Logging standing-desk activity in MFP

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I am a work-from-home software person which means other than deliberate exercise (which I do do), I am virtually 100% sedentary. So I've started trialling a standing desk - I plan to spend some or all of my working hours standing at my computer rather than sitting.

I don't know the best way to incorporate this into MFP in terms of goals, exercise, etc. I have read that standing burns around 50 calories per hour more than sitting so I could add a CV exercise "standing up" for X hours per day. Or should I change somewhere my profile from totally sedentary to a more active job type? I want to accurately account for my calories used and consumed is all...
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Replies

  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    Personally, I'd up my lifestyle to lightly active to accommodate for the extra calories.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Standing isn't actually an activity. Well, no more than sleeping or sitting are activities, and people aren't lining up to log those. Just enjoy the fact that you're doing something to improve your health and leave it at that.
  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
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    Standing isn't actually an activity. Well, no more than sleeping or sitting are activities, and people aren't lining up to log those. Just enjoy the fact that you're doing something to improve your health and leave it at that.
    This. I wouldn't log it. Eventually, it won't make a difference in calories your body will adjust. When I became a waitress (running around up and down stairs) I lost about 5lbs. Then nothing without try to lose. I got a day job and then bam, gained like crazy. Your body will will adjust to standing and then you won't be burning extra calories. The same reasoning why you need to change up your workouts to continue burning as high. I hope that makes sense!!
  • OMGeeeHorses
    OMGeeeHorses Posts: 732 Member
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    I have a bodymedia armband and for standing for 1 hour, I only burn like 15 calories.. SO I myself don't log it as an activity. Seeing as I am required to stand for long periods and are not choosing to do it for exercise :)
  • gabbygirl78
    gabbygirl78 Posts: 936 Member
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    Standing isn't actually an activity. Well, no more than sleeping or sitting are activities, and people aren't lining up to log those. Just enjoy the fact that you're doing something to improve your health and leave it at that.

    this!
  • kaseymei
    kaseymei Posts: 164
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    I have a stand up work station and I do 50/50 standing and sitting. However, I haven't changed anything in my profile or logged anything different.
  • WhataBroad
    WhataBroad Posts: 1,091 Member
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    Standing isn't actually an activity. Well, no more than sleeping or sitting are activities, and people aren't lining up to log those. Just enjoy the fact that you're doing something to improve your health and leave it at that.

    I agree
  • Mr_Boy
    Mr_Boy Posts: 42 Member
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    Standing isn't actually an activity. Well, no more than sleeping or sitting are activities, and people aren't lining up to log those. Just enjoy the fact that you're doing something to improve your health and leave it at that.
    This. I wouldn't log it. Eventually, it won't make a difference in calories your body will adjust. When I became a waitress (running around up and down stairs) I lost about 5lbs. Then nothing without try to lose. I got a day job and then bam, gained like crazy. Your body will will adjust to standing and then you won't be burning extra calories. The same reasoning why you need to change up your workouts to continue burning as high. I hope that makes sense!!
    Well. it's medically proven that standing does burn more calories than sitting, it slightly elevates your heart rate. If you stop losing weight after changing your lifestyle it doesn't mean your body can magically do it for free, it could be many other factors.

    I am not wanting to log this to falsely boost my exercise, but because I want to use MFP to accurately monitor my calorie usage. If I walk into town to go shopping, this isn't for exercise but I'd log it for accuracy. Potentially standing all day Vs sitting all day could be several hundred calories and if I'm not going to log that, I might as well not bother at all - according to what I've seen my calories burned could be more affected by this than by my actual exercise!

