activity level for landscaping

osmall22
osmall22 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok see here's the deal. My job is lawn and landscaping. Monday-Friday 30-40 hours a week. I push mow, weed eat, and blow (commercial back pack blower). I'm on my feet all day (except driving from job to job and 30 minute lunch break). I currently have my activity level set to active, but I'm starting to wonder if I need to change it to very active, considering the amount of "cardio" I do each day. Any advice? I'm just scared I'm under eating (2250 cals to lose 1 lb a week). I'm currently tracking my macros and weighing my food when I'm home (breakfast and dinner) with a digital food scale. Lunch is usually fast food, but I still make it fit my macros. Also I can't tell if I'm losing to quick, or doing it just right, because my weight fluctuates so much. Probably because of the heat and water retention blah blah blah. Any advice on activity level? Thanks a ton!

Replies

  • dianefisher1947
    dianefisher1947 Posts: 35 Member
    How many calories do typical outdoor activities burn? It varies a lot depending on your size (the heavier you are, the more you burn), age (younger people burn more calories), and how much muscle you have (muscle burns more calories than fat). But on average, here’s what you might expect to burn per hour while cleaning up your yard:

    Shoveling snow: 400-600 calories per hour
    Heavy yard work (landscaping, moving rocks, hauling dirt): 400-600 calories per hour
    Raking and bagging leaves: 350-450 calories per hour
    Gardening: pulling weeds, planting flowers, etc.: 200-400 calories per hour
    Mowing the lawn: 250-350 calories per hour

    :drinker:
  • osmall22
    osmall22 Posts: 4
    I'm 19 male 146~ and 6'. Used to be 250 though! Trying to get rid of the last bit over stubborn lower belly fat. 4 abs show well when flexing. Body fat caliper shows 10-11% body fat. If that helps
  • dianefisher1947
    dianefisher1947 Posts: 35 Member
    I answered your question by going to Web MD and I copied what was there, hope it helps you...other than that I can't say much more...good luck
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Activity level is trial and error. I have a desk job, but I have my activity level set to active. I do not add exercise calories for weight lifting or all the walking I do during the day, but I always add my cardio calories and eat all of them back.

    The reason I went to active is because during my weight loss I was losing more weight for the calorie goal I had set. Change my activity level slowed my weight loss down.

    With all the moving around you do, and the fact that your weight is coming off faster than what your goals are, I'd say to raise your activity level, try it out for a few weeks, and see how things go.
  • sentaruu
    sentaruu Posts: 2,206 Member
    I would put lightly active down and see how it works out for you, if you are losing too quickly change it to active.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Unless you are near your goal weight or you feel you are constantly starving, 2250 calories a day is enough that you likely would not experience any negative effects of a larger deficit. I wouldn't just change based on arithmetic or some esoteric "guidelines".
  • osmall22
    osmall22 Posts: 4
    Wow, y'all are a huge help! I may change my goal to losing .5 lbs a week instead of 1 lb, simply because I have like 10 lbs max to lose. Y'all say trial and error, but I don't wanna be set back at all. I'm scared to change the activity level from active to very active. Although, it says an example of very active is "bike messenger" and "carpenter" or someone who is on their feet all day doing heavy physical activity all day
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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Ultimately you just have to pick one and go with it and make adjustments as necessary. In reality, nobody has a TDEE of exactly XXXX calories....these calculators just give you a good starting point.

    I used to do landscape construction and considered myself very active when I was doing that...and I ate like a horse.
  • osmall22
    osmall22 Posts: 4
    Edit: just weighed myself after eating around 500 over maintenance yesterday.. ~146 on the dot.

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