Do you count carrying babies all day as calories burned?

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  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    I only count things I do that are not part of my daily routine.

    That's exactly why I kept it at sedentary. Thanks ladies! And I will look into the fitbit.

    but the point is you aren't sedentary if you are lugging around babies all day. Totally get one of those gadgets that measures your calorie burn through out the day... I think you'd be surprised.
  • FineFitFatty
    FineFitFatty Posts: 60
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    I want to eat below my TDEE to lose fat, correct? \

    Yes, eat below your TDEE to lose weight.
    Because I only workout three times a week, I incorporate that into my deficit. At moderately active, my TDEE is 2250... say that is the case, my deficit is only a daily average of 500 cals. That's a pound a week.

    Eat at 2250 for 2 weeks and eat back your exercise calories on workout days.

    But 2250 is technically my 'accurate' TDEE, why would I want to eat at that, AND my exercise calories to lose weight. There is no deficit in that equation, know what I mean?

    And agreed, I'm not even stepping on the scale, I don't really care about the number, I was just using the math to exemplify that a weekly loss of one pound is not excessive, and I am not depriving myself into skinnyfat. Or I'm not trying to.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,680 Member
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    I have my activity level set at sedentary and eat at my TDEE based on that, figuring that daily activities + exercise create quite a deficit. What I didn't think about until recently is how active my life actually is - constantly holding, carrying a baby and toddler, chasing the toddler around, lifting the huge stroller and car seat in and out of car, and of course bouncing baby to sleep multiple times a day. I am basically only sitting down at night when they are sleeping, or when I'm giving a bottle or driving. That has to add up to a lot of calories burnt right? Would you set your activity level to lightly active instead?
    Well to a point. Realize that if a lot of calories were burned, then new moms/moms to toddlers wouldn't be a big population here.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • jessykab74
    jessykab74 Posts: 167 Member
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    For bonus points, don't count the baby carrying activity.

    I agree with this poster!
  • FineFitFatty
    FineFitFatty Posts: 60
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    I only count things I do that are not part of my daily routine.

    That's exactly why I kept it at sedentary. Thanks ladies! And I will look into the fitbit.

    but the point is you aren't sedentary if you are lugging around babies all day. Totally get one of those gadgets that measures your calorie burn through out the day... I think you'd be surprised.

    Yes, you're correct, but I can't be sure what that calorie burn is accurately, which is why I set it at that activity level. sooooo I guess I should get one of those gadgets. Thanks for all your advice, everyone!
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    I'd call it parenthood, and you don't get any extra points for it.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    So 2250 was your TDEE? Not the number is suggested you eat to lose X amount of pounds a week? If 2250 is your TDEE at moderately active/active then you should be eating ~1800+exercise calories from lifting/HIIT... And I'd still say tweak down 50 calories and wait a few weeks anytime you see a stall. And yes, 1 pound a week is plenty healthy, but, you cant base the health of your diet off your fatloss. Someone eating way too few calories could lose at 1# a week and have cortisol thru the roof and hormones out of whack. Its not a simple science. The best advice is to start "high" and slowly tweak your calories down. Eating your exercise calories takes a variable out of the equation. When you start trying to calculate more things you're just adding more room for error.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Rather than argue I'll just make a suggestion and be done with this. Eat at 2250 for 2 weeks and eat back your exercise calories on workout days. If you dont see weight loss than drop 50 calories a week until its coming off at a healthy satisfying rate. All this time continue to at back your exercise calories. Its that simple.

    You have a misunderstanding. Her maintenance TDEE is 2250 (this includes her exercise calories). If a person is calculating based on a TDEE that includes their exercise level, they have exercise calories included within that. In that circumstance they do not eat that TDEE plus exercise calories. That would be doubling up and put her into a weight gaining surplus.

    What she should be doing is deducting an appropriate deficit from her TDEE of 2250.

    OP, you should not be set at sedentary. You should be set at lightly active and eat back exercise calories. Or you can just deduct a deficit from your TDEE (which already accounts for exercise calories when calculated properly) and eat a steady amount day to day.

    You can get a device if you think it will help. But, it's expensive and not necessary. You can determine your TDEE with the help of the web sites that calculate it plus some harmless trial and error on your part to find what does and doesn't work.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    I'd call it parenthood, and you don't get any extra points for it.

