Activity Level?

Annabelle2

Annabelle2

Cathlete
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?
 
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.
 
Calculate twice

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.
 
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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 :)
 
no lower than 1200

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!
 
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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 -
 
Its true!

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.
 
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?
 
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!
 
Jodelle A Question

I use the Nutrition Software here at CatheNation and love it. It figured my calories dead on according to the Harris Benedict equation you spoke of.

I want to make sure I understand....

Here's my question. It calculates my BMR calories at 2037 but to loose weight stay within 1200 - 1537 calories a day. Say I eat 1537 calories and burn 400 calories giving me a net of 1137, I'm I going to slow my metabolism? Instead should I eat 2037 on workout days and eat in the 1200 - 1537 range on non-workout days?

Your expertise is much appreciated!

AbPursuit
 
Dairy?

Jodell,

How do you feel about dairy? Many people who follow a bodybuilding diet stay away from it - they believe it lowers the metabolism and is too high in sugar. I don't consume a lot of dairy, yogurt sometimes, or milk on my cereal. Just wondering your thoughts...

Janet
 
Yes, most likely you have slowed your metabolism down. The majority of people don't eat enough for their activity level. Who knew you could eat to lose weight!? But it works. Your calculations are most likely correct, except do not slash 500 calories, only maybe 100-200 to see results. Slashing 500 will put you right back where you are now, and you're trying to change, not stay the same. You have to make changes to see changes. For having a desk job you are actually a very active person, keeping your activity up all throughout the day at different times. Good for you. Your body will thank you for that. Just don't slash 500 cal.
Also, to help speed up your metabolism, and enhance your thyroid, try kelp...kelp is seaweed, or it also comes in liquid sea kelp and is a form of iodine - a mineral your body needs anyway.
let me know if you need anything else. I love to help people reach their goals. Consider me your free trainer from far away!:)
 
Jodelle, Thank You :)

You are wonderful - thank you and I am going to give it a try - we will see how I do!! I Thank you for your help !!
 
To AbPursuit

Yes, you want to eat higher calories on higher activity days, and lower calorie on lower calorie days. Your body has different needs based on what its activity level is. In order to maintain weight, you must meet all your caloric needs, and in order to lose you must stay just shy of that....Make sure you spread them out eating every 2-3 hours. Any longer than that, and you can slow your metabolism down again, and after 4 hours blood sugar levels get all out of whack and then you ending up slamming a ton of the wrong food fast, because your body is starving. Keep your body satisfied with 5-6 small meals consisting of your caloric needs for that day.
 
To Janet

Hey, Janet - Yes, I am not a big advocate of dairy. In fact, our bodies are not even made to process dairy beyond infancy. We are the only species in the world that continues to eat dairy beyond the nursing phase. And most things considered "dairy" today are so far from what they should be unless you buy organic. I limit my dairy to only every once in awhile only having it in things at special occasions like a piece of cheesecake every couple of months or occasionally I'll eat some non-fat organic yogurt. For two reasons: 1. Dairy, although claiming to be high in calcium is mostly so processed that the calcium is minimal at best, and 2. consuming dairy can lead to food allergies that are unbeknownst to some, such as headaches, stuffy noses, splotchy skin, digestive disorders and discomfort and much more. I myself experience stomach discomfort and a runny nose when I eat dairy, so I listen to my body and when it tells me it does not process something well, I stay away from it. I can get calcium from other foods, with having dairy. And there are great "dairy alternatives' out there, such as my personal favorite: almond cheese. It's cheese made from almonds and its great! Melts just like the real thing is only 1 gram of fat per serving!
Also, they make a cream cheese now made from raw cashews and it's so nice and creamy. On another note, I do know many bodybuilders who will tell you that cottage cheese is there best friend. It's a whole protein and great to perserve and build muscle. So if it doesn't effect you, maybe it's okay for you. And then there are benefits to yogurt too with good probiotics and so forth. When it comes to dairy its really up to you and your body. Just listen to the symptoms your body sends you after you eat it and you'll know right away whether its right for you or not. Hope that helps.
 
To Jodelle

JodelleFitzh20 said:
Yes, you want to eat higher calories on higher activity days, and lower calorie on lower calorie days. Your body has different needs based on what its activity level is. In order to maintain weight, you must meet all your caloric needs, and in order to lose you must stay just shy of that....Make sure you spread them out eating every 2-3 hours. Any longer than that, and you can slow your metabolism down again, and after 4 hours blood sugar levels get all out of whack and then you ending up slamming a ton of the wrong food fast, because your body is starving. Keep your body satisfied with 5-6 small meals consisting of your caloric needs for that day.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply! You are a great help! My body was telling me 1537 calories on workout days wasn't enough...I guess we should trust our bodies more!

AbPursuit
 
AbPursuit said:
I use the Nutrition Software here at CatheNation and love it. It figured my calories dead on according to the Harris Benedict equation you spoke of.

I want to make sure I understand....

Here's my question. It calculates my BMR calories at 2037 but to loose weight stay within 1200 - 1537 calories a day. Say I eat 1537 calories and burn 400 calories giving me a net of 1137, I'm I going to slow my metabolism? Instead should I eat 2037 on workout days and eat in the 1200 - 1537 range on non-workout days?

Your expertise is much appreciated!

AbPursuit
Click to expand...

Another great question.

Thanks again, Jodelle, the information you've shared is extremely helpful!
 
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