Question about tracking calories Burnt

MandyC82

Hi! I recently got a heart monitor that tracks my calories. I have a very active job so I decided to wear it to work today to see how many calories I burn at work. It turned out being 870!! So, my question is, should I track that as exercise? I already have my settings as Lightly Active. I don't know what to do!

jlewis2896

I personally would not count is as exercise as you have already modified your settings to 'lightly active', but I know people who do log their work.

The thing is, you would have to know how many calories you burn just sitting there. The full 870 calories is inlcuding what you burn at rest -- so if you do end up logging it, make sure you know the actual EXTRA calories you are burning while working.

CMomma23

If it is calories that you burn doing what you do everyday, I wouldn't track it. I would leave it as your general lightly active daily burn. Or even consider raising your activity level. For me, the only exercise I track, is actual intentional exercise. I am a stay at home mom, so I am lightly active chasing around my 9 month old, running errands, doing laundry, and cleaning house. I clean on a daily basis, however, I usually do not track this as exercise, because it's part of my job, my daily routine burn. So definately to see better results, I would not track your work as exercise (unless you were a fitness instructor or something, lol)

Marko3

I wouldn't track it, because doing so will show that you have an extra 800 calories that you could eat that day also, and if you follow that mindset, well, it's just going to take longer. I tend to only track exercise when I go out planning to exercise, like walking the dog, or a trip to the gym with exercise being the sole reason for the activity. That way you keep yourself honest.

brittney1211

I agree- if you're settings report Lightly active you are already accounting for those calories. : )

MandyC82

Thanks everyone, that makes a lot of sense. I wish you could customize your activity level though. Like M-F activity different then Sat and Sun. Plus I wish I could know how much calories are burnt at the lightly active level. But, whatevs!