Is it cheating to add this to my calories burned?

desteny95

I have my lifestyle set as sedentary. I work part time at a restaurant, when it's busy I'm constantly walking or standing. When it's slow, I'm mostly standing in one place. However, I only work 5 hours a day so I think it's accurate to keep my lifestyle at sedentary considering when I'm home I'm mostly sitting. I found a website that calculates how many calories you burn by standing and once in a while I enter that to MFP. I usually only ever enter it when I go over my calorie goal and even though I don't fill in a full 5 hours as calories burned, it still feels like cheating. It is accurate to enter those calories burned?

Achrya

I would hazard a guess and say that working part time at a restaurant means you aren't sedentary as MFP defines it. Your job is supposed to be factored in to the activity level you've choosen.

Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

Since it's only part time I suppose you could move down the lightly active if you're that concerned but surely you aren't 'sedentary'. Sedentary implies you take less than 5000 steps a day

Ninkyou

I would hazard a guess and say that working part time at a restaurant means you aren't sedentary as MFP defines it. Your job is supposed to be factored in to the activity level you've choosen.

Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

Since it's only part time I suppose you could move down the lightly active if you're that concerned but surely you aren't 'sedentary'. Sedentary implies you take less than 5000 steps a day

I agree. Even if you're only working part time, you're definitely not sedentary.

redhoney500

Could I ask which website you found that calculates calories burned for specific activities? Thank you

kimbux

I would change it to 'Light Active' and NOT count calories burned working at the restaurant as exercise. I would just call those a bonus. If you are eating your calorie goal and still feel hungry, then re-evaluate.

brittaney0625

I would change it to 'Light Active' and NOT count calories burned working at the restaurant as exercise. I would just call those a bonus. If you are eating your calorie goal and still feel hungry, then re-evaluate.

agree

PinkyFett

If it is, you'd only be cheating yourself. I think you should change from sedentary to lightly active

Aaron_K123

5 hours daily at a restaurant is not sedentary.

KimbaCan

Someone suggested to me to use the choice for sedentary, but then add exercise/calories burned to show activity for each day. This way you have more control than leaving the calculations to MFP. BUT, that would mean you log 5 hours standing/walking plus any exercise every day.
I agree with the others above, lightly active or count the exercise every day.

I ran my numbers through several web sites and calculators. My favorite so far (and I swear it's not just because it gives me the most calories to eat!)
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

If you haven't read this thread yet, read it:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets