Tracking Excercise Calories

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Christine30412
Christine30412 Posts: 56
in Fitness and Exercise
I work 2 jobs and go to school full time. Obviously at school I am sitting and at one of my jobs I am also sitting at a desk. However, my family owns a store and I am constantly moving around the entire time I am there. I spend most of my time there...how do I account for the calories I burn?

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  • Christine30412
    Christine30412 Posts: 56
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    I work 2 jobs and go to school full time. Obviously at school I am sitting and at one of my jobs I am also sitting at a desk. However, my family owns a store and I am constantly moving around the entire time I am there. I spend most of my time there...how do I account for the calories I burn?
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about how many calories you burn working there I would just set my lifestyle in my goals as "active" and it will allow you some extra calories.
  • clewliss
    clewliss Posts: 640 Member
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    I have been told from other knowledgable people that you don't count your normal routines for exercise. Your body is use to "functioning" through the daily chores and to count that would only hurt yourself. I don't know if that's true or not, but I have never counted that just to be safe. Maybe someone "more in the know" can be more enlightening to you!
  • Christine30412
    Christine30412 Posts: 56
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    Well the thing with that is, we just opened the store, so my body really isn't used to it. I went from working 20 hours at a desk to working 40 hours on my feet.
  • tazzy
    tazzy Posts: 197
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    It comes down what your settings are whether you have classed yourself as sedentry active or very active like a postman that then gives you your daily calorie requirement without specific exercise. Lets face it you arent exactly running round sweating buckets all day with your heart rate up to like 80% of your maximum heart rate yes you are active and that would earn extra calories but its not classed as exercise.

    I put myself at modrrately active as I am a stay at home mum and am constantly doing stuff and spend no time during the day sat down. Now if you spent your whole day on the coach you would be sedentry. Go to your settings and work it in there not as exercise.
  • Christine30412
    Christine30412 Posts: 56
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    Clearly, you have never owned a grocery store. I stock shelves, lifting 25-50 pound boxes all day long as well as taking care of customers, sweeping and mopping the store several times a day...which is no simple task. I appreciate your advice, but don't assume you know what my job entails.
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
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    Like I said I would just set your activity level to very active.

    Yes you have to do moving and lifting, but like mentioned above if your heart rate isn't getting way up it really isn't giving you "exercise" benifits.

    I train horses in the summer (along with my full time job and cleaning my house and taking care of a family) and am constantly lifting a 40 pound saddle on and off colts and chasing them around, pulling and pushing on them. I work up quite a sweat, but I just change my activity level to very active, and follow the guide lines they give you there. I think you will be happier with your results if you don't try to count every little thing as exercise.
  • tazzy
    tazzy Posts: 197
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    Nobody is saying that you dont work hard what we are trying to say is when you exercise you raise your heart rate into the fat burning zone as a minimum but to really make it count you raise your heart rate to 85% of your maximum heart rate google it if you want to work out yours mine is 167 now that is a lot of effort on the elliptical just for 30 mins with a hell of a lot of sweat. I dont think you are like that all day as you would be ill if you were and it wouldnt be good for business. Just go to your profile and check your settings. The lifting will be good for building muscle but you dont get extra calories on this site for strength and again when you do reps at a gym you push yourself in constant motions like 20 reps one after each other no pause. Like anna_banana said you will be happier if you stop analising daily activities. I run round my yard with my kids sometimes but I dont think oh I must log that.

    Are you struggling with losing weight, have you hit that brick wall I just wonder why this is bothering you so much do you hate working out or so tired after work that you and want someone to say that this is enough exercise for 1 day. We are all here to help.

    If this is really bothering you go and buy a heart rate monitor wear it for work and work out exactly what you burn on a daily basis that is the only answer if you really want to add your work as exercise.
  • 9726172000
    9726172000 Posts: 428
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    I work at walmart and I am on my feet all day and I had set my activity level to active. Even though you have never done this before you are doing this now and probably will everyday for awhile until the store is up and running. If you don't get your heart rate up and to keep it up for atleast 30 minutes atleast 3 times a week (i.e excercise) then you really can't count on any extra cals. to eat because your body is pretty remarkable in adjusting in your daily physical activities like your job. I would bet that within 2 weeks your body will be use to your lifting, sweeping ect. I know my body got use to it in about 3 weeks and I am 45 years old and I am a stocker and I am constantly bending, lifting and reaching.
    Clearly, you have never owned a grocery store. I stock shelves, lifting 25-50 pound boxes all day long as well as taking care of customers, sweeping and mopping the store several times a day...which is no simple task. I appreciate your advice, but don't assume you know what my job entails.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
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    If you are seeking affirmation that your grocery store job is on par with high intensity cardio work, you will be very disappointed with your weight loss goals. Clearly, you are an active person. Having said that, I fully agree with the other posters that you should select "very active" in your profile, and NOT include the grocery store as a workout. Many of us have active jobs, but keep it separate from actual gym-type exercising.
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
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    The other option is to buy a heart-rate monitor and calculate the cals that you spend while at the store...

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