Activity Level?

[Annabelle2]

I am often confused by how to figure my activity level. When it says moderately active and describes the level I find it hard to choose. Even though I exercise an hour or more a day - most of the day I sit at a desk in the office......when home I am moving most all the time (not a couch sitter) but it is hard to think of myself as active when I sit at a desk for 8 hours........ What are most of you putting for your activity level and how active are you? Are you finding that the calorie level is acurate for you?

[LaughingWater]

I have a super hard time determining this as well. I do a variety of things during the day, and to make things a tad more confusing, each day is different. I have housework days, errand days, days where I'm more active with the kids than usual, reading & quilting days, yardwork, etc. I have no clue where I fall.

This is why I figure I have to experiment with my daily caloric intake on my own.

[Annabelle2]

Thank you for your reply -- I guess I will have to experiment as well

[JodelleFitzh20]

As a trainer, what I do with my clients is a calculate there activity level between lightly active and moderately active when they are a "desk job sitter". That way you have a high range to eat with workout days and a low range to eat with on non-workout days. You should always eat more when you are more active and less when you are less active. That way you keep the fire burning - or your metabolism that is. And its good to zigzag your calories and eat more on one day and less on the other, so that your body does not get used to the same ol' same ol'. Never go below 1200 calories no matter who you are, or you are at risk of putting your body into starvation mode.
Here's a formula to help you calculate your caloric needs:
ages 18-30: (14.7 x weight in kg) + 496 then you take that and multiply it by your activity level: 1.3 for sedentery, 1.5 for Light, 1.6 for moderately active, 1.9 for Heavy (such as several hours of continuous exercise) or 2.2 for exceptionally active (such as athletes and anyone exercising or training for extended hours or for competition)
ages 30-60: (8.7 x weight in kg) +829 then again multiply that times your activity level. That number tells you how many calories you need to me eating to meet your needs. A little below that number will help you lose weight.
*To calculate your weight in kg just take your body weight in lbs, and divide by 2.2
Hope that helps! That's what works for me and my clients.
Jodelle
P.S. Forula based on the American College of Sports Medicine standards.

[Annabelle2]

Thank you so much!! I am going to figure that out in a minute but I have a question - I am 50 and I have gained on 1200-1400 calories this year - I know you said not to go under 1200 for anyone but I was planning on trying two days of low cal /low carb days at around 900-1000 and on the third day a high carb, high cal day like from 1400 - 1700 - do you think that might shake things up? Or is it DEFINATELY NO on below 1200 - I am 5'2, my exercise schedule is intense although I DO sit at a desk for 8 hours -- I have been struggling with this all this year and am just unsure of what to try next - any comment, advice, referral, etc would be appreciated

[JodelleFitzh20]

Trust me, there is no body on the face of the earth that should go below 1200 calories unless they are under the age of 10-11 or stand about 4foot 6 in tall. Your body has a certain level of calories it needs just to function, and to go below this means that you are messing up that function and your metabolism slows down. I'm 5'9 and 128 lbs and I eat about 2500 calories a day on a low day!!! Even if you laid in bed all day, 1200 calories would be as few as calories as you want to eat. See for yourself with the formula - you might need even more than that to lay in bed all day. That's called your Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR or Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Then when you calculate your activity level at the end of the formula that is your Active Metabolic Rate and that's how many calories your body needs to function based on your activity level. If you haven't been eating that, you will increase your metabolism by doing so. Once you get used to that, then just back it down a few hundred calories every other day or so and zigzag based on your activity and watch the pounds drop!!! I promise if you eat MORE you will weight LESS! i've included another formula thats even more accurate because it goes by height and wieght, and it is actually the formula I use with all my clients. The other is just a general guideline. This ones a little more complicated to figure but if you need help, let me know:
The Harris-Benedict Equation is the way we have been calculating the Basal or Resting Metabolic Rate (BMR) since 1919. Researchers today say that this equation is not entirely accurate. Every person has so many variables to consider, such as ratio of fat to lean muscle mass, genetics, activity level, menopause and many other things. Although it isn’t perfect, it is a good tool in helping to understand how much energy we need to consume and burn.
Calculating Your BMR:
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in lbs. ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches) - ( 4.7 x age in years )


Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in lbs.) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
If you have calculated this number, you now know approximately how much your energy your body requires just for basic life processes. These are the functioning of your organs such as brain, kidneys, liver etc.
Active Metabolic Rate (AMR):


Now, you can determine your Active Metabolic Rate (AMR) which is your BMR or resting rate plus the amount of energy you require for the level of physical activity you exert on a typical day. You multiply BMR number you calculated above times the number below which represents your typical level of activity.
Calculating Your AMR:
If you are sedentary (little or no exercise): Multiply BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/work 1-3 days per week): Multiply BMR x 1.375
If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/work 3-5 days per week): Multiply BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/work 6-7 days a week): Multiply BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/work 6-7 days a week): Multiply BMR x 1.9

Hope that helps!

[Annabelle2]

Thank you so much!! I am going to start working on the equasion now. You are very kind to share :hug I have tried to eat more in the past only to gain - I am a little paranoid but I know that slow and steady wins the race - I have also wondered if reaction or carb sensitivity is more as you get older - I have read so much lately that I own too much information and ideas -

[JodelleFitzh20]

It's true, annabelle - some people are more carb sensitive than others. Some signs are bloating, gas, intestinal discomfort, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, splotchy skin and even yeast infections. Usually these signs mean you are gluten-sensitive. Some people have no trouble with carbs and need to eat more carbs to lose weight, and some need less carbs, and actually have more energy with a few less carbs. So every BODY is a scientific experiment and you have to try certain things and see what works for you. If I were you, I would keep my carbs to around earlier in the day around your workout and stick to protein and veggies for dinner. Maybe a typical day could look like this:
Pre-workout:
apple
serving of yogurt
Post Workout breakfast:
Oatmeal w/ blueberries
Omelette with spinach and a little feta cheese and made with 2 egg whites and one whole egg
Lunch:
Salad with Grilled Chicken and cut up veggies of your choice, along with 1/4 of an avocado diced up and added, and 1-2 tbsp of light dressing of your choice or favorite salsa
10 whole corn tortilla chips with hummus or salsa
Mid afternoon snack
Celery and 2 tbsp peanut butter
Dinner:
3-4oz of Grilled Salmon
Grilled asparagus
side salad

It may seem like alot of food, but your body requires alot of needs just to function. Again I eat 2500 calories on a low calorie day, and I promise by doing so you turn your body into a furnace that continously burns fat! When you build a fire, you don't put wood on just one time that day and expect the fire to burn all day do you? No! You keep adding little loads of wood all day so that the fire continously burns!
Aim for no more than 3 grain servings a day, protein at every sitting whether it be from meat or other things like cheese or yogurt, get around 50g of good healthy fats from nuts and avocados a day, and as many veggie servings as you want. Keep your fruits to no more than two a day, 3 on a busy active go-go-go day because too much sugar can keep you from your goals, even healthy sugar.

[Annabelle2]

Jodel - first - I love your quote -

Thank you - I did my figures and I am amazed at the calorie amounts. If my calculations are correct I have been under eating since 2002. One more question if you don't mind - after eating less for so many years does this mean that I have slowed my metabolism down? I workout an hour or so in the mornings 6 days a week, have about a 30 minute workout at lunch 4 days a week, and do Vinyasa in the evenings 5 days a week but I sit all day long at the office from 8-noon and 1-5. My calcs are 1690 on a no activity day and 2059 for a workout day - now, should I subtract 500 per day for weight loss but not go under 1200?

[RunninTeach]

Annabelle, thank you for posting this as I have been using the new nutrition software and wondering about my calorie intake/activity level as well.

Jodelle, thanks so much for taking the time to share your expertise. Much appreciated!