Cashiering as an exercise?

littlesis412

I've tried searching the forums for an answer but none of them seem to have my exact situation so I'll ask it here. I work as a cashier at an extremely busy Wal-Mart (think at least 3 people lined up at all times). But I only work weekends. So Friday night about 4 hours, then Saturday and Sunday about 8. The rest of the week I'm a student and aside from walking to class and home from the bus stop, I just sit around all day.

A lot of people have mentioned changing average activity levels but considering the difference I really don't know what to put. Should I raise the level or put work as an exercise? And if you do it as exercise, how many calories? I know I'm getting a workout of some sort, I can barely move when I get home. So, I need your help. Thank you in advance.

Sallycinnimon

I would put you activity level low and don't count it as an exercize. To me, that would be a normal activity. That's what I do. I work for a grocery store in the cash office and I'm literally doing everyone's job along with it.

glittermouse

Sorry, no answer here, but I'm interested, too. I used to be a cashier and I know how much work it can be. There's got to be someway to log it. Just think how many calories you got to be burning by standing for your whole shift, lifting and scanning items, handing bags to customers. Hmm. Hope you get an answer to this. . . .

1a1a

I work as a sound tech and burn a fair bit of energy setting up for shows (not so much actually mixing). I say, count the time at work where you are walking (as opposed to standing) as walking 2.5mph moderate pace. So, if you work a 3 hour shift, and spend a good percentage of it walking, maybe you'd log it as 2 hours of walking, or if it's really busy and you never leave the till, 15 minutes....the best thing to do would be to get a heart rate monitor and wear it to work (and subtract a little from the end result just to be conservative).

Regardless, try logging it as exercise for a few weeks and then check your weight loss progress. If you are still losing, you've nailed it, if the loss has stalled, reassess. (Entering it is as exercise seems like less hassle to me than changing activity settings).

Edit: Perhaps if my work was less sporadic, I would consider changing the activity level to low (up from sedentary), that suggestion also has merit.

sarah44254

I would not count it as exercise. But I do think that since you are a student (that is a lot of book carrying and walking, at least for me it is) and that you stand on your feet and move your hands constantly, I would say you are a bit active.

I would set your activity to the next level above sedentary. Um... I think it is called lightly active? Give that a try

catshark209

Well I'll piss off the Exercise Nazi's but I say add it as your activity level, by that I mean don't use "sedentary". You're not sitting at a desk like the Cubicle People...you're up on your feet constantly.
I run a store alone and I don't sit down for 8-9 hours, plus I am up and down stairs as a constant motion for 20-30 minutes at a time...so I have a high activity level.
Anyway, its just my opinion....

MelissaL582

I would just change your lifestyle to "lightly active" and not log when you're working. Then log in your walk to and from school but that's it.

sweetiebelle

. Mybe get a pedometer it counts your steps and tells you your burned calories. If you buy on of them you could wear it every day to work. That what I do. I have it set for lightly active. I m cashier, stock shelfs and im all over the store. I burn about 300 - 500 calories a day on my pedometer. Some days I walk more then others.

bmqbonnie

I wouldn't count it. Like someone else said, make your settings lightly active. Hate to be a party pooper but I've done similar work and got way too optimistic about how many calories I was burning lol. Better safe than sorry! Can always tweak it a little if you find yourself really hungry or losing more quickly than you planned.

glittermouse

I second the HRM idea.

littlesis412

What's the purpose of a HRM? Does it count calories?

1a1a

Nah, it measures heart beats (and then, may offer to proffer an estimate of what you have burned relative to age, weight, sex, resting heart rate etc which you can choose to accept as accurate or compare against other calculative devices).

I think there may even be a thing for the really, Really curious called a body bug which can estimate your total calorie burn in a 24 hour period.