Burning calories while at work? What would it count as?

Poecile
Poecile Posts: 46 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was wondering, what would unloading a truck count as in terms of exercise? Where I work, I am unloading a truck (which for me is lifting clothes out of boxes, hanging, pulling rails of clothes out onto the floor) for about two and a half to three hours. Then there's a fifteen minute break, and the last hour and 45 minutes are spent processing products. That involves lifting some fairly heavy boxes as well.

I calculated 4.75 hours of work as "walking 2.0mph, slow pace" and it says I would burn 1,212 calories! That can't be right, can it?

Also, I only work one day a week (awful, I wish I could get a real job), so is my body used to it, or does it count as exercise?

Replies

  • fitby38
    fitby38 Posts: 307 Member
    no ... it counts as work
  • Poecile
    Poecile Posts: 46 Member
    Yes, I understand it's work, considering it's my job. I am burning calories either way, and because I only work one day a week (to be honest, I wish I could do more), I don't know if I'm burning less because my body is used to working on Mondays, or if it's acting as though I'm working out for upwards of five hours.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    You are more active and burning more calories, but do you work up a sweat? Do you feel your heart rate increase? Have a heart rate monitor?

    Otherwise I wouldn't bother. Since if you over estimate it is just going to set you back
  • camila_scl
    camila_scl Posts: 238 Member
    I believe it counts as work where you burn calories. Maybe not as much as 1200 but yeah, it should count as working out. Think about it, do you get extra hungry those days? that's because you were working out at your job and burn off calories :)
  • Poecile
    Poecile Posts: 46 Member
    You are more active and burning more calories, but do you work up a sweat? Do you feel your heart rate increase? Have a heart rate monitor?

    Otherwise I wouldn't bother. Since if you over estimate it is just going to set you back

    I do work up a sweat working, and I'm more active than normal (I'm just starting my weightloss program, so I'm building up my exercise slowly instead of just jumping in and just exhausting myself and giving up), but it's not terribly difficult. It's just the length of time moving around in that way.

    It sounds like a hassle to try and figure it out. I do have a pedometer, so I think I'll just wear it tomorrow and see how many steps I've taken and not worry about calories.
  • sun33082
    sun33082 Posts: 416 Member
    It counts as exercise since it's not your normal daily activity (you're only doing it one day a week). Log it the best that you can and be conservative. Or buy an HRM.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    You are more active and burning more calories, but do you work up a sweat? Do you feel your heart rate increase? Have a heart rate monitor?

    Otherwise I wouldn't bother. Since if you over estimate it is just going to set you back

    I do work up a sweat working, and I'm more active than normal (I'm just starting my weightloss program, so I'm building up my exercise slowly instead of just jumping in and just exhausting myself and giving up), but it's not terribly difficult. It's just the length of time moving around in that way.

    It sounds like a hassle to try and figure it out. I do have a pedometer, so I think I'll just wear it tomorrow and see how many steps I've taken and not worry about calories.

    That is what I would do :] Very hard to get an accurate calorie burn there!
  • Papillon22
    Papillon22 Posts: 1,160 Member
    The easiest would be to go to My home>goals>update diet profile and choose your normal daily activities as active/lightly active.
    That way, those calories are already taken into account (you get extra calorie allowance) and you don't have to bother logging your work as exercise.

    Good luck!
  • fitby38
    fitby38 Posts: 307 Member
    The easiest would be to go to My home>goals>update diet profile and choose your normal daily activities as active/lightly active.
    That way, those calories are already taken into account (you get extra calorie allowance) and you don't have to bother logging your work as exercise.

    Good luck!

    ^^^ this ... especially if you only work 1 day a week AND you are considering that your only exercise
  • baycat107
    baycat107 Posts: 165 Member
    I have a similar problem. I walk 3 to 5 miles at work 5 days a week. So each day is a little different. So do I set my TDEE low & log the walking as exercise, or do I set my TDEE as active, and then just log my running or biking? I lost about 35 pounds with relative ease, and now have come to a screeching halt. I suspect it has something to do with my TDEE. It's driving me nuts!
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    My work is similar in that I have some 8 hours of sitting and others I don't sit down for 12 hours. I found myself hungrier on active days, so I ate an extra 300-500 calories and quick added it called "hard day at work" lol

    I now use a body bugg and I've found that my body "knows" how much to eat in that if I eat all day healthy food such that I'm reasonably full but never stuffed, I'm usually exactly where I should be.
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
    I was wondering, what would unloading a truck count as in terms of exercise? Where I work, I am unloading a truck (which for me is lifting clothes out of boxes, hanging, pulling rails of clothes out onto the floor) for about two and a half to three hours. Then there's a fifteen minute break, and the last hour and 45 minutes are spent processing products. That involves lifting some fairly heavy boxes as well.

    I calculated 4.75 hours of work as "walking 2.0mph, slow pace" and it says I would burn 1,212 calories! That can't be right, can it?

    Also, I only work one day a week (awful, I wish I could get a real job), so is my body used to it, or does it count as exercise?

    It is really hard to calculate it, and with out a heart rate monitor etc it will be almost impossible. Something you might try doing, since mfp says it would be 1200 cals cut that in half. I have a bodymedia fit and also have a job where I am on my feet all day. And I have discovered that there are spikes and lows of activity. So my recommendation is cut in half to 600 then only eat half that back. You will need a little extra that day with the extra activity. 300 cals to eat seems reasonable and will give you some wiggle room for error if your numbers are off and still give you a bit of a deficit too. Another idea would be to eat 150 extra that day and 150 the next. I have always found after a hard day at work or a hard work out that it is always the NEXT day that I am more hungry. So sometimes I save my work out calories for the following day. But that is just me. It might not work for everyone
  • Poecile
    Poecile Posts: 46 Member
    The easiest would be to go to My home>goals>update diet profile and choose your normal daily activities as active/lightly active.
    That way, those calories are already taken into account (you get extra calorie allowance) and you don't have to bother logging your work as exercise.

    Good luck!

    ^^^ this ... especially if you only work 1 day a week AND you are considering that your only exercise
    Oh, no, I don't consider that my "only exercise" at all.

    I've been walking at least half an hour every day to start (sometimes an hour if I go out), and I'm planning to build up to an hour, along with some more exercises such as weightlifting and more cardio. But no, I'm not -that- lazy, ha ha!

    I ended up with over 10,000 steps at work, which is amazing.

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