are you cooking, cleaning, chasing after little ones... or do you flop on the couch and not budge except for when you exercise?

    Personally, I work at home on the computer, so I sit a great deal of the time, but I had to be on lightly active while I was losing weight to feel fueled enough. Plus exercise calories. And I lost weight as predicted.

    Now on maintenance, I just had to bump myself up to "active" (plus exercise calories) because I was still losing at lightly active plus exercise calories.

    As with everything else... trial and error is the only surefire way to know what's going to work best for you.
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    No, you should keep it at sedentary, here's why:

    If you have your activity level set to sedentary, any exercise you do will be on top of that, and then you can log it and eat those calories back. MFP calculates your BMR (basal metabolic rate) based on your day to day lifestyle, and then subtracts a deficit from that so you will lose weight. If you change your activity level to lightly active and continue to log your exercise and eat your exercise calories, you may be eating too much. Hope this helps, sorry if it's a bit confusing! Good luck on your journey, sounds like you're off to a great start!

    Actually, MFP calculates your BMR then uses a multiplier on it depending on which activity level you select.

    The multiplier is intended to capture NEAT, which is Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis. Exercise is EAT (same without non), and that's separate from your base goal.

    ^^ this, I vote to change it to lightly active then NOT eat back your exercise calories. It is what I do, and I lose about 2# a week that way.

    Also, I do nutritional counseling for a living, and this is what I have my clients do
  • Nigerianebony
    Nigerianebony Posts: 182 Member
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    I have mine set on Sedentary also. I have a desk job. Think about it. Working out only makes up 5-10% of your day, and you only workout 3-4 times a week. So that really makes up about 2-5% a week. I am assuming you workout at least an hour.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Either one will work, and should end up with approximately the same number of calories.

    I choose to leave mine at sedentary and eat the exercise calories because mine is not consistent. If I have a really heavy day and eat for a lighter day I can't sleep because I'm hungry.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    I keep my level set to sedentary and just add in exercise calories as that gives me the extra motivation to actually get my exercise in, and also makes it simpler if I have a day or two where I do less or don't exercise. It seems to work for me, as although I do housework and walk around town and stuff, I sit on my backside a lot when at home...darn addictive internet. If I ever get into anything that has me standing up doing stuff for more time per day, I will change the setting to lightly active.

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