Does my weekend job count as exercise?

mikeswife04

Ok, I sell Insurance so I am on my butt ALL DAY Monday through Friday. I work out everyday (minus Friday) doing Jillian Michaels DVD's for 30 minutes a day.

I waitress Friday nights and Saturdays (which is why I skip JM on Fridays). So my question is..... I track my waitress job as walking (slow pace) for 2 hours (even though I work for 4.5 to 5.5 hours. Should I be doing that? I haven't gained ANY weight at all but I haven't lost any either. I'm not upset with that though. I went from 220 to 134-136.

I just do not want to sabatage myself by putting stuff in the exercise diary that should not be there!!!

Any input would be greatly appreciated!!!!

secretlobster

Lots of people have different techniques. If you are logging it as calories burned and still losing weight, then it doesn't matter what other people tell you, because it's working. And if you're not "eating back calories" (I hate this term) then it doesn't really matter either way.

I personally wouldn't log anything as exercise that wasn't an effort for the sake of a workout. I walked around every day even when I was fat.

DontStopB_Leakin

Lots of people have different techniques. If you are logging it as calories burned and still losing weight, then it doesn't matter what other people tell you, because it's working. And if you're not "eating back calories" (I hate this term) then it doesn't really matter either way.

I personally wouldn't log anything as exercise that wasn't an effort for the sake of a workout. I walked around every day even when I was fat.

^This.

If you're losing, it's working. If you're not, it's not working.

RobynLB

Waitressing can be really demanding, but that can vary from night to night. Maybe get a 10 dollar pedometer and track the distance rather than counting the time?

jeepyj93

I waitress full time and walk fast and hard for 5 hours a day and I never count it as exercise I only count what I actually do such as your JM.

slcostel

I would say no.

As a waitress and a bartender myself, I know for a fact that I'm not constantly walking for 2 hours (lucky! such a short shift! :P). You're stopping at the server station. You're stopping at the table. You're stopping at the computer. And if you have a second to have a breather, you're usually stopping. You are not CONSTANTLY walking. You may be constantly on your feet, but that's not the same thing at all.

I just log in my actual workouts, or when I walk my dog. Think of them as bonus calories that you're burning but not logging, otherwise you'd be setting yourself up for failure.

jnh17

I would. I wouldn't necessariy "eat back the calories" but considering I signed up using the 2nd to lowest daily activity level, waiting tables would definately NOT fall into that catergory. For instance, we don't have family close so we had ONE night to start/finish our Christmas shopping for our 3 kids so it was balls to the wall. FIVE hours of shopping. I logged it as 2 hours of walking at 2 mph along with my Insanity workout which was well over 1k calories for the day. So basically, for information purposes only I would do it...

Firefox7275

How many steps do you walk in a given weekend shift? If it's less than 10,000 then it's just lifestyle activity not exercise over and above minimum. Ditto your weekday: you may find a 30 minutes DVD doesn't even have you hitting the minimum recommendation and stop you being classed as sedentary. It might be worth getting a cheap pedometer instead of guesstimating.

Looking at your food diary you are not really eating a balanced diet, not getting all the nutrients your body needs for health and for a strong metabolism. I don't see nine servings of fruit and veggies, mineral rich foods nor oily fish but you are eating quite a lot of your calories as processed junk that the body finds easy to digest and convert to energy or body fat (this should be no more than 10% which is one small snack). Often getting the basics of a healthy lifestyle in place is what triggers the body into weight loss.

jnh17

How many steps do you walk in a given weekend shift? If it's less than 10,000 then it's just lifestyle activity not exercise over and above minimum. Ditto your weekday: you may find a 30 minutes DVD doesn't even have you hitting the minimum recommendation and stop you being classed as sedentary. It might be worth getting a cheap pedometer instead of guesstimating.

Looking at your food diary you are not really eating a balanced diet, not getting all the nutrients your body needs for health and for a strong metabolism. I don't see nine servings of fruit and veggies, mineral rich foods nor oily fish but you are eating quite a lot of your calories as processed junk that the body finds easy to digest and convert to energy or body fat (this should be no more than 10% which is one small snack). Often getting the basics of a healthy lifestyle in place is what triggers the body into weight loss.

Really? I thought it was calories in vs calories out? Hmmm.

Firefox7275

Really? I thought it was calories in vs calories out? Hmmm.

Calories is only part of the equation, efficiency plays a role, hormones and enzymes in digestion and energy production. If it was only calories we could all eat 500 kcal a day under our TDEE nothing but sugar or nothing but vegetable oil since those are calories, right? Lose bodyfat and maintain muscle. There are studies linking nutrients in certain foods with reduced body fat, for example calcium in dairy, omega-3s in oily fish, antioxidants in certain fruits and green tea, fats in coconut oil. Protein is a PITA to convert to bodyfat, there are many steps and it is inefficient so a fairly high percentage of calories are wasted in the process. Calories out is not even that simple, because there is an 'afterburn' effect with very intense activity which can last a couple of days.

mikeswife04

Yeah I wasn't sure.... I am at my goal weight but wouldn't mind a bit more pounds lost lol.... I LITERALLY sit M-F 8-5... I got the waitress job to add a bit more exercise to my life lol... I NEVER eat back my burned calories... NEVER but I did recently up my calories to 1700 from 1350... I was stuck, since then I have lost a pound or two more....

As far as eating right.. I AGREE!!! I try to eat healthy but it is kinda expensive. I will do my damnest to eat cleaner though. I have to.. I am taking a 1 a day vitamin also to help with the nutrients I am not getting from he food.

I just wanted to know what you guys though. I figured since I didn't waitress often I could count it... I only have 5.5 hour shifts at the most... (because by time Saturday rolls around I'm POOPED!!!!) I get up at 4am to do JM workouts just to be at Allstate by 8.

I really do appreciate the input though you guys!!!

liftingcoach

How did you answer the question about your lifestyle habits? If you listed yourself as sedentary because you work in an office all week, then it is definitely out of the ordinary and needs to be added to the equation. If you said you were somewhat active, (on your feet all day) because of this weekend job, it is probably already factored into your caloric equation.

alpine1994

I was overweight when I was a full-time waitress. I am at a healthy weight now and I sit on my butt at a desk job full-time. If you're trying to lose and you say that if you log it as exercise you maintain, I would try not logging it as exercise and see what happens. My MFP settings that I have now exist because of trial-and-error.

mikeswife04

Well..... When I set up my MFP account I only had the Allstate job... So I put it at sedentary I haven't changed it either... so I guess I've been doing it right huh lol

It seems to be doing well. I just wanna make sure I'm not messing up lol... I'm a worry wort so I had to ask hehe