Calories Burned while at work

Weaz66

I work as a flagger (traffic control for paving companies). I'm the one everyone likes to get mad at for stopping them when they are running late to get somewhere. I'm the person that holds the 'Stop/Slow Paddle' on the roadways. My question is: I stand for very long hours (can be up to 12-14 hrs a day). While I'm standing all those hours....I fidget, pace back and forth, walk in place, squats, heel rises, arm circles....anything I can do when a car isn't in front of me (or they'd think I was going coo-coo). I don't keep track of numbers for the various little things I do as I need to monitor a walkie talkie and its not continous. I have looked up on several fitness sites "How many calories are burned" and the closest thing I can find is 153 calories an hour for just standing with light/moderate activity level. If I calculate my 12 hours into that it comes to 1836 calories are burned. Somehow that doesn't seem possible and I surely cannot eat back that many calories. Any suggestions on ways I may be able to calculate it better? I do not own a HRM at this time (hopefull in the near future). Do you think it would be best for me to have one to help me get the results I'm looking for?

nataliefamily3

I work as a food runner in a restaurant. basically I just walk food on trays back and forth from the kitchen to all parts of the restaurant, there's about 100 tables and two bars, all night long. I don't bother trying to add up calories for this instead I just set my daily activity level on my fitness pal to 'active' and it will accommodate for it in your plan/ calories you should eat. I might however start counting the calf lifts and count those as they get tiring I do that when I'm standing around in the kitchen.

kdeaux1959

Of course a heart rate monitor would help monitor this. Since this is a part of your routine, you may want to set your activity level up a notch to reflect this additional activity.. Key is... When you add your calories in and activity does it cause a weight loss consistent with projections... If so... I'd not worry about it too much. At the end of the day, I think it is about the results.. We really get no brownie points for calories burned vs consumed... It is all abou the results.

TrishJimenez

I am a food server in a large restaraunt and I burn about 2700 a day when I work a normal shift 6-7 hours. A heart rate monitor would be a very good investment. I have a bodymedia that tells me exactly how many calories I burn in a day. You can also set your activity to active or lightly active. This was big issue for me too trying to figuire out if I was eating enough or to much. Turns out I was eating not enough. On days I worked but didnt go to the gym I would only eat 1200 calories. That means most days I had a deficit of 1500 instead of 1000. I needed to eat more. So it is important. Sorry I could not help more.

MindyG150

Just my 2 cents....

I too work a very physical job in a mail house, copy shop, and warehouse. I have been doing it for almost 20 years. My body is so used to this I don't consider it with my counts each day. I have my calories set at my goal BMR and it's working for me.

AGAIN...just my 2 cents.

jsp2374

I would look at getting a Fitbit or Body Media Fit for an all day thing like that. From what I understand you only use a HRM when you are working out.

Pebble321

The simplest way is to bump your activity level up a notch - if you have it set at sedentary, go to lightly active, if you're at lightly active, go to active. This means that you have accounted for being more active during the day without having to try to work out the calories for every separate activity - now, that really would drive you coo-coo!

Try this for a month or so and see if you are losing weight at the rate you expect. If not, you can change things around after this time. Everything we enter is an estimate, all you can do it try out a set of numbers and see how they work out for you, then change them if needed.

Rosalindgr

bump; working; will read later.

catcrazy

The simplest way is to bump your activity level up a notch - if you have it set at sedentary, go to lightly active, if you're at lightly active, go to active. This means that you have accounted for being more active during the day without having to try to work out the calories for every separate activity - now, that really would drive you coo-coo!

Try this for a month or so and see if you are losing weight at the rate you expect. If not, you can change things around after this time. Everything we enter is an estimate, all you can do it try out a set of numbers and see how they work out for you, then change them if needed.

This sounds the best to me. Up your activity level 1 notch. You shouldn't be set as sedentary but if you are, up your activity level 2 notches.

Weaz66

Thanks everyone. I will start by uping the activity status first. I currently have it at 'Light'. I just wanted to make sure I was eating enough, I know that's important. I wasn't sure what all is factored into our activity levels that help determine our calories on MFP. I weigh myself weekly and measure myself every 2 weeks so well see how it goes.

Flaggermommy2

I too am a traffic flagger and I seem to lose 10-15 lbs every summer. I understand how hard it is to up the level of activity when you're literally just standing in one spot for 12+ hours a day. I always make sure to eat apples, or veggies when possible. I usually try not to eat finger foods too late in the day because my hands are all dirty by then and I rarely have any way it get them clean besides hand sanitizer.

Good luck with your weight loss journey. It's nice to meet another flagger I've noticed on busy road days I don't get much food at all and those are usually the days I am running around talking to motorists or just trying to keep things running smoothly.
Activity is up and intake is down. Probably not the healthiest but you know as well as I do, there isn't much to do about it