Activity Level

I have no clue which forum to post this in, and I'm really sorry if this is the wrong one.  I was just wondering what activity level I should put in my account settings, because I'm trying to gain and unsure of the amount of calories I should consume.  Right now it's set at light activity. I'm still a student so I sit in class most of the day, and sometimes walk to/from school which is about a 8 min walk.

I also go to the gym 3x a week for about an hour each day (running, circuit, weight training) and usually take a 45 minute walk on the weekends. 

So is this light activity, or moderate?

From the sounds of it, you are "light activity" since you do sit in school a portion of the day. Just log your activities so your daily burn meter will be correct.

Good job on all the working out time you fit in!!

STOP!

Calorie Count's tools aren't accurate for weight gainers. I'm going to quote you a portion from the sticky at the top of this forum, now, that might help you.

This does presume you may have been restricting. If you have not been restricting the 2500 sedentary intake and advice on exercise. And I also apologise. >_>;

The summary is: aim for a minimum 2500 when sedentary; eat back anything you burn off and thus more on any days of activity; and if your BMI is low, your doctor doesn't give an all clear or you're having other health problems don't exercise at all.



The Aim is to Gain: Advice on Weight Gain, Whatever Your Reason

... Your target should ideally be 2500 calories minimum if you are female and sedentary, 3000 if you are male and sedentary.

Yes, sedentary. This is because, after such a time starved of nutrients, your body's metabolism will be off-whack. Not to say your BMR will only be something like 900, but simply working in starvation mode - or, clinging to everything it can get. You may eventually find you actually need more than this 2500 or 3000 to gain weight. I have needed 3000 to 4000 calories on a daily basis to see gains. For more information on this, see the Support on the Web section of the Health and Support forum Eating Disorders Resources sticky.

In reintroducing calories, work at a pace that will not trigger you. If you have been eating sub-1200 get to 1200 first, then 1500, then 1800, then 2100, then 2500 (and up to 3000 if you are male). You can do this at your own pace, again, though try not to stretch it out longer than two weeks. Leaving yourself too long to dwell on it can be as bad as ripping off the plaster. So, go at a rate that suits you.

When you begin to reintroduce calories your body will, at first, retain a lot of water, not fat. But any flick on the scales can be triggering to a recovering disordered eater, so if you are refeeding do not weigh yourself for at least two weeks after managing a steady 2500 or 3000. Personally, I believe it is better to bung out the scales altogether, but if you wish to monitor your progress and feel the scale will not upset you then you can use it.

If your body is underweight, it will stress it all the more to begin working out on top of replenishing it. Thus: if you've not achieved a BMI of 17.5 or higher, if your doctor tells you no, if you are suffering palpitations, pains, edema, or any other affliction while refeeding, or if you have a history of compulsive overexercise my advice is to not exercise at all.

Equally, cardiovascular exercise can be detrimental to weight gain. Eat back any calories you burn off. That said, resistance exercise, weight lifting, yoga, pilates and other strengthening techniques can be beneficial in that they help rebuild lost muscle eaten away at.

Wow, thanks for the info Lala, it was incredibly helpful.  I haven't been weighed since January, but tomorrow I go to the diabetic clinic and they do my weight/height so I'm hoping I've gained at least a few pounds since then.  If I use the weight I was in January, my BMI is 18.6, which I realize isn't ideal so I've been eating more and counting less.

I'll definitely cut back on the cardio as well, which shouldn't be a problem because it exhausts me.  Besides, I'd rather work on toning my body. Again, thanks for the info!