Burning Calories on the JOB??

Options
Camilla00
Camilla00 Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
I do some pretty moderate physical activity while @ work. Out of pure curiosity, i decided to track my heart rate. Even though my results were no where near my bpm while working out, i got right up to about 125bpm @ certain parts of the night. In addition, I burned a pretty good amount of calories in a shift.

That being said, should I add the calories burned @ wrk to my exercise log, or only add information from when I am actually working out??

Replies

  • want2walknotwaddle
    want2walknotwaddle Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    i log my work calories and i have still lost weight and i dont do extra exercise on work days save a mile walk when i have picked kids up and the occassion game of dance on broadway with my little girl and so far lost 76lb since march 11
  • brenpope
    brenpope Posts: 93 Member
    Options
    generally, the activity you are doing at work doesn't count towards your activity points for the day. I used to try to tell my Dr. that I do a lot of lifting etc at work, and he would tell me it doesn't count because your body is used to it, and that you have to go over and above what you are doing at work to get the benefits of the exercise. I was so bummed when I heard that lol
  • elsteer
    elsteer Posts: 12
    Options
    I can't give a definite answer but I do know that we have 2 types of muscle. One doesn't burn a lot of calories as they are the regularly used muscles. When we work out we use smaller muscles (ones which aren't used in regular activites such as walking around the house) which burn a lot more calories.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    what have you set your activity level to? maybe you just need to review that & maybe change it. i agree with a previous poster though, if you have always done that exercise as part of your job, your body is used to it.
  • lolainlondon
    lolainlondon Posts: 160 Member
    Options
    i agree with a previous poster though, if you have always done that exercise as part of your job, your body is used to it.

    But the point is that if you all of a sudden stopped doing that activity and didn't change diet you would gain weight. It doesn't matter if your body is used to it or not (same with any workout you do). You do get *more* benefit from interval style workouts where you switch it up, but there are plenty of people I know who are fit and healthy and can easily track part of that to the physical work they do.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
    Options
    You have two ways to account for the calories burnt at work:

    1. Set your activity level to reflect your high level of activity at work. Don't log the work hours as extra exercise, only add in extra exercise if you run or go to the gym.

    2. Set your activity level to sedentary and enter calories burnt at work as well as planned exercise, then eat these cals.

    It doesn't matter which you choose, you just don't want to do both, or you would be counting those cals burnt twice and eating too much.
  • Camilla00
    Camilla00 Posts: 16
    Options
    what have you set your activity level to? maybe you just need to review that & maybe change it. i agree with a previous poster though, if you have always done that exercise as part of your job, your body is used to it.

    I'm not sure what my activity level is set to. Thats a good question:ohwell:

    Well, the work i do does change, so I don't think that my body has become used to the activity. some days, there is very minimal activity. Other days, while operating an automated machine the physical activity is much more intense. I could see where this would could cause confusion. For example, while working the other night, I burned a total of 3000 plus calories during my shift. Considering that I work nights, I have found that work is not enough to loose weight. I will not use the calories burned @ work that way i can prevent eating too many calories for the day.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    what have you set your activity level to? maybe you just need to review that & maybe change it. i agree with a previous poster though, if you have always done that exercise as part of your job, your body is used to it.

    I'm not sure what my activity level is set to. Thats a good question:ohwell:

    Well, the work i do does change, so I don't think that my body has become used to the activity. some days, there is very minimal activity. Other days, while operating an automated machine the physical activity is much more intense. I could see where this would could cause confusion. For example, while working the other night, I burned a total of 3000 plus calories during my shift. Considering that I work nights, I have found that work is not enough to loose weight. I will not use the calories burned @ work that way i can prevent eating too many calories for the day.

    maybe you should try and go for somewhere in the middle, and set your activity level to lightly active, and then on the days you feel you do loads of extra physical activity at work maybe log half of it?

Categories