Excercise calorie query

MajorRyan

I work at a job where I'm standing for 5 to 7 hours a day and it says that I burn off nearly 3000 calories (approx for 7).

Is this right?, cause I feel I'm putting weight back on. Not that I;m eating over my 1800 calories anyway.

My co worker who is very fit will do 20 mins on the treadmill (jogging) at the gym and he said it only takes of 70 calories.

Am I burning off more cause I'm bigger and he is fit? or is there something wrong with the calorie counter on MFP and/or what the co worker says???

sandy2006

3000 cal for just standing? Really?

MajorRyan

yeah thats what I thought.... hmmm

erickirb

where did you get that 3000 cals from? If you used an HRM, hrm's are not accurate for non-aerobic activity.

YMTaylor

If that's part of your job then I don't think you're supposed to be logging that time. Your activity level might need to be set at lightly active or something but the exercise log is for the activity you do above and beyond 'normal'. For example I'm a stay at home mom that does tons of laundry so I'm up and down my steps several times each day, but I don't log that because it's part of my daily routine. But if I do 20 minutes on the stair climber at the gym in addition I will log that.

I hope that makes sense. Good Luck on your journey!

MajorRyan

If that's part of your job then I don't think you're supposed to be logging that time. Your activity level might need to be set at lightly active or something but the exercise log is for the activity you do above and beyond 'normal'. For example I'm a stay at home mom that does tons of laundry so I'm up and down my steps several times each day, but I don't log that because it's part of my daily routine. But if I do 20 minutes on the stair climber at the gym in addition I will log that.

I hope that makes sense. Good Luck on your journey!

Well it's hard to judge cause I only do 2 days and the rest of the week I'm sitting at the computer doing nothing. How do you change the settings so it works better for me?

theportkey

Hi there

I would say that standing all day does not equate to any kind of exercise.

MajorRyan

where did you get that 3000 cals from? If you used an HRM, hrm's are not accurate for non-aerobic activity.

I just put in the MFP exercise log that I stood for 6 hours and that's what it came up with.

MajorRyan

Hi there

I would say that standing all day does not equate to any kind of exercise.

I'm not just standing there. I'm washing pumps and loading stock and running around after custormers...I just put standing as a base line. I do weigh over 160kgs...it might not be exercise to you, but it wears the crap outta me.

koutroulakis

I have a bodymedia (it takes into account heart rate, steps taken, body temp) and on the days I'm at work, I stand all day, I do not burn as much. On the days where I'm at home (b/c I'm up and down the stairs cleaning and running errands) I burn 100 cal more. In total being on my feet all day at work I burn 1000 for about a 9 hr day. however my daily calories cover all that day to day stuff. I would log exercise cal instead. Like the other poster said go to settings and switch you daily activity to light. ALthough if you are on ur feet only two days and the rest is sitting down u prob should leave it and not log it at all.

YMTaylor

When you go into Goals what did you set your activity level to? I don't do the same things every day so I look at my week on average and I came up with lightly active due to the housework/chores I mentioned before. Even if that job is only two days a week I think maybe 'lightly active' would be better than sedentary. It would incorporate those two days a little better into your week and I think give you a more accurate calorie burn for your BMR.

MajorRyan

I went to settings and it was on lightly active...so is that right? I'm so confused

So I cannot count work or walking around the shops for 3 + hours so what do you put in the exercise part? Do I put on the additional stuff I'm doing now that I started the diet?

Sorry for all the questions

keiraev

I would change my settings to moderately active and only actually log purposeful exercise.

YMTaylor

I went to settings and it was on lightly active...so is that right? I'm so confused

So I cannot count work or walking around the shops for 3 + hours so what do you put in the exercise part? Do I put on the additional stuff I'm doing now that I started the diet?

Sorry for all the questions

Don't worry about the questions, it's how we learn. I would say if this job is something you've been doing for a bit, meaning before you started on a serious weight-loss journey, then you shouldn't count at exercise. That is just part of your regular routine. The only exercise stuff I log is my time at the gym and the few times I go running around my neighborhood. I don't know how long you've been logging stuff but I think if you start making healthy choices, watch portions and try to stay within your calorie limits you'll see some results. The other thing is if you log the 3000 calories for standing/working at your job into your food/exercise then MFP is going to tell you to eat most of those 3000 calories on top of your daily allotment. I'm no expert but I think that would end up being way more than you'll want to or should eat in one day.

I hope this is helping you figure it all out. It is a journey for life so take your time and make good decisions. Good luck!

megarooni

The moderate activity level is accounting for the exercise or movement that you are getting. Either way sedentary or moderate activity I would not log that as time worked. I do not log my cleaning at home because that is a part of my regular routine, but I do log cleaning at the office because that is not my normal routine. I do not log walking to the fridge to grab another bottle of water at work as exercise, but walking around the building on my lunch for 20-30 minutes I do track as exercise. Just think about what you do in an average day. That is not exercise. Anything you do to get moving above and beyond what you do on the average day could be counted as exercise. Feel free to add me if you like. Good luck on your journey!