    Carrying a baby all day and playing is more active than sitting at a desk all day. It does influence activity level to a degree. If the mother is also breastfeeding it increases it even more.
  • FineFitFatty
    FineFitFatty Posts: 60
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    So 2250 was your TDEE? Not the number is suggested you eat to lose X amount of pounds a week? If 2250 is your TDEE at moderately active/active then you should be eating ~1800+exercise calories from lifting/HIIT... And I'd still say tweak down 50 calories and wait a few weeks anytime you see a stall. And yes, 1 pound a week is plenty healthy, but, you cant base the health of your diet off your fatloss. Someone eating way too few calories could lose at 1# a week and have cortisol thru the roof and hormones out of whack. Its not a simple science. The best advice is to start "high" and slowly tweak your calories down. Eating your exercise calories takes a variable out of the equation. When you start trying to calculate more things you're just adding more room for error.

    Oops, I should mention I'm not going off of MFP suggestion... I used this site.
    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

    OK that makes more sense. Still think I should get a fitbit to see what I'm actually burning during my daily dealings.
  • FineFitFatty
    FineFitFatty Posts: 60
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    I'd call it parenthood, and you don't get any extra points for it.

    And you're clearly not a parent
  • FineFitFatty
    FineFitFatty Posts: 60
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    OP, you should not be set at sedentary. You should be set at lightly active and eat back exercise calories. Or you can just deduct a deficit from your TDEE (which already accounts for exercise calories when calculated properly) and eat a steady amount day to day.


    Thank you... this answered my question!!
  • welly5
    welly5 Posts: 293 Member
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    I agree with the people saying change it to lightly active. I chose sedentary because I literally sit at my desk from the moment I start working until I go home. I try to get up and stretch every once in a while but other than that.. sitting. allllll day long (harder than it sounds!)

    Being on your feet, carrying things, generally moving is being lightly active.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    OP, you should not be set at sedentary. You should be set at lightly active and eat back exercise calories. Or you can just deduct a deficit from your TDEE (which already accounts for exercise calories when calculated properly) and eat a steady amount day to day.


    Thank you... this answered my question!!

    You're Welcome!
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    I have never actually carried a baby, but my understanding is that they sit in your stomach and absorb all calories consumed, like a basketball-shaped tapeworm.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    ye s its under w alking carrying infant or 15 pound load
  • FineFitFatty
    FineFitFatty Posts: 60
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    I have my activity level set at sedentary and eat at my TDEE based on that, figuring that daily activities + exercise create quite a deficit. What I didn't think about until recently is how active my life actually is - constantly holding, carrying a baby and toddler, chasing the toddler around, lifting the huge stroller and car seat in and out of car, and of course bouncing baby to sleep multiple times a day. I am basically only sitting down at night when they are sleeping, or when I'm giving a bottle or driving. That has to add up to a lot of calories burnt right? Would you set your activity level to lightly active instead?
    Well to a point. Realize that if a lot of calories were burned, then new moms/moms to toddlers wouldn't be a big population here.

    Ha! True!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
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    I'd call it parenthood, and you don't get any extra points for it.

    And you're clearly not a parent

    Actually, yes he is. So clearly assumptions aren't your forte.
  • Gwen_B
    Gwen_B Posts: 1,018 Member
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    I only count exercise as exercise!! Everything else is just extra!!
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    I want to eat below my TDEE to lose fat, correct? \

    Yes, eat below your TDEE to lose weight.
    Because I only workout three times a week, I incorporate that into my deficit. At moderately active, my TDEE is 2250... say that is the case, my deficit is only a daily average of 500 cals. That's a pound a week.

    Thats not how weight loss works. You don't eat 3500 deficit and lose a pound or 7000 deficit and lose 2 pounds. Its not that simple and shouldn't be calculated in such a manner. If it did function like that than you wouldnt have 300 pound individuals eating at a ~600 calorie deficit and losing 3 pounds a week.
    Beyond that your math is just off. You're TDEE isnt 1750 cuz you're not sedentary. It means Total Daily Energy Expenditure.


    Rather than argue I'll just make a suggestion and be done with this. Eat at 2250 for 2 weeks and eat back your exercise calories on workout days. If you dont see weight loss than drop 50 calories a week until its coming off at a healthy satisfying rate. All this time continue to at back your exercise calories. Its that simple.

    If your ultimate plan is to crash diet for the summer than go ahead. I cant stop you and you wont be alone. In that case I'd suggest the ultimate handbook to rapid fatloss, but, it can most definitely have its ugly repercussions.

    Dude, up to now I was agreeing with our posts but now You're losing me. Of course, if you eat 500 cals NET daily under your TDEE, you're supposed to lose a pound a week. That's how it works.

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