Is this considered exercise?

JessaAnn407
JessaAnn407 Posts: 50 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was talking with my mum about this. I waitress, usually eight hour shifts, and it is constant with no stops for about six hours. I consider the six hours I work exercise, and am wondering if I should still take a quick job or walk after work. I feel like I am at a stand still with my weight loss, and wondering if that is the reason. I do know that I need to start doing some strengthening, and am starting that soon.

But should I be considering that as my exercise for the day or should I do more?

Replies

  • JudyL5305
    JudyL5305 Posts: 196 Member
    I would definitely do more. Your body gets used to consistent movement such as what we do in the job and it isn't enough to push us past. You can do more toning or total body workouts that will raise your heartrate.
  • 2143661
    2143661 Posts: 566 Member
    I would not include my daily actives to be exercise. That is why you might not being losing the weight you want to lose. After work go for a jog and definitely start lifting weights. Best thing I ever did.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    It is a part of your every day routine, so no it is not exercise. Set MFP as very active and then actually do work outs, log them, and eat back those exercise calories.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Not much we can reasonably suggest without seeing your food diary...
  • kd_mazur
    kd_mazur Posts: 569 Member
    Do you have your lifestyle profile set to to something other than sedentary? If you do, this should not be consitered exercise for the purpose of logging it here or additional calories that can be eaten. Is it still exercise, well yes, but if you feel like a walk or a jog after work than do it:)
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    My question would be: Were you waitressing before you started trying to lose weight? If so, did it help you with weight loss then?

    My opinion is that if it's something that you have been doing regularly prior to trying to lose weight and it didn't help you back then, then I wouldn't consider it exercise.
  • JessaAnn407
    JessaAnn407 Posts: 50 Member
    Thanks guys! I've been wondering that for a while now, and plan today to start jogging again. I am hoping this helps me out!

    EDIT: I was loosing weight and then started waitressing and stopped loosing.
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
    when i was waitressing i always felt like i was exercising, but (personally) that was when i put on the most weight. clearly most of that was my fault for eating what we were serving--and i was EXHAUSTED after being on my feet all that time. i found exercise DVDs to be more effective than the treadmill when i was waitressing b/c it was a more side-to-side/unique movement as opposed to the walking i was used to all day.

    but on the other hand, hey, props to you for waitressing--that was, hands down, the most exhausting job i've ever done.
  • mangohead100
    mangohead100 Posts: 62
    I agree with all of the above. The activity associated with your daily work should set the baseline for your calorie needs, but you definitely need to add some exercise to raise your heart rate to 'fitness' (google "target heart rate") and add in strength training to build some muscle (which will in turn burn calories efficiently). The added cardio and muscle should get you out of your plateau. It did for me :-)
    Good luck!
  • MissTattoo
    MissTattoo Posts: 1,203 Member
    I was talking with my mum about this. I waitress, usually eight hour shifts, and it is constant with no stops for about six hours. I consider the six hours I work exercise, and am wondering if I should still take a quick job or walk after work. I feel like I am at a stand still with my weight loss, and wondering if that is the reason. I do know that I need to start doing some strengthening, and am starting that soon.

    But should I be considering that as my exercise for the day or should I do more?

    No. You should set your activity level to Active in your settings. Like I have mine at Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job). Yours should be Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman) Then MFP will adjust your calories based on that.
  • MalSponseller
    MalSponseller Posts: 217 Member
    When I started retail work ,I dropped 10 lbs quickly, as I was used to sitting on my butt all day instead of standing. Now that I've been doing that for 1.5 years, my body could care less about it. I had to add extra exercise to shake my body up out of its routine to jump start weight loss again.
  • SunKissed1989
    SunKissed1989 Posts: 1,314 Member
    I used to wear my pedometer to work to see how many calories I was burning and was classing that as a big part of my workout. I work in a shop and am on my feet for 4 hours at a time - not as active as waitressing, but along similar lines as yourself. I then realised, my work activities was already accounted for when I set my fitness and nutrition goals.

