Calories burned while standing, moving, playing w/ children

MarineWifey09

On MFP it tells me for about 8 hours I would burn 2,000 calories while standing (I weigh 123 lbs.) I teach at a pre-school and am literally on my feet for 8 hours. Inside activities have me on my feet, bending, squating, moving....and outside I am pushing kids on swings, playing tag, hide and seek, drawing with chalk, dancing to music they listen to, etc. When I look on other websites I am given a completely different number (about 700-ish calories for 8 hours). Now I am definitely going with the lower of the two because I always would rather underestimate than overestimate. Anyone have any clue what the calorie burn rate is for this??? Due to the huge discretion I am just super curious, lol.

heybales

On MFP it tells me for about 8 hours I would burn 2,000 calories while standing (I weigh 123 lbs.) I teach at a pre-school and am literally on my feet for 8 hours. Inside activities have me on my feet, bending, squating, moving....and outside I am pushing kids on swings, playing tag, hide and seek, drawing with chalk, dancing to music they listen to, etc. When I look on other websites I am given a completely different number (about 700-ish calories for 8 hours). Now I am definitely going with the lower of the two because I always would rather underestimate than overestimate. Anyone have any clue what the calorie burn rate is for this??? Due to the huge discretion I am just super curious, lol.

Yet another view!
http://briancalkins.com/caloriecalc.htm
picked slowest walking - 1112

http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/calculat.htm
Office - standing - 1028

This is exactly the reason why you should actually just pick a more accurate activity level on your MFP Settings - Profile.
Probably Moderate active.

Because you really don't want to record this as exercise and try to eat it back.
This type of low key activity, even if tiring and wearing, burns mainly fat for energy, and therefore just adds to the maintenance calories, from which your deficit comes from.

This is a great thing actually, as deficit should only be taken from maintenance, and protects your BMR from being lowered.

MarineWifey09

On MFP it tells me for about 8 hours I would burn 2,000 calories while standing (I weigh 123 lbs.) I teach at a pre-school and am literally on my feet for 8 hours. Inside activities have me on my feet, bending, squating, moving....and outside I am pushing kids on swings, playing tag, hide and seek, drawing with chalk, dancing to music they listen to, etc. When I look on other websites I am given a completely different number (about 700-ish calories for 8 hours). Now I am definitely going with the lower of the two because I always would rather underestimate than overestimate. Anyone have any clue what the calorie burn rate is for this??? Due to the huge discretion I am just super curious, lol.

Yet another view!
http://briancalkins.com/caloriecalc.htm
picked slowest walking - 1112

http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/calculat.htm
Office - standing - 1028

This is exactly the reason why you should actually just pick a more accurate activity level on your MFP Settings - Profile.
Probably Moderate active.

Because you really don't want to record this as exercise and try to eat it back.
This type of low key activity, even if tiring and wearing, burns mainly fat for energy, and therefore just adds to the maintenance calories, from which your deficit comes from.

This is a great thing actually, as deficit should only be taken from maintenance, and protects your BMR from being lowered.

Yeah I don't really log it because I am so unsure of the amount of calories burned so if anything it helps me by not including it. Thank you for this!

heybales

Yeah I don't really log it because I am so unsure of the amount of calories burned so if anything it helps me by not including it. Thank you for this!

But it should be in the calculations, or else you could be always underfeeding yourself, and your metabolism will just lower to compensate.

especially this close to your goal, it's a finer line that can happen easily, well, your bigger potential maintenance makes it safer, if you enter it in by selecting higher activity level.
Don't worry, it won't go up by 1000.

MarineWifey09

Yeah I don't really log it because I am so unsure of the amount of calories burned so if anything it helps me by not including it. Thank you for this!

But it should be in the calculations, or else you could be always underfeeding yourself, and your metabolism will just lower to compensate.

especially this close to your goal, it's a finer line that can happen easily, well, your bigger potential maintenance makes it safer, if you enter it in by selecting higher activity level.
Don't worry, it won't go up by 1000.

So I should change my settings so that I am at the highest level of activity since my job entails being on my feet for 8 hours? I workout 6-7 days a week as well.

Articeluvsmemphis

doesn't necessarily matter just because it's your normal physical activity that you are use to doing, nothing out of the ordinary, we burn calories all day, doesn't technically aid in weight loss

amoffatt

Out of curiosity I would wear a heart rate monitor all day just to see the actual calories burned. I did this during my exercises on the elliptical and the numbers burned on the machine are different than what the HRM says.

heybales

So I should change my settings so that I am at the highest level of activity since my job entails being on my feet for 8 hours? I workout 6-7 days a week as well.

Well, those are jobs with heavy lifting all day long too, iron workers, construction workers, ect.
Probably moderate active.

And then eating your exercise calories back that are accurately estimated.

I'll bet your tiredness is really more related to lowered metabolism from underfeeding your level of activity.

If you have a regular routine, and want to more finely nail that daily activity, you might just appreciate a different way of setting up the whole goal routine, so you don't underfeed your metabolism and cause it to suppress.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/471769-an-easier-way-to-setup-goal-calories-eating-for-who-you-wi

heybales

Out of curiosity I would wear a heart rate monitor all day just to see the actual calories burned.

Sadly the calorie estimates from HRM's, even the most accurate, are based on calculations on HR's in an aerobic zone of certain capacity, normally between 90-150 only.

Outside that range, the calcs fall apart, especially on the lower side.

http://www.braydenwm.com/cal_vs_hr_ref_paper.pdf

It might be interesting for half a day to see what the AHR ends up being.

MarineWifey09

So I should change my settings so that I am at the highest level of activity since my job entails being on my feet for 8 hours? I workout 6-7 days a week as well.

Well, those are jobs with heavy lifting all day long too, iron workers, construction workers, ect.
Probably moderate active.

And then eating your exercise calories back that are accurately estimated.

I'll bet your tiredness is really more related to lowered metabolism from underfeeding your level of activity.

If you have a regular routine, and want to more finely nail that daily activity, you might just appreciate a different way of setting up the whole goal routine, so you don't underfeed your metabolism and cause it to suppress.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/471769-an-easier-way-to-setup-goal-calories-eating-for-who-you-wi

You made it all make perfect sense! I just hate that my BMR is like 1282 but to lose weight I am at a goal of about 1500 kcal/day. I couldn't live eating 1282 calories a day (half-joking). I have an appetite!! LOL

HonkyTonks

Change activity level to lightly-moderately active - it's impossible to measure exactly how many calories you're burning whilst doing your job, best just go with that average/estimate.