How Many Calories Do You Burn As A Barista? (You’ll Be Surprised)
October 28, 2022
You might feel your job as a Barista does not allow you to burn any calories, but you are likely incorrect. How many calories can you burn being a Barista and just doing your job?
In truth, You can burn 1,500-2,000 additional calories per day as a Barista.
You are likely burning these calories every single day and not even realizing it, but how can this actually benefit you?
Read on to learn more.
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Baristas in a coffee shop such as Starbucks have the ability to burn on average 1,500-2,000 calories in addition to their basal metabolic rate.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is simply the number of calories your body burns at rest and is determined by factors such as age, height, weight, and gender.
This means that just by your heart beating, your lungs expanding, and overall metabolic function, you are burning calories.
The figure of 1,500-2,000 calories burned per day as a Barista takes into account things such as constantly moving around the coffee shop, standing for long periods of time, walking to retrieve coffee beans or milk, and making coffee drinks.
Yes, you are burning these extra calories in addition to your basal metabolic rate, so in reality you will actually be burning much more than this when you take your BMR into account.
It is also important to note that this number does not include any other physical activity you may engage in outside of work such as going to the gym or playing sports.
If you are doing activities outside of working as a Barista, you can add even more calories to this number.
How Many Calories Does A Barista Burn in an 8 Hour Shift?
Average calories burned as a Barista in a coffee shop total up to 2,000 calories in an 8 hour shift.
While working an 8 hour shift is the standard for most jobs, this number can change based on the type of coffee shop you work in.
If you are someone who likes to work 12 hour shifts or maybe even someone who likes to rack up some OT for extra cash, you can potentially even double this amount to 3,500 to even 4,000 calories burned in a shift.
Also, if you worked in a small mom and pop coffee shop that is very laid back and not jam packed with customers, you may not be moving around as much as someone who works in a large corporate chain such as Starbucks.
The number of calories burned in an 8 hour shift can also change based on the role you have within the coffee shop.
If you are working as a Barista, you will burn more calories than someone who is not preparing coffee and drinks for customers, like a manager for example.
This is because as a Barista, you are constantly moving around, walking to retrieve items, and making coffee drinks which all require physical activity.
You may wonder to yourself, how on earth can I potentially burn up to 2,000 calories just doing my job?
Barista Tasks That Burn Calories
Being a Barista is no sedentary occupation. You are on your feet for basically the entire shift.
During an 8 hour shift, a typical Barista may:
Brew 150 cups of coffee
Make specialty teas and beverages
Steam and foam milk for lattes and cappuccinos
Take customer orders
Make change for customers
Sanitizing equipment
Receiving and putting away stock supply deliveries
Wiping off tables
Clean up after closing
All of these activities require physical movement and burn calories. But how?
Let’s look at this in terms of the movement performed by completing the above Barista tasks.
As a Barista, you can expect to burn calories by doing the following bodily movements:
Twisting your torso
Lifting heavy bags and bottles
Excessive reaching
Excessive reaching out of the drive-thru window
Squatting down to retrieve items
Climbing up on a stool for cleaning
Stretching to get something from the top shelf frequently
Walking back and forth between the coffee station and the register
These tasks may seem mundane, but they all require physical movement and therefore burn a ton of calories when you continuously perform them over a shift.
In fact, just by completing these tasks, a Barista can expect to burn anywhere from 100-250 calories per hour.
You can even test this out yourself. All you need to have on hand to get an average idea of the amount of calories you are burning is a calorie counting watch.
Simply wear the watch during your shift and see for yourself what you actually burn.
Also, it is important to take into account the intensity at which you perform these tasks.
If you are absolutely slammed with customers in a shift, it may seem like you are moving a mile a minute.
The higher the intensity at which you perform these tasks, the more calories you will burn in the process.
Can Working As A Barista Help You Lose Weight?
Working as a Barista can absolutely help you lose weight, because you are constantly moving and burning additional calories to help keep you in a caloric deficit.
This means that you need to burn more calories than you are taking in through your diet.
In fact, there is actually no other way to decrease overall body fat but to be in a caloric deficit.
Eating a healthy diet, being conscious of calorie intake, and working as a Barista can help you achieve this calorie deficit and see results on the scale by burning more calories that count toward caloric expenditure.
It should be noted that while working as a Barista can help you lose weight, it is not a guarantee. You have to do one simple thing.
Maintain Your Calorie Deficit To Lose Weight As A Barista
You must create and maintain a healthy and sustainable calorie deficit to lose weight as a Barista.
If you are not in a calorie deficit, you will not lose weight, no matter what occupation you have. Plain and simple.
This means you must be aware of the calories you are consuming and making sure to be in a calorie deficit of at least 300-500 calories BELOW your maintenance calorie amount.
For example, if your maintenance calorie amount you calculated for yourself is 1,900 calories per day, you must consume an amount of calories that is less than this number.
Losing weight is all about energy balance.
While it may be tempting working in a coffee shop being surrounded by delicious drinks and pumpkin loaf, you still need to track the calories in the foods you are eating.
If you want to learn more about creating a calorie deficit by figuring out your own maintenance calories, check out the link below to learn how you can do it.
Also, if you do not want to track your calories in an app, you can totally track your calories in a handwritten journal. I recommend this journal for easy tracking of your calorie intake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of frequently asked questions that may be asked related to calories burned by occupation similar to a Barista.
Q: How Many Calories Does a Bartender Burn?
A: A bartender will burn on average up to 200-250 calories an hour based on intensity and pace of their work. This can include tasks such as mixing drinks, stocking, retrieving, and carrying heavy bottles and mixers, as well as frequently reaching and bending.
Q: How Many Calories Does a Waiter/Waitress Burn?
A: Waitstaff can burn up to 300-350 calories an hour based on the fact that waitstaff will be mostly mobile walking back and forth rather than standing in a fixed position.
This includes tasks such as constantly walking back and forth between the kitchen and dining room, carrying heavy trays of food, and taking orders.
Q: How Many Calories Does a Chef Burn?
A: A chef can burn anywhere from 300-400 calories an hour based on the intensity of their work. This includes tasks such as constantly moving around the kitchen, preparing food, cooking food, and cleaning up.
Q: How Many Calories Does a Dishwasher Burn?
A: A dishwasher can burn on average up to 200 calories an hour. This includes tasks such as scrubbing dishes, carrying heavy pots and pans, and constantly moving around the kitchen.
Baristas can burn an additional 2,000 calories per day just by doing their job, and this is very exciting information if you are someone who is willing to drop some pounds.
I bet all of the tasks you perform as a Barista seemed to second nature to you, you likely did not know you were burning calories while doing them.
To lose weight, all you need to do is get your caloric intake on point, and there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
