waitressing

[taurushead]

hi hi!!

my walking and exercising is completely gone, coz im waitressing 5 hours a day and then studying.

does waitressing count? its not really walking..since im mainly behind a bar. just standing. im assuming it doesn't burn any calories or maintain fitness despite being exhausting :brood:..

[Libellula]

TAURUS

your post in the healthy eaters th read implied that you were sitting!

waitressing burns a LOT of calories! It does maintain fitness and health. You are on your feet for five hours even if you aren't walking around a lot. I worked fast food for over three years, trust me, it burns calories. EVERYTHING burns calories.

[taurushead]

but how MANY? how many is 'lots'? (sorry. having really bad day. so suddenly i care again. and its only 700 and ive accidentally had lay to much to eat0 i dont wanna go to work:( lol

[Libellula]

GO TO WORK

when i worked at BK, i'd eat an extra 500-700 calories a day after standing on my feet all day.

[synergy]

Even if you're still standing behind the bar, you're moving around, reaching, bending, etc.
It burns calories, but I'm not sure how many. Definitely more than just sitting at a desk :)

[Savannah]

i move fast when i am waitressing so i am sure it burns some calories. it also depends on your fitness level i think? if you dont get a lot of other exercise then i think your waitressing will a greater impact than you otherwise might think it does. i get a lot of other exercise but im sure my waitressing helps burn even more calories.

[Vegan Joe]

Buy a nice jump rope. a couple of times a day, before a shower or something like that. Is great cardio, and will only take a couple of minutes as you will be unable to do it for any longer than that, it is a very tiring exercise.

[leminchyl]

i would think that standing for 5 hours would count as exercise.

[taurushead]

really? hmm. wow. well, ok then. (gotta start asking questions but actually listening to the answer. not only listening if its the answer i expected/believe in..)

super. thanks!!

[thebelovedtree]

I personally can tell a huge difference in my body from when my "job" (school) kept me sitting for 9+ hours a day and when my job keeps me up and walking around for 8 hours a day. I don't think you can figure out exactly how many calories but it is way more exercise than sitting.

[choc_puddin]

Taurus, do you find that after you work you are EXHAUSTED?
This is because even if you are only standing, you're still burning MUCH more than if you were just sitting- as people have said, bending and reaching would burn, as well as the mental stress that comes with the job.

I work as a sales assistant in a big department store and can be on my feet for as much a 6-7 hours! My feet, legs and back ache- all signs that I've been working hard.
So its ok to eat extra calories when you work- you need it to be mentally alert and energetic :D

[Cissy]

I'm a hostess at a restaurant (seating people, cashing, working a gift shop) and it's a lot of exercise. And waitresses run all over hell and back, carrying things, bending, taking things to tables, etc.

[Teresa]

I'm an RN working 12 hour shift. Much of that is spent on my feet. People often comment on all the walking we do. On my days off (4 of them) I just want to be off my feet. I don't want to walk at all. I need to lose weight. All that time on the go does not seem to help me all that much. I have tried the gym x3 and really can't stand it and won't try again.

[Jay_Bunny]

I work 7-8 hour shifts at work. I work in a cafe and let me tell you, its a workout! I am lifting heavy boxes and carrying them to the other side of the store (big store), doing dishes (requires a lot of bending), wiping down tables, cleaning trash bins, taking out the trash, putting up chairs at the end of the night, constantly standing or walking.

^ If that is not a good workout for 8 hours, I don't know what is. lol

[Smurfbabe]

I often do 11,12 or 13 hour shifts at the restaurant where I supervise - all completely on my feet and running around the entire time. I agree it's better than sitting at a desk, but even those long shifts aren't enough exercise for me to actually lose any weight. Basically I don't think waitressing alone is enough to get fit, but I'm sure it helps burn some extra calories through out the day.

[Mark/Twizzle]

I'm an RN working 12 hour shift. Much of that is spent on my feet. People often comment on all the walking we do. On my days off (4 of them) I just want to be off my feet. I don't want to walk at all. I need to lose weight. All that time on the go does not seem to help me all that much. I have tried the gym x3 and really can't stand it and won't try again.

Get an exercise bike and a DVD set of your favorite show.

And for the original poster, try walking with your heels just slightly off the ground. Thats way harder than it sounds. Do it a little bit at a time, and you'll get good at it after awhile.