Exercise..

imperfection_is_beauty
imperfection_is_beauty Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If I work at a retail store constantly bending and moving around, would you include that as an exercise?

Replies

  • Jellyphant
    Jellyphant Posts: 1,400 Member
    Nuh uh. It's your daily activity so when MFP asks what activity level you are at, I would say 'lightly active'. That way, it factors in your job and sets your calorie intake to reflect it. In my opinion, any workout should only be intentional. i.e. gym, outdoor activities.
    I don't believe in all the cleaning and cooking 'workouts.' Food for thought.
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
    Personally I would set your MFP to sedentary and ignore the "retail workout" all together. This is all part of your normal daily activity and your body is used to it. I would only record actual exercise that is out of the norm for you or not part of your normal daily routine. I agree with the prior poster that I would not count calories from cooking but cleaning is another story - if I don't do this regularly and then do it strenuously I would log it, same for gardening and yard work.....
  • patinaragazza
    patinaragazza Posts: 37 Member
    I agree with a mix of both posters as I used to wait tables, bartend, work retail etc... This type of work definitely makes a difference. So set your MFP to lightly active (or you will starve) and then only log real workouts and heavy cleaning, yard work etc...(cooking and shopping don't count if they are burning calories then they are lagniappe to your weight loss!) Good luck.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Unless it's a very strenuous job it counts as physical activity (known as Activities of Daily Living) not exercise. You should be doing a certain amount of activity each day for basic health - as opposed to weight management or fitness - in the UK the recommendation is 10,000 steps, not sure what the equivalent elsewhere is.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Find out the difference between what you get for calories when you're sedentary or lightly active and book those calories. And I have to say I completely disagree with the person who said to go with sedentary because that's part of your normal daily activity. I've worked retail before and have spent hours stocking, moving, etc. Just make sure you use your good judgement and don't overestimate how much you're doing - meaning if you find you're not losing, you may be overestimating the calories burned.
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    I work a physically demanding job but I dont count it as exercise.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Moving around doesn't mean exercise as far as getting your heart rate up. Unless you have your heart rate really elevated like with running, using an elliptical, zumba class, etc then you aren't really burning a whole lot more than if you were just standing around.
  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
    Set your lifestyle higher to account for the daily activity at work.

    I used to work retail and would walk for anywhere between 5 and 7 hours of my workday. I had my settings at the second highest and lost weight great.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    I agree about setting your lifestyle higher, for example, if you are set as sedentary, go with lightly or moderately active.
  • imperfection_is_beauty
    imperfection_is_beauty Posts: 53 Member
    Thanks for all the helpful advice!! (:

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