Activity guide
Choose your average week, not your best day.
The activity setting has a large effect on the estimate. This guide makes the five choices easier to interpret without pretending they are measurements.
Five choices
Start with the lower honest match
| Calculator choice | Factor | May resemble |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly seated | 1.2 | Desk-based days with little planned exercise and limited walking |
| Lightly active | 1.375 | Mostly seated work plus easy activity on about 1–3 days |
| Moderately active | 1.55 | Purposeful moderate activity on about 3–5 days, alongside ordinary daily movement |
| Very active | 1.725 | Demanding training or substantial movement on most days |
| Highly active job and training | 1.9 | A genuinely physical occupation plus frequent demanding training |
These examples are deliberately broad. A one-hour workout does not automatically make the whole day “very active”, while a physical job can matter even without formal exercise.
Common traps
What usually skews the choice
- Counting the same movement twice: choosing a high factor and then adding exercise calories again.
- Using a peak week: selecting for a holiday, event or temporary training block instead of the usual routine.
- Equating intensity with the whole day: a hard workout may sit inside an otherwise sedentary day.
- Treating a wearable as ground truth: device estimates can be useful for consistency, but they remain estimates.
Check and adjust
Let 14 days improve the estimate
If two categories seem plausible, begin with the lower one and use the displayed calorie range. Keep your approach reasonably consistent, watch the 14-day trend and adjust one thing at a time. Recalculate when your routine changes substantially.
Stop and seek qualified advice if tracking creates distress, if you experience concerning symptoms or if a condition or treatment affects your energy or nutrition needs. Check a dietitian's credentials with the relevant regulator or professional body in your country or region.
For general international context about movement, see the World Health Organization's physical-activity guidance.