Should I enter my calories burned at work?

Scremoshells
Scremoshells Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm at a lost of what to do here. I have been working at a desk job for 4 years, working out at the gym 4x per week. I just started a 2nd part time job, where I waitress. It is constant moving between 4-5 hours a shift. It's hard to get to the gym now with my new schedule so I take walks on my lunch breaks and at night I try and get some abs and Yoga in.

Should I enter my calories from waitressing at walking at 2.0 pace? When I did that it was like 800 calories. I don't want to starve my body but I also don't want to overcompensate either.

Any advice would be much appreciated! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • holly1283
    holly1283 Posts: 741 Member
    No not really. That would be calculated with your activity level so they can figure out your calorie levels to lose.
  • Scremoshells
    Scremoshells Posts: 21
    Thanks Holly, I should mention I only work a few shifts a week, so I dont want to change that setting since its not every day.
  • helenrosemay
    helenrosemay Posts: 375 Member
    You could try using a pedometer. I used one for working in a shop for a 6 hour shift and didn't burn as many calories as logging it as exercise walking at 2.0 pace.
  • FJDodd
    FJDodd Posts: 140 Member
    I agree with Helen. I have found that MFP tends to over-exaggerate how many calories you burn during exercise. Some people say take what MFP gives you and cut it in half. But the most accurate way I have found is to use a heart monitor or pedometer.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    This is where something like a Fitbit comes in handy. It would tell you exactly how much extra you burn.
  • h_jeffrey
    h_jeffrey Posts: 23 Member
    You could get a FitBit. I love mine!
  • tilmoph
    tilmoph Posts: 72 Member
    I just include work in my basic activity level. My deficit and loss rate per 5 weeks has been accurately predicted, so I'd ay do that.
  • likeabanner
    likeabanner Posts: 88 Member
    I'm on my feet all the time between both of my jobs and 60-80 hours weekly. I factored that into MFP for the teacher/salesman setting since they/I aren't exactly walking or running around ALL the time, but definitely standing most of the day. However if I do find myself walking a lot doing something else... like walking my dog or walking around a theme park all day, I do factor that in separately. I have a pedometer that tells me steps obviously, and then there is a formula to calculate that into miles and calories online somewhere.

    But do beware of MFP overcalculating calories burned. For example... it might say I burn 300 calories on the elliptical in 20 minutes but I actually burned 220 or something like that.
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
    This is where something like a Fitbit comes in handy. It would tell you exactly how much extra you burn.

    Yep! I work in an office M- F but I work part time in retail (huge department store, lots of walking, standing shifting, sorting but randomly scheduled shifts and lengths) and I rely on my fitbit flex to track the extra movement rather than trying to use MFP to calculate it.
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 982 Member
    If its counted into your activity level then no. If not then yes count it.
  • DebMc2015
    DebMc2015 Posts: 9 Member
    I agree about the fitbit! It is pricey for a pedometer but it's worth it! I love mine!!
  • rhonderoo
    rhonderoo Posts: 145 Member
    I would definitely suggest a Fitbit. It's fairly accurate, and will sync with MFP. I run and walk, as well as go to the gym, and the ONLY thing I log is strength training. It keeps my calorie level pretty honest, and brings a good dose of reality in when you log. It doesn't work well with bicycling either, but general activity such as walking/running it is fabulous.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Thanks Holly, I should mention I only work a few shifts a week, so I dont want to change that setting since its not every day.

    Another option .....put your stats in for activity level of sedentary (office job) .....then put your stats in for activity level for active (waitress job) .......the difference will not be huge. You can then get a better estimate of what your waitress shifts burn.
  • syedsaad
    syedsaad Posts: 156 Member
    i had the same situation .... what i did was i checked how many extra calories MFP allots me for my activity level change by changing it once and then changed it back to what it was .... so on my part time active job days i ll just enter that amount of calories burned (a little less then what MFP allotted) as exercise .... i dont know thats right or not but thats what i did
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    Calories burned in jobs with a high amount of activity
    Examples: Construction workers, waitresses, farmers, custodians and maintenance workers, landscapers, professionals of a construction trade such as carpenters, plumbers, welders, roofers, or electricians.

    These professions require a lot of physically taxing activity. They might range widely in nature, but what they have in common is that they cover a lot of distance, or spend a lot of time hefting themselves or materials around in order to get a job done. They spent much of the day on their feet, and some of them must use their strength in often varying and unpredictable ways.

    With roughly 1500 steps taken each hour, these careers have people taking roughly 12,000 steps in an 8 hour period. By our calculations, that’s 175 calories per hour, or 1,400 in eight. Keep in mind that these numbers are based off of a 145 pound person. Considering that the occupations above have a higher than average male occupancy, body weights will tend to be higher and so will the caloric burn.

    http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/article-detail/Calories-Burned-by-Occupation-How-Many-Calories-Does-My-Job-Burn-/bj/
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    Another way to log long-duration, low-intensity exercise is to take the number from the MFP database, but subtract your base rate for the same amount of time. That way you only take the difference between what you burn walking at work versus the calories you naturally burn watching TV or whatever.

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