New Here - Calories Burned
 

I've been using the food log since Monday. I have MS and a few other health concerns so I'm pretty sedentary. I do straighten the house, do laundry, grocery shopping and shopping from time to time. On the original questions, I marked sedentary lifestyle. My charts show 1600+ calories used per day, but I have not been logging any household chores etc. Do I just leave it as 1600 is what research show is the average for sedentary people or is the 1600 the calories required for just "existing" and then I add my chores, and daily activities each day?

Second questions, how many food calories less then activity does it take to lose a pound?

Sorry if these are dumb questions. I appreciate the help.

Help -- Moderator???
 

Can anyone help with this activity log question? Is there a site administrator or moderator that can answer? :confused:

Sorry, I was hoping someone else might have a ready answer for you.

Here goes:

You gave a number (1600+) calories. That's the number that fitday says you are expending with a daily sedentary level of activity. Right? You don't need to log any activity to contribute to that number. It's within a range that was figured for your height, weight, etc. and given 'sedentary activity,' what you would expend on average in terms of calories.

'Sedentary' is the range. On top of that, if you, say, exercised on a sedentary bicycle for 40 minutes, you could add that in your activity log. It wouldn't displace some activity like 'doing laundry' that you consider sedentary. Actually, that's not sedentary. I believe 'sedentary' refers to a lifestyle where you spend most of your day sitting (as in a office job, for example). You don't change that lifestyle setting on weekends - because you're not at the office. It's just a range that takes into account what you do most. What you do most is not laundry, if you can think of it that way...

The number of calories you expend not doing anything, just existing, is something else. It's doesn't take activity into account at all.

If you are sedentary, in the sense that you don't do much beyond what needs to be done around the house, and you are seated a lot, for health reasons, or work reasons, or just because you relax a lot with sedentary activities (that would include reading!), then stick with 'sedentary.' If you go for a walk that is a significant change in your activity, then add that in as a separate activity because it's over and above your sedentary lifestyle.

Without breaking down everything you do, 'sedentary' is the range of activities that contributes to a range of calories expended (considering height, weight, etc.).

It might be even more confusing - or enlightening - to go to the search drop-down menu at the top of the message board and put in 'sedentary activity.' Some other people have asked, and had answered, similar questions.

Thanks Kathy - that answers my question perfectly. I think I'll take a walk to our community pool and come home and post that extra activity. Sue

Also Sue, you asked about calories per pound... I believe that number is 3,500. If you enter your goal weight and target date, FitDay will calculate the required deficit for you. Good luck!