How should I log my retail job?

While working in retail is not the most glorious calling, I'm at least thankful for the fact that it's a job that has me on my feet for six or more hours a day. So far I've been logging my work as "Standing," but I'm not sure if that goes far enough to describe the calories I'm burning. What I'm really doing all day is walking around, talking, gesturing, lifting large and heavy boxes, using ladders and stairs repeatedly, crouching down and reaching up for hours on end. I've been thinking about classifying this as "Shopping" in my exercise log, but I'm not even sure what shopping entails. For those of you who work in retail, or have more experience in using the exercise log, what activity would be analogous to this kind of work or how many METs on average do you think it is?

I logged all my activities. Desk work, standing walking, sitting... everything

Wow! That's dedication! I really don't have any free time to be on my phone logging "Walking - 30 seconds" in between getting a computer and bringing it to the cash register for the customer, though. I'm able to look briefly at my phone maybe once every hour, and that doesn't include so much as typing a text message, let alone logging my specific activities. So I'm looking for an overarching activity that would give me a good estimate...

Underestimating calories burned can lead to more plesant surprises...

I would stick with standing as your "work" logged and then just try to be more detailed about intentional exercise.

Also, this website provides a lot more detailed activity breakdown and you can calculate there then use the "other" option on here. http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php

That's very true. I think you're right -- even if "standing" is an underestimate, that just means I'll have more of a calorie deficit than expected, which can only be a good thing! And thanks so much for the link to that website!

I agree with "standing".

Standing is the best way to log it. As Miss ViVi says, "underestimating calories burned can lead to mor pleasant surprises."

Why log the things you do on a regular basis ,unless it is real exercise out of the ordinary from your daily routine it isnt going to effect your weight loss...

I log it as shopping if you think about it shopping your walking around picking (not as heavy i know) up stuff and putting it down standing still to q. I log mine as shopping and that's still a underestimate

I work night shift as a nurses aide in a hospital. I equal it to house work since i do alot of pushing, pulling, lifting, running, and squating. The rest of my night that I am not running around I consider deskwork.

Do you feel the same way if I exercise on a regular basis? I shouldn't log it? If I run every day I shouldn't log that? "Real" exercise, as you call it, is anything you do that taxes the muscles and makes our heart rates go up. I believe she does all that in retail.

I agree with you ellenturner. I work a 12 hr shift and a 4hr shift so tecnically I don't work at my job on a regular day to day basis. Or how would you discribe regular? Plus I garentee you if I wasn't so busy at my job I would weigh alot more. Every little bit of exercise counts. If we weren't working what would we be doing? By counting your time at work exercise maybe you will be more contious of how much standing still or sitting your doing and when you realize you haven't moved in a while start doing some chair exercises or go for a walk around the office. I definatly think you should count work as exercise.