Calories Burned Working Fast Food

yukimiyazawa

I have a job at McDonald's. I usually work 8 hour shifts, 5 days per week. I'm standing the entire time, walking around, getting food, and sometimes doing more intensive tasks, like mopping, sweeping, or lifting.

I've been wondering how many calories I burn during a shift. Does anyone have any idea?

On calorie calculator sites, I've not found any activities that seem similar enough. Once I put in 8 hours of just "standing" and got back something like 500 calories burned.

And just to clarify, my BMR is about 1,400 calories. So I would add on 500 just for standing (if that is in fact correct)? So to break even on my calories, I'd have to eat like 1,900, right? Right now I'm staying below 1,200.

lexximan

Very good question, i am intrigued. I use to work at starbucks and be swamped all day.

mrtentaclenun

Why not change your activity level?

Alexdur85

I would change my activity level. Currently my activity level is sedetary because I work at a desk job.

slavaheroyam

I work at an airport doing a lot of lifting, running, etc, so I'm a bit curious too except I never count work as exercise. I just selected "active" on my "normal daily activities" option.

mark03264

You should account for this by setting your activity level to the correct setting. Probably to"Active".

If you break even for calories is around 1900 you should not be eating only 1200. If you set up MFP right to start with then the daily calorie goal that MFP gives you already has a calorie deficit built in to lose weight. That said, you should eat close to the calorie goal MFP gives you each day including eating back most of your exercise calories. If you are too far under your daily calorie goal you are very likely to cause your body to hang onto the fat it has by either slowing down or even stopping fat loss. It may not happen right away but eventually you will most likely plateau. If you have a lot of weight to lose you can probably get away with it longer but as you have less to lose your body will plateau easier. May sound counter-intuitive but that's just the way it is.

katismiles

I work 2 days a week, running around scrubbing, cleaning, extc. Since most of the time I'm in school I have sedentary selected, but those 2 days a week are more like lightly active so I say I walk 2.5mph for 5-10 (depending on my shift's length and the work I do) so I don't overestimate calories burnt)

purpleipod

This is what they have different activity levels for.. I wouldn't just start randomly adding numbers.

yukimiyazawa

After starting my job last month, I changed my activity level from "sedentary" to "lightly active." It didn't change my intake, though. My goal is set to lose 2lbs per week, so maybe that's why it didn't increase anything.

1a1a

Since most of the time I'm in school I have sedentary selected, but those 2 days a week are more like lightly active so I say I walk 2.5mph for 5-10 (depending on my shift's length and the work I do) so I don't overestimate calories burnt)

This is what I do, only I like to underestimate a bit, if I worked your job, I'd put somewhere between 2 and 4 hours walking 2.5 mph depending on how hard I felt I worked.

Try it for a little bit, if you maintain or gain, you'll know you need to drop it back a bit, if the weight falls off at an alarming rate you'll know you've been undereating.