Adding Activity for Work as RN?

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SeaShelly75
SeaShelly75 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a nurse and work 12 hour night shifts where I am mostly walking/standing the whole time. I am wondering if I should add activity (aka calories) on these days? I am usually hungrier when I work, but that may also be associated with fatigue,stress of the work. I generally sleep a few hours less on these days as well. Any thoughts?? Thanks!!!

Replies

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Just set your activity level to active.
  • tinad120
    tinad120 Posts: 267 Member
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    I think when you set your calorie goals, instead of choosing sedentary, choose light activity since you are on your feet the whole time?
  • phynyxfyre
    phynyxfyre Posts: 145 Member
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    Two options I would consider:
    Up your activity level overall and only add things you do outside of work
    OR
    put it at sedentary and log everything

    Some people have a little gadget that they wear on their arm that counts every calorie they burn.... I haven't tried it and for the life of me can't remember the name, though I am sure someone on here does.
  • dg09
    dg09 Posts: 754
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    I agree with those above.

    Choose your activity level based on your job then add the exercise calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    It all depends.

    When you went through the setup process, it should have asked you about your activity level. There is actually an option for nurse/waitstaff type standing-all-day walking a lot jobs, but I can't remember which one it is.

    If you chose that, then your activity level and deficit already have that built in.

    If you chose "sedentary". then you should absolutely either adjust your lifestyle accordingly or log those calories, your choice. The math works about the same either way.

    Of course, if you've set everything up properly and still feel hungry and tired a lot, I'd start by looking at your overall diet. Are you getting your proteins, carbs, and fats in reasonable balance? Getting all your vitamins and minerals? Drinking plenty of water? If all of that is true, then it may be worth experimenting with eating just a little more and see if your energy levels come up a bit. Too large a deficit isn't really going to serve you well in the long haul.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    There are two strategies for you to pick from:

    For both, you should go into your settings and see what your goal should be for a sedentary lifestyle and for a moderately active (I think that is the one that lists nurse as a representative career, but it could also be lightly active) one. For this example I will say that mine would be 1700 sedentary or 1950 moderately active (a difference of 250 cals).

    Options:
    1) Pick moderately active AND make sure that on non-work days I burn somewhere around 250 cals that I don't log... A really long walk or something.
    2) Pick sedentary and log the 250 cals on days that I work.
  • SeaShelly75
    SeaShelly75 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you all for your posts. I think I am going to up my activity level to active from lightly active and on my days off get some exercise (which I normally do anyway) and see how I do. I know on many of the days I don't work I will likely eat below my calorie limit, so therefore if I go over a little on my work days I won't worry about it too much. I guess it is all just a work in progress. I am really trying to this slow and make it a lifestyle instead of a diet. I think with a little more calories it will be much easier to do that and still reach my goal. Thanks again for your input !
  • ricky_j_b
    ricky_j_b Posts: 64 Member
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    Two options I would consider:
    Up your activity level overall and only add things you do outside of work
    OR
    put it at sedentary and log everything

    Some people have a little gadget that they wear on their arm that counts every calorie they burn.... I haven't tried it and for the life of me can't remember the name, though I am sure someone on here does.

    we use a pedometer and it has kcal used,,,,
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
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    I'm a paramedic and I work 24 hour shifts. There are stretches of time lasting hours where the only reason I stop watching TV is to go to the bathroom. I definitely need to find some way to exercise at work.
  • downhomedixie13
    downhomedixie13 Posts: 11
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    I'm a paramedic and I work 24 hour shifts. There are stretches of time lasting hours where the only reason I stop watching TV is to go to the bathroom. I definitely need to find some way to exercise at work.

    I work two different security jobs so I know exactly what you mean, I mapped out what a mile is at my one job and make sure to walk it 3xs minimum, at the other job where I just sit all day at my desk I do some yoga, chair squats or calf raises. Check out this website for some workouts you can do: http://nanoworkout.com/
  • Ilovejacks
    Ilovejacks Posts: 153 Member
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    NO,only additional exercise:):flowerforyou:
  • ncthomas09
    ncthomas09 Posts: 322 Member
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    I'm a paramedic and I work 24 hour shifts. There are stretches of time lasting hours where the only reason I stop watching TV is to go to the bathroom. I definitely need to find some way to exercise at work.

    I work two different security jobs so I know exactly what you mean, I mapped out what a mile is at my one job and make sure to walk it 3xs minimum, at the other job where I just sit all day at my desk I do some yoga, chair squats or calf raises. Check out this website for some workouts you can do: http://nanoworkout.com/

    I am an EKG tech at a hospital and work 2nd shift. So about 95% of the EKG's are done by the day shift so I have on average 7 to do over 8 hours and it takes all of 5 minutes to do each one. But I chose my activity level to be sedentary and wear a pedometer, I take the stairs when I don't have my EKG machine with me and sometimes I just get up and walk around the hospital. But weekends are another story when I work because I do good to get in 4 orders.
  • carolinenorthrup
    carolinenorthrup Posts: 34 Member
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    I purchased a fitbit to calculate my activity during a shift at the hospital. It's been an eye opener and it's helped me to know how many calories I've burned so I'd know how much to eat that day.

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