Updated guide to select the proper activity level

I have a trouble choosing the right activity level for my workouts. The problem is that most of my day is Sedentary, but I am doing 18 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training. These are separated into 6 cycles, each of 30 second, of ludicrous physical activity and two and a half minute of full rest. Usually, I connect these trainings with another 20 minutes of weight lifting and a 5 minute cardio.

The problem I see here is that HIITs are short but extremely intense. Moreover, there is the Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect, which increases your metabolism even after the exercise. Therefore you can't really say you've been doing moderate exerciese for 1 hour, as I believe this exercise regimen largely exceeds such an estimate.

I can see there is the "Exercise" tab in Carb Manager, but it does not list any exercises for me, especially it does not include HIIT and even if it did, I am not sure how would it "play" with the "Activity level" setting in MY PROFILE.

The following are the most recent clues built-in into the Carb Manager

Sedentary: Desk job with little or no exercise.

Lightly Active: Work a job with light physical demands, or work a desk job and perform a light exercise (at the level of a brisk walk) for 30 minutes per day, 3-5 times per week.

Moderately Active: Work a moderately physically demanding job, such as construction worker, or work a desk job and engage in moderate exercise for 1 hour per day, 3-5 times per week.

Very Active: Work a consistently physically demanding job, or work a desk job and engage in intense exercise for 1 hour per day, or moderate exercise for 2 hours per day, 5-7 times per week.

Extra Active: Work an extremely physically demanding job, such as professional athlete, competitive cyclist, or fitness professional, or engage in an intense exercise for at least 2 hours per day.

Apart from these, tere exist more detailed, but obsolete categories on a website called Antranik.org

Given the large pupularity and effectiveness of HIIT for fat burning, I would like to ask for more precise estimates to guide the user to find the right category.

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  • Hi there,

    Thank you for the feedback! Our BMR calculations are based on the Harris Benedict Equation. This calculation includes a Physical Activity Level (PAL) multiplier. This multiplier is hard to precisely quantify, and our research has yielded general guidelines but not an exactly way to pinpoint your level -- there are just too many variables in terms of exercise and lifestyle. We have noted, however, that a number of publications indicate that more intense exercise for a shorter period can substitute for longer, less intense exercise. I hope this helps!

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