Driving a bus all Day

I would imagine it's about the same as I burn sitting at my desk all day...not much more that the cals burned to keep you alive. I wouldn't count that as exercise calories burned. That's not exercise. But that's just my opinion.

(edited to correct an error I have no explanation for...)

From all I've seen and read and researched and been told and blah and blah and blah ( There is A LOT out there), your body is going to burn calories no matter WHAT you do, whether driving a bus, desk-jockeying or just plain ol' laying in bed, having a steamy love affair with the remote control. These calories are sedentary burns ( is that even a phrase?), what your body requires to just live. I wouldn't look to count driving a bus, even if you sweat, as extra calories burned. Look to your caloric deficit and track any "actual" exercise you do. I am NOT saying driving isn't work and it can most definitely be an exercise in PATIENCE. I feel like I'm at a job the moment my kids get into the car.

I wondered the same mate, I can ride an industrial ride on lawnmower that vibrates and shakes the **** out of me for 5+ hours and the calorie burn is in this database reads similar to yours.I don't log it though thinking how can this be burning calories.

yer I hear you I don't count it, was just wondering as a lot of sites saying 50 to 200 per hour. Must be just mentally knackered, but I would say im burning more than being at a computer all day, as driving in a crazy city with peoples lifes at risk for 7 hours plus means you are concentrating 100 % of the time. Anyway im happy with the 500 to 1000 I am burning a day with exercise, just wanted to no for my food intake. Thanks for reply's.

I don't think concentrating burns anymore calories. :laugh: I have to concentrate too...but I think you are better off not counting it, like you said. If you think you are burning a fair amount of calories, change your profile from sedentary (if that's even what you are set at) to another level. That will give you more calories to make up for it.

I bet it is thou as if you went to work and only eat a basic ration you would be bloody drained I no I am, and eating what I am at the minute trying to keep to my goals is leaving me drained, that's why I thought id ask the question. Also don't women get the body shaking machines to help lose weight lol

Only the women who are still looking for that "Miracle" that allows then to lose weight without changing their diet/lifestyle!

As one poster suggested, if you are still set at sedentary, you may want to try "lightly active". Give it a few weeks and see if you don't feel better while continuing to lose lbs

I drive a truck for 8 to 14 hours a day. I figure the calories I burn are the same as someone sitting. I don't think there is a difference in calorie burn for operating heavy machinery. Up your ccalories 200 or so if you are tired that might help since you are doing an intense work out. I eat 1800 a day becouse I sit all day. This week I felt super drained maybe from the heat or weight loss or from my work outs. What ever I'm taking the weekend off and upping my calories aalot.than back to it on monday.

Mark;

If you'd permit me to wander a little "off track", I'd suggest that your original post (questions), and indeed the entire thread falls very close to the "discovering the meaning of life" discussions one can encounter in this brave, new, "cyberworld".

By that I mean no disrespect but rather that, as an intellectual exercise it's great (gaining knowledge always is), BUT as far as an effective use of your time, probably not so much.

I haven't looked at the links you provided so can't specifically address the questions you initially raised but as others have suggested, I'm assuming that the "number" you saw included a significant portion of you "basal" (normal, everyday, regardless of what you do) cal burn and some of the "multiplier" used by many calculators for your "normal" level of activity - but that's just a guess.

To me, the more important issue is that unless you (or anyone else) is a body builder, marathoner in training, or fitness/workout "nut", time spent attempting to "nail down" the exact number of cals burned walking x number of steps, mowing the lawn for x minutes, or doing yoga is time better spent on other aspects of your overall "diet/weight loss" efforts.

Yes, walking an hour a day WILL have SOME effect on your Cals Out (burned) number but the actual "number" is far less important than the health benefits attained.

To my mind, you are much better off either just "ignoring" the actual number of cals "out" (which is what I do), or simply "estimating" the AVERAGE cal burn in a "normal" week for those activities which exceed what a "sedentary" or "lite exercise" (or whatever "normal" level you select), would be.

Walk your dog an hour EVERY day (in addition to the "normal" walking you do back and forth to the bus, in the office, etc), and you weigh 180#, fine you've exceed the "norm" by 269 cals/day and could (theoretically) eat an extra 3 ozs of porterhouse.

BUT, that's ONLY if ALL your "other" numbers (BMR, TDEE, etc) are EXACTLY on the money (which I can almost "guarantee" neither yours or 99% of others, are not).

Not walking your dog two days in the week will almost certainly, never show up in your daily weigh-ins (although Rover might have an issue with it).
Neither will eating a few cals over or under your daily "target".

It's the AVERAGES, over a long enough period of time (2-3 weeks min) that matter - get them right and you're well on your way to knowing WHEN and by how much to make "adjustments" to either your Cals In or your exercise routine. Cals in will have a more pronounced effect and will result in being able to witness the effect in a shorter period of time. (This is NOT to say that increasing exercise isn't a good idea though).

Just makes more "sense" to me to spend the time trying to nail down the "other" numbers (especially TDEE or YOUR 0 gain/loss number (which will be constantly changing as you lose).
That's the number that REALLY matters when you reach your goal.

I get a different BMI for every site I visit.

Aero;
That's because there are a number of "common" protocols (at least 5 or 6) that are used by the various sites - each based on different studies, each with its own set of algorithms and "assumptions".
Most (if not all) design the algorithms to produce the "best" estimates at the "top" of the bell curve derived from their study so the further you are away from the "norm" (or anyone else is), the less "accurate" they become.

In addition, most "trackers" incorporate a "multiplier" to account for "normal" cal burn. Those multipliers are not necessarily "standardized" and can vary greatly from site to site. Some sites add or subtract seemingly "arbitrary" numbers - just because they "can", and others impose absolute minimums based on nothing more than "myth".

As a result, the point you make is more important than most (especially those "new" to the weight loss world), realize and you do them a service by bringing the point up.

Accurate, daily, "tracking" and recording of EVERY SINGLE calorie consumed, and DAILY weight ins (same time, same conditions each day) are the "key" to nailing down, YOUR numbers. We'll never be 100% accurate because there are simply too many variables, BUT we CAN be MUCH more accurate than ANY online calculator will every be - and it matters that we are.

It sounds like you are doing just fine and may even need to eat more if you are getting weak.