Warehouse work

tamaeus
tamaeus Posts: 51 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I work in a hot, sweaty warehouse for 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week (6 if you count Saturday). I count that as my exercise. I could be doing anything from taking down products to boxing them up for shipping to fast-walking from one side to another to hand-transporting heavy pallets from 1 place to another. I might even be just standing there tagging the products with the UPC (which can be exhausting at times). Last summer, doing this alone, not changing anything else, I lost 40 pounds!

When I log this into my diary, how should I do it? What type of exercise should I classify it as?

Replies

  • shaunroberts
    shaunroberts Posts: 94 Member
    Hey,
    I'm a Technical Storeman for an airline. Most days where humping and lumping Wheels, batteries, engines propellers etc. Everyday we walk miles....our stores is spread over 3 hangars.

    Personally I keep my level set at 'Lightly active'. I don't log it as excerise because for me I feel it falls within my normal routine. I feel this also gives me an even great calorie deficit than I account for...difference is I don't log it so don't feel inclined to eat them back lol

    Personally I wouldnt log it. Like I wouldn't log cutting the grass or washing the dishes.

    Shaun.
  • tamaeus
    tamaeus Posts: 51 Member
    I am logging it though. I work so hard and move so fast some days, it feels like I ran a marathon at the end of the day.

    I'd still like to know what kind of exercise it would be classified as. Thank you for your help though!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited August 2015
    It's your activity level because it's what you do,so,just set your activity to moderately to highly active and you'll get the calories from that

    Alternatively get a basic fitbit (one or zip) and it will adjust your calories automatically

    It's not exercise ..it's your life
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,974 Member
    edited August 2015
    tamaeus wrote: »
    I am logging it though. I work so hard and move so fast some days, it feels like I ran a marathon at the end of the day.

    I'd still like to know what kind of exercise it would be classified as. Thank you for your help though!
    It's not really "exercise" since that's usually something someone does outside of there regular work. Let me ask you, would you do all the stuff you've mentioned for free and call it exercise still? Or are you doing it because it's your job?
    Walking mailmen, walk for work. Carpenters lift and carry and nail wood. Ditch diggers dig ditches.

    These are just physical jobs that are at a higher activity level. So if you've marked very active on your parameters, you'd just need to eat your deficit and should lose weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    tamaeus wrote: »
    I work in a hot, sweaty warehouse for 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week (6 if you count Saturday). I count that as my exercise.

    When I log this into my diary, how should I do it? What type of exercise should I classify it as?

    Work (including commuting, housework, yard work and child care) is part of your activity level, and should not be logged as exercise. Work = activity level; workouts = exercise.

    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    I agree with the above, it should be factors as "activity level" not exercise. I would start at Very Active, monitor weight change for 3-4 weeks and adjust up or down based on experience.
  • tamaeus
    tamaeus Posts: 51 Member
    So despite the fact that I'm exhausted at the end of the day, it's still not considered exercise? That stinks! I get your point though.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited August 2015
    tamaeus wrote: »
    So despite the fact that I'm exhausted at the end of the day, it's still not considered exercise? That stinks! I get your point though.

    It totally counts—when you increase your activity level, you get more calories to eat.

    Maybe consider getting an activity tracker (like Fitbit)? They calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), the calories necessary to maintain your current weight.

    I enjoy the data. (And Fitbit challenges are fun.) YMMV.
  • tamaeus
    tamaeus Posts: 51 Member
    Okay, I get it. Thanks!
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    tamaeus wrote: »
    So despite the fact that I'm exhausted at the end of the day, it's still not considered exercise? That stinks! I get your point though.

    You clearly dont understand or appreciate the way MFP works. You dont get a medal just becayse its actual exercise as opposed to being ounted in your activity level. I agree with others its activity level if you wnat to do it correctly. If you wnat to choose soemthing else and count it as direct exercise then go ahead, but you are going to have trouble picking soemthing that covers you all day and somehow knows the effort and tasks you do.

    You still get a higher calorie allowance and if you believe your exhaustion should allow you even more then award yourself some and see if you still keep losing. Adjust as needed.
  • tamaeus
    tamaeus Posts: 51 Member
    999tigger wrote: »
    tamaeus wrote: »
    So despite the fact that I'm exhausted at the end of the day, it's still not considered exercise? That stinks! I get your point though.

    You clearly dont understand or appreciate the way MFP works. You dont get a medal just becayse its actual exercise as opposed to being ounted in your activity level. I agree with others its activity level if you wnat to do it correctly. If you wnat to choose soemthing else and count it as direct exercise then go ahead, but you are going to have trouble picking soemthing that covers you all day and somehow knows the effort and tasks you do.

    You still get a higher calorie allowance and if you believe your exhaustion should allow you even more then award yourself some and see if you still keep losing. Adjust as needed.

    I never thought I got a medal. And you're only half right, I don't understand hown this app works fully. I've only been on this diet and app for a week now. I didn't realize that I should be a master of this app by now.

    I've increased my activity level now, so it will be more accurate.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    tamaeus wrote: »
    I've increased my activity level now, so it will be more accurate.

    Weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you.

    You lost 40 lbs. last summer—you've got this.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,399 Member
    I haven't played with the activity level settings due to my activity on the job being a variable. But to some extent, without some experimentation into how many calories a person burns during the work day, it's a setting that might not be all that accurate IMO.

    And for the original poster, either way it is calories burned. I can't speak for you or others, but I've had jobs physical enough that I could lose weight and build some muscle as well. Just because the app isn't set up to show it as exercise doesn't mean that it isn't exercise IMO.

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