How Many Calories Would You Burn At a Landscaping Job?

intrepidelephant
intrepidelephant Posts: 100 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Large Properties. 12 plus hours a day. 6 hours line trimming (professional level ie. 3 times faster than a home owner. Trimmer is 20 lbs). 4 hours riding tractor. Loading and Unloading truck (eg. 50 lb gas can, 70 lb compressor etc.), Driving around to different sites. Cold and Hot Weather.

Eating 3000 plus calories doing this and LOSING weight. 5'6 135 lbs female.

How much does work like this actually burn?

Calculator seems to have no clue.

Biggest problem seems to be getting so tired that you fall asleep at the end of the day before you can eat enough. One girl recommended eating two dinners instead of one.

Replies

  • henrylorb
    henrylorb Posts: 4
    It sounds like you need a heart rate monitor to see what you're really burning. Also, make sure on your diet/fitness profile settings, you say you have a very active lifestyle so MFP can take that into account when recommending calorie intake.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    I don't think this is accurately measurable. It would depend on the individual doing the work (weight, fat %, muscle to fat ratio...etc.) and how much effort that person exerted during each activity on a given day and maybe even the temperature of the day. I don't know. I would suggest a heart rate monitor or fit-bit.

    But if you do this pretty much daily, you could just adjust your activity level to high and only log calories lost due to planned exercise.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    doesn't matter that should be included in your activity level ..such as very active...instead of lightly active...or active.

    My son is a welder and we set his at very active as he is on the go all day everyday when he is working and lugging crap everywhere...heavy metals etc.
  • intrepidelephant
    intrepidelephant Posts: 100 Member
    Very Active for me is supposed to be 2600 calories. This absolutely too little.
  • zeal26
    zeal26 Posts: 602 Member
    Should be included in your activity level.
  • Sara2652
    Sara2652 Posts: 158 Member
    Aww, fellow female landscaper here! Well sort of I'm a gardener working between nursery and job sights. Lots of bending over, lifting and running around but some days are easier then others.


    I use a FITbit one to track milage and it updates to my fitness pal. Diary is open feel free to peek or friend me.

    My problem became not eating much till the end of the day then hitting up the drive thru (maybe more) gotta love the iced coffee with cream and sugar.

    My guess with energy (considering I don't know what you are eating now) is upping the carbs a bit. Since spring is here I've been messing around trying to find a good fit and trying to bulk up my meals without adding to much variety that could lead to bingeing for me.
  • intrepidelephant
    intrepidelephant Posts: 100 Member
    Love Iced coffees. High calorie and wash the dust out of my throat. Gotten lazy about fruits and vegetables. Eating 500 calories in carrots or apples seems such a waste when you have no energy, and they have no calories. At the end of the day, muffins and takeout are so delicious and high-calorie.
  • beertrollruss
    beertrollruss Posts: 276 Member
    The closest thing I can think of would be the moving furniture option or possibly basketball. If you want a better idea, you'll need a heart monitor.

    Bigger meals thru out the day would be better than one large meal at the end unless you're the type who doesn't like working with a lot of food in their stomachs. If that's the case, the two dinners might work. One meal right after work and another 2-3 hours later.
  • Hadley_SM
    Hadley_SM Posts: 43 Member
    I am the same weight and height as you... when I am running like a 9 minute mile (which is pushing myself to almost my max effort for an extended period of time) with my Polar HRM I burn about 9-10 calories per minute...

    Depending on what type of physical shape you think you are in (cardiovascular wise) I would say it would be somewhere in that range... maybe a bit lower... I did construction 2 summers ago in 90 degree heat, climbing ladders, carrying a heavy nail gun up and down the ladder, nailing sheetrock, carrying all sorts of wood, framing walls, etc and I wore my HRM a couple times and I think on average my heat rate was around 145.... when I am running full speed is it usually around 175.

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