Calories burnt doing household chores
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TheVirgoddess wrote: »Well this got weird.
It started weird.0 -
TheVirgoddess wrote: »Well this got weird.
Such a rarity on MFP0 -
When I first started using my Fitbit I was surprised at how few steps I took doing general housework around the house. I figure that any calories burned from using my arms or carrying stuff is just a bonus. The only thing that really gets logged is cutting the grass. I average about 10,000 steps from doing that.0
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When I first started using my Fitbit I was surprised at how few steps I took doing general housework around the house. I figure that any calories burned from using my arms or carrying stuff is just a bonus. The only thing that really gets logged is cutting the grass. I average about 10,000 steps from doing that.
Yikes, how big is your yard?0 -
I never log housework, not even if I've walked up and down multiple times from the laundry room. I figure that *if* I've burned off any significant calories I'll have that as a little "cushion" against times I might go over my daily calories. But actually I don't think it's very significant, not compared to my time on the elliptical or treadmill.0
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Per this article
1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035
So I get about 5k steps doing my weekly cleaning...2-3 hours. Laundry, scrubbing, bathroom etc...I don't log it.
I feel if your house is dirty enough to break a sweat cleaning it you don't deserve to eat back the calories from cleaning it...that is your punishment.
And to be frank if I see someone logging cleaning on my FL...they are removed. I want serious people on my FL...those who are honest with themselves about their true goals and if you are logging cleaning...that's not you.
IMO
OMG. I am amazed that you really think it's your business what people on your FL log as exercise. Now I see why some people keep their diaries private! WOW.
The point is people who do that kind of thing are probably not going to make it ...and if you surround yourself with successful approaches from people who are succeeding you remain motivated and focused to achieve your goals
She's not saying it's her business, she's saying she doesn't want their modus operandi to affect her
I've lost 35 pounds so far, but I guess I'm not "successful" enough.
Huh?
But you saidContrary to most, I DO log all of my activity, because I have my activity level set as sedentary. I also track my steps, and this motivates me to get up and move around as much as possible at my desk job.
BMR is if you stayed in bed all day.......Sedentary is higher than that.
Steps for different activity levels:
http://www.fitnessforweightloss.com/rate-your-activity-level-based-on-steps-per-day/
I don't usually walk around much when I'm at work. I am at a desk most of the the day. On my days off I get significantly more activity/movement, due to cleaning, grocery shopping, etc. I don't log all of that, but I do log my steps. This motivates me to get in more steps, by talking a walk on my lunch break, getting up every 30 min or so to walk around the building, etc. It works for me, so who's to say I'm wrong?
Which means you are losing because you're moving more and logging it appropriately not because you're double dipping
I have a fitbit so all my steps are logged too...if I don't get enough it comes off my calories ...more it get more
But you were telling me I shouldn't log those steps, because they are already included in my daily activity...
I don't have a Fitbit. My phone counts my steps (when I remember to carry it), and then I add them manually to MFP.
Maybe the way I said it was confusing, but I log those steps on both the days I work and the days I am off.
No
I said logging cleaning was not appropriate as it's included in basic activity level and the inference being to log it would be double dipping
I then made the point that even to hit a sedentary level would require 2000 steps to make it clear that it's already included
I log all my steps through my fitbit, with negative adjustments enabled ....you log yours ...and if you're losing weight over time as you expect you've got the amount you log right ...0 -
When I first started using my Fitbit I was surprised at how few steps I took doing general housework around the house. I figure that any calories burned from using my arms or carrying stuff is just a bonus. The only thing that really gets logged is cutting the grass. I average about 10,000 steps from doing that.
Yikes, how big is your yard?
Big enough for me to regret not buying a riding lawn mower every summer. lol0 -
Because I've been busy at work, and busy means sit at my desk and don't get a chance to move around as much, I'm set to sedentary and my fitbit says I've taken 3300 steps today. It's basically telling me I've just basically hit sedentary (I have only "received" 20 extra calories today.
Later tonight when I take a three mile walk to make up for sitting on my butt all day (I like to be at 8000-9000 steps before I leave work at 5:30) it will give me like 400 calories.
So yes, Sedentary still means you move around - like people have said, 2500 or so steps per day, which would include normal daily activities outside of your desk job like laundry or housework.0 -
Angierae75 wrote: »Because I've been busy at work, and busy means sit at my desk and don't get a chance to move around as much, I'm set to sedentary and my fitbit says I've taken 3300 steps today. It's basically telling me I've just basically hit sedentary (I have only "received" 20 extra calories today.
Later tonight when I take a three mile walk to make up for sitting on my butt all day (I like to be at 8000-9000 steps before I leave work at 5:30) it will give me like 400 calories.
So yes, Sedentary still means you move around - like people have said, 2500 or so steps per day, which would include normal daily activities outside of your desk job like laundry or housework.
Hate days like that
But the dog loves them0 -
Anyone ever go to get on an elevator, and when the door opens and the 10 or so occupants are just staring at you, just look at them and say... "I guess you all are wondering why I gathered you here today..".0
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Maybe I should start mowing my own lawn! :-)When I first started using my Fitbit I was surprised at how few steps I took doing general housework around the house. I figure that any calories burned from using my arms or carrying stuff is just a bonus. The only thing that really gets logged is cutting the grass. I average about 10,000 steps from doing that.