    It's also useful to track weeks where I do stand or not, against weight gain/loss, to see if it really does make a difference.
  • SkinnyFatAlbert
    SkinnyFatAlbert Posts: 482 Member
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    Make sure to log light cleaning also.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
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    Do you feel like you need those extra couple hundred calories in your day? If you're getting along fine without them, just consider it free deficit that you won't eat back. It's probably not much, but it'll add up with time.
  • JerseyGirlinTN
    JerseyGirlinTN Posts: 144 Member
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    Standing isn't actually an activity. Well, no more than sleeping or sitting are activities, and people aren't lining up to log those. Just enjoy the fact that you're doing something to improve your health and leave it at that.
    This. I wouldn't log it. Eventually, it won't make a difference in calories your body will adjust. When I became a waitress (running around up and down stairs) I lost about 5lbs. Then nothing without try to lose. I got a day job and then bam, gained like crazy. Your body will will adjust to standing and then you won't be burning extra calories. The same reasoning why you need to change up your workouts to continue burning as high. I hope that makes sense!!
    Well. it's medically proven that standing does burn more calories than sitting, it slightly elevates your heart rate. If you stop losing weight after changing your lifestyle it doesn't mean your body can magically do it for free, it could be many other factors.

    I am not wanting to log this to falsely boost my exercise, but because I want to use MFP to accurately monitor my calorie usage. If I walk into town to go shopping, this isn't for exercise but I'd log it for accuracy. Potentially standing all day Vs sitting all day could be several hundred calories and if I'm not going to log that, I might as well not bother at all - according to what I've seen my calories burned could be more affected by this than by my actual exercise!

    It's also useful to track weeks where I do stand or not, against weight gain/loss, to see if it really does make a difference.

    In 8 hours it burns approximately 100-200 more calories total. The difference would be negligible.

    http://www.ehow.com/about_5472437_calories-burned-standing-vs-sitting.html
  • KeViN_v2pt0
    KeViN_v2pt0 Posts: 375 Member
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    I am a work-from-home software person which means other than deliberate exercise (which I do do), I am virtually 100% sedentary. So I've started trialling a standing desk - I plan to spend some or all of my working hours standing at my computer rather than sitting.

    I don't know the best way to incorporate this into MFP in terms of goals, exercise, etc. I have read that standing burns around 50 calories per hour more than sitting so I could add a CV exercise "standing up" for X hours per day. Or should I change somewhere my profile from totally sedentary to a more active job type? I want to accurately account for my calories used and consumed is all...

    hFBDC3E3E
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
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    Standing isn't actually an activity. Well, no more than sleeping or sitting are activities, and people aren't lining up to log those. Just enjoy the fact that you're doing something to improve your health and leave it at that.

    This.
  • bugaha1
    bugaha1 Posts: 602 Member
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    I never log anything I actually did during the years I got fat, like walking, cleaning, standing, mowing ect..I only track real cardio activities that I do that will raise my heart rate.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    50 calories an hour sounds really high ........if you boosted your daily activity level from sedentary to lightly active....you will see a difference of less than 200 calories....certainly not several hundred.
  • Mr_Boy
    Mr_Boy Posts: 42 Member
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    I never log anything I actually did during the years I got fat, like walking, cleaning, standing, mowing ect..I only track real cardio activities that I do that will raise my heart rate.
    Walking is a real cardio activity, that's why when I used to walk everywhere I was really skinny

    As for mowing, well if it's a ride-on mower I can see where you went wrong ;)

    Anyhow, I will maybe just tweak my profile accordingly from "lazy slob" to "lightly active".
  • Moriarty_697
    Moriarty_697 Posts: 226 Member
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    I'm just thinking of all the calories I've burned over the years using the urinal. . . :-)

    Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm with the people who don't track everyday activity. That said, I do think it's great you're trying a standing desk. There have been too many studies coming out highlighting the dangers of a mostly sitting lifestyle. I know it's something I struggle with.
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
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    My boss just got a standing desk with treadmill under it. She loves it, it took her a day or two to get used to walking while typing, but she's a pro now!
  • RunThinLift2Tone
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    My boss just got a standing desk with treadmill under it. She loves it, it took her a day or two to get used to walking while typing, but she's a pro now!

    For real!?!?! That is smothered in awesome! I soooo want a treadmill standing desk!
  • Moriarty_697
    Moriarty_697 Posts: 226 Member
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    My boss just got a standing desk with treadmill under it. She loves it, it took her a day or two to get used to walking while typing, but she's a pro now!

    For real!?!?! That is smothered in awesome! I soooo want a treadmill standing desk!

    Agreed. That would be great.