    Set some time outside of your day-to-day activities to workout and count that towards your exercise :smile:

    Best of luck:smile:
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Your calorie intake seems pretty high! Have you calculated your BMR and TDEE?
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
    It is a part of your every day routine, so no it is not exercise. Set MFP as very active and then actually do work outs, log them, and eat back those exercise calories.

    Definitely this.
  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
    You're using your fatty acid energy system to do work. So NO it is NOT exercise.

    It's not exercise until you start using your higher energy systems in your body. Namely Cardio, Lactic Acid and/or ATP-CP.

    What you're doing is called everyday life.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    You can set your activity level to be higher than sedentary (probably to active) to account for extra calories burned at work to be calculated into your allowance/deficit. This will be a better estimate than putting 6 hours of walking in as exercise, which I think will over estimate calories burned.
  • Empress62
    Empress62 Posts: 89 Member
    Lots of good advice here. I love this site. I agree with the others, set your mfp to active, and start some strength training at the least! I wouldn't count normal daily activites as exercise. I never log things like house cleaning on Saturday, etc. , although alot of people do.
  • trybabytry
    trybabytry Posts: 181
    I'm a waitress, and just recently raised my activity from "sedentary" to "lightly active" to accommodate that -- but I don't know yet if I'll continue to lose with the new level of calories MFP put me on (from 1330 to 1480!!! Yikes). I am currently doing the 30 day shred and plan to continue to do workout DVDs as well as run.
  • 27daysslg
    27daysslg Posts: 4
    I agree. Try JM 30 day shred it includes both cardio and strength
  • RAWBMEOW
    RAWBMEOW Posts: 64
    honestly I think working in a restaurant is the issue. Do you mindlessly snack? I worked in a restaurant for 10 years and was constantly eating something. It was a pizza restaurant too!!!!!!!!! ughhhhhhhhhh
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    As a waitress, you are burning more calories than a sedentary person, but this is factored under your activity level setting, not exercise.

    Strength training is ALWAYS a good idea.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Thanks guys! I've been wondering that for a while now, and plan today to start jogging again. I am hoping this helps me out!

    EDIT: I was loosing weight and then started waitressing and stopped loosing.

    This potentially means you are undereating which may cause the weight loss to stall. When you started the waitressing job did you up your calories or change your settings for an Active lifestyle? If not, definitely update your profile. That said, I would definitely consider strength training before adding any cardio since you are already getting a lot of that :)
  • DivaJadelyn
    DivaJadelyn Posts: 280 Member
    It is a part of your every day routine, so no it is not exercise. Set MFP as very active and then actually do work outs, log them, and eat back those exercise calories.

    This. I am a server as well, and I'm losing weight from being active in that job. However, I know that there will come a point when I will plateau and need to burn more calories than I am.
  • shvrngrl
    shvrngrl Posts: 205 Member
    I consider "intentional movement" exercise. I would just consider work as daily physical activity not as exercise.
  • psych107
    psych107 Posts: 5
    Let me add my two cents.

    I don't mean this to be rude, as you are clearly someone who is searching for constructive criticism.

    First, look at your macronutrients (Carbs, Fat, Protein). You do not eat enough protein. You eat too many simple carbs, not enough fiber, and too much fat. For example, take a look at Sunday: 57% of your calories came from carbs (mainly pasta salad, which unless the pasta is whole-wheat these are simple carbs that digest very quickly) I don't see any complex carb sources--try brown rice, quinoa, oats. 35% came from fats (Ranch, Bacon, Cupcake, and Utz party mix--these are not healthy fat sources. Try nut butters, nuts, olive oil?). Only 8% of your calories came from protein--try chicken breast (that has not been breaded, no chicken nuggets), fish, lean meats, turkey, eggs, beans. If you are looking to lose weight, I would recommend following a 40/40/20 diet. 40% of your calories from carbs, 40% from protein, and 20% from fat. This has worked for me when I am trying to lose weight, although I'm not sure what a good ratio is for females since I have not researched that at all.

    Good luck with your goals!
  • 916lude
    916lude Posts: 305
    It is a part of your every day routine, so no it is not exercise. Set MFP as very active and then actually do work outs, log them, and eat back those exercise calories.

    Pretty much this.

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