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I didn't read a bunch of the thread (don't want to)
I like this calculator because it estimates TDEE based on the kinds of activities you punch into it (NEAT included explicitly). Women using it: remember to switch it from the default gender or you'll get too many calories
http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
I think if you want to log exercise on MFP, you would just not include it when you get your estimate from the calculator above.0 -
Per this article
1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035
So I get about 5k steps doing my weekly cleaning...2-3 hours. Laundry, scrubbing, bathroom etc...I don't log it.
I feel if your house is dirty enough to break a sweat cleaning it you don't deserve to eat back the calories from cleaning it...that is your punishment.
And to be frank if I see someone logging cleaning on my FL...they are removed. I want serious people on my FL...those who are honest with themselves about their true goals and if you are logging cleaning...that's not you.
IMO
OMG. I am amazed that you really think it's your business what people on your FL log as exercise. Now I see why some people keep their diaries private! WOW.
The point is people who do that kind of thing are probably not going to make it ...and if you surround yourself with successful approaches from people who are succeeding you remain motivated and focused to achieve your goals
She's not saying it's her business, she's saying she doesn't want their modus operandi to affect her
I've lost 35 pounds so far, but I guess I'm not "successful" enough.
Huh?
But you saidContrary to most, I DO log all of my activity, because I have my activity level set as sedentary. I also track my steps, and this motivates me to get up and move around as much as possible at my desk job.
BMR is if you stayed in bed all day.......Sedentary is higher than that.
Steps for different activity levels:
http://www.fitnessforweightloss.com/rate-your-activity-level-based-on-steps-per-day/
I don't usually walk around much when I'm at work. I am at a desk most of the the day. On my days off I get significantly more activity/movement, due to cleaning, grocery shopping, etc. I don't log all of that, but I do log my steps. This motivates me to get in more steps, by talking a walk on my lunch break, getting up every 30 min or so to walk around the building, etc. It works for me, so who's to say I'm wrong?
Which means you are losing because you're moving more and logging it appropriately not because you're double dipping
I have a fitbit so all my steps are logged too...if I don't get enough it comes off my calories ...more it get more
But you were telling me I shouldn't log those steps, because they are already included in my daily activity...
I don't have a Fitbit. My phone counts my steps (when I remember to carry it), and then I add them manually to MFP.
Maybe the way I said it was confusing, but I log those steps on both the days I work and the days I am off.
No
I said logging cleaning was not appropriate as it's included in basic activity level and the inference being to log it would be double dipping
I then made the point that even to hit a sedentary level would require 2000 steps to make it clear that it's already included
I log all my steps through my fitbit, with negative adjustments enabled ....you log yours ...and if you're losing weight over time as you expect you've got the amount you log right ...
Hopefully. Today so far I am at 5,000 steps, including my walk at lunch. That's what I usually average, but I am trying to work up to 10,000 a day. Of course, I will still be hitting the gym tonight!0 -
I've used a pedometer with a calorie counter and am now using a fitbit HR, so whatever steps or calories it gives me doing housework counts. That being said -- it's not a huge number -- a couple hundred at most.0
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I am afraid many newbies may not understand the concept of logging cleaning (or why you shouldn't) because they frequently don't understand that they are most likely underestimating food and overestimating exercise to begin with.
What do you have to lose by NOT logging cleaning? Besides MORE weight from the greater deficit??0 -
Per this article
1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035
So I get about 5k steps doing my weekly cleaning...2-3 hours. Laundry, scrubbing, bathroom etc...I don't log it.
I feel if your house is dirty enough to break a sweat cleaning it you don't deserve to eat back the calories from cleaning it...that is your punishment.
And to be frank if I see someone logging cleaning on my FL...they are removed. I want serious people on my FL...those who are honest with themselves about their true goals and if you are logging cleaning...that's not you.
IMO
OMG. I am amazed that you really think it's your business what people on your FL log as exercise. Now I see why some people keep their diaries private! WOW.
Well if they are on my friend list they are there for a reason...we are friends to start with....interact with each other and probably have the same outlook on weight loss, check each others diaries for ideas and our news feed is filled with each others exercise logs...
Is it OTT...no because if they are new I suggest nicely that they might want to reconsider logging it as "exercise" and if I get "yelled at" gone...if they have a decent understanding as to why it's probably not the best thing they stop doing it...so hence they stay.
Besides if people are so offended by this don't send me a friend request and if you do read my profile...says it right there...0 -
You're allowed to count all the calories you want if you're logging them for coming over and cleaning my house.0
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I move less in the summer and so I bumped my activity level down to sedentary. I am logging housework, just 50 calories per half hour of work, because otherwise I would be sitting watching TV and my house would not be clean. I will let you know in a couple weeks whether that's working for me.0
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ceoverturf wrote: »People who log things like housework and cooking as extra calorie-burning exercise are only fooling themselves, IMO.
Your body isn't fooled though.
Eh...I realized, once I started wearing a tracker, that I was actually getting a lot of exercise while doing cleaning tasks. In my case, though, these things involve some serious stair-climbing. Just taking out the garbage is about 1000 steps and four flights of stairs for me. A weekly cleaning of my apartment plus doing laundry is 8000-9000 steps.
I've only ever tracked serious housecleaning (moving furniture, cleaning carpets, spring/fall cleaning, etc.) and don't eat back exercise calories anyhow, so it is a moot point.
I kind of see tracking housecleaning as a question of balance. On a day when you are doing a lot of very heavy housecleaning, you might not want to also be doing an especially challenging cardio workout at the gym.0
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