Calories burned cleaning (light effort) for five or six hours?

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Replies

  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Most of 6hrs is more than half. More than 3 hrs. Meaning I may have walked a total of 2hrs or more.
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Considering I've been losing 2+lb per week consistently I'm pretty sure I know my body. I definitely should log six hours of work.

    People have a natural tendency to overestimate their exercise, which is one reason people hesitate to log things. I wouldn't "definitely" log 2 hours of walking as 6 hours. But it's an individual choice.

    You're missing the point. I'm saying I should log SOMETHING. 2 hrs of walking = up to 1000 calories burned for me. My Fitbit estimates I burn 400-500per hr walking. And I have used it when walking over 2 hrs multiple times a week and it worked out perfectly for how much I lost. Now I would log lower for housework because I cant guarantee how much I walked but my step counter told me I walked 6000-8000 steps between there (Im not sure which part was a very short walk I took outside to my parents and which inside but my total was around 9000 steps or over after cleaning + the short walk alone).
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    BrutalMeHonest wrote: »
    You should log whatever feels right to you! Moving this huge body around for 5 hours doing housework is for SURE a workout! You know your body, your usual activity, and what gets your heart pumping. Nice job and keep up the great work :)

    Thank you! and Yay for gamers!
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    I just want to point out in response to an earlier post that using a rowing machine at the gym is seated activity. I still log it, and for good reason!

    You don't need to be on your feet to increase your calorific expenditure.

    I've used a rowing machine before, and i couldn't compare the exertion of that to light housework.

    Maybe my idea of light is different than most people. Then again I can easily do 4-6hrs at a gym and I consider 4 hrs of exercise moderate and 2 hrs light. I usually do 2+ hrs at the gym when I go and I log it as light exercise.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    Makes the point though, doesn't it. Not logging anything sitting down is a very broadbrush approach.
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    However, it is an issue for me if I see a hasty generalisation on the internet just before I go to bed... ;) In this thread, it was about whether you should ever log seated activity at all. In the next thread, it'll be something else.

    That's a strawman. Nobody said "don't ever log anything you do while seated." That would be insane. It would rule out cycling and many weight machines. What people actually advised in this thread is split, with many people saying that cleaning falls under activity level and not exercise. A few people offered the observation that it might not have been particularly intense if it was done seated, which is entirely different from laying down a blanket rule meant to apply to everything.

    Seated-Chest-Press-Machine.gif
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    I just want to point out in response to an earlier post that using a rowing machine at the gym is seated activity. I still log it, and for good reason!

    You don't need to be on your feet to increase your calorific expenditure.

    I've used a rowing machine before, and i couldn't compare the exertion of that to light housework.
    Makes the point though, doesn't it. Not logging anything sitting down is a very broadbrush approach.

    I don't know... Doing laundry or vacuuming/mopping and picking up toys etc etc doesn't have the same exhausting effect and muscle soreness that doing a full on workout on a rowing machine has, on me at least.

    I'd be paranoid trusting a calorie burn number from cooking or cleaning, i don't do sprints or cartwheels through my kitchen or house when i'm doing housework. I wouldn't even begin to guess how much i burned, i just see it as a possible added bonus.

    This is true it is not as exhausting. But then if you do 1hr of something intense vs 5+ hrs of something light youd assume eventually the calories would match up. I dont trust the calculator lol I agree on that too. it said 600-700 for 4 hrs I logged 350 for 6hrs.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    Makes the point though, doesn't it. Not logging anything sitting down is a very broadbrush approach.
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    However, it is an issue for me if I see a hasty generalisation on the internet just before I go to bed... ;) In this thread, it was about whether you should ever log seated activity at all. In the next thread, it'll be something else.

    That's a strawman. Nobody said "don't ever log anything you do while seated." That would be insane. It would rule out cycling and many weight machines. What people actually advised in this thread is split, with many people saying that cleaning falls under activity level and not exercise. A few people offered the observation that it might not have been particularly intense if it was done seated, which is entirely different from laying down a blanket rule meant to apply to everything.

    Seated-Chest-Press-Machine.gif
    Yeah, I think you're right. I'm squashing different posts together in my head to make an overarching point that... wasn't made.

    Sorry.

    I'll go pick an argument somewhere else. ;)
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    Makes the point though, doesn't it. Not logging anything sitting down is a very broadbrush approach.
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    However, it is an issue for me if I see a hasty generalisation on the internet just before I go to bed... ;) In this thread, it was about whether you should ever log seated activity at all. In the next thread, it'll be something else.

    That's a strawman. Nobody said "don't ever log anything you do while seated." That would be insane. It would rule out cycling and many weight machines. What people actually advised in this thread is split, with many people saying that cleaning falls under activity level and not exercise. A few people offered the observation that it might not have been particularly intense if it was done seated, which is entirely different from laying down a blanket rule meant to apply to everything.

    Seated-Chest-Press-Machine.gif

    It cant fall under activity level if you dont use your true activity level on MFP or let it decide for you and you eat under your BMR at a level you chose (1200 in my case). That's what people were also ignoring.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    Why do you log exercise if you have a fitbit?

    I dont always wear it. I forgot I even wore it this time. With that said, my Fitbit thinks I burned 1500 calories in those 6 hrs. A total of 3000 for the day. Im going to assume that's a bit off. I always trust it for walking - it has always been VERY accurate for me. But for cleaning 1500 calories seems extremely high. This is because of how high my heart rate was.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited May 2017
    Why are you eating under your BMR? Why not set mfp to sedentary?

    Sorry, i have more questions than answers for you.

  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Verity, why don't you let your fitbit handle it? Then you can do away with random guessing games of how much you actually burned.

    Because it said 1500 which seemed very high lol
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    gentlygently wrote: »
    Good luck with your health recovery

    Thank you. I havent been walking for a year yet so Im still not in the best shape. I def need some health recovery... lol
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Why are you eating under your BMR? Why not set mfp to sedentary?

    Honestly? I am impatient. So I chose 1200 since it was the lowest considered "safe". My maintenance is about 2300-2500 calories per day. I guess I'm not actually sedentary technically or it would be lower. lol. MFP has never really worked for me. Fitbit works better but I found it to be really high when estimating cleaning yesterday. I have no idea why except maybe my HR being 120 or more for 6 hrs.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Why are you eating under your BMR? Why not set mfp to sedentary?

    Sorry, i have more questions than answers for you.

    Also no! Youre very kind and polite. I dont mind questions at all. I only mind when people push their ways of life on me that's all. I dont mind suggestions - but please don't tell me I am wrong in my ways because 6hrs of cleaning is a lot to me or tell me what's normal and start telling me I'm sedentary if I don't do that. Everyone is different. :)
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Cleaning is normal part of life. Anything that is a normal part of life is not worth logging.

    Cleaning for 30 mins or an hr or maybe even 2 is normal. Cleaning for 6 hrs a day is not "normal"... it's obsessive compulsive disorder. (Which I have btw and I still don't clean for 6 hrs a day without stopping every single day).

    If you cleaned for 6 hours every day and had your lifestyle set as sedentary, then it would be an issue. You cleaned for 6 hours, instead of your normal 2 hours right, ONE time.
    Eat your 400 calories and let's call this a day.

    8 hours. 6 + 2 is not 6.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Cleaning is normal part of life. Anything that is a normal part of life is not worth logging.

    Cleaning for 30 mins or an hr or maybe even 2 is normal. Cleaning for 6 hrs a day is not "normal"... it's obsessive compulsive disorder. (Which I have btw and I still don't clean for 6 hrs a day without stopping every single day).

    If you cleaned for 6 hours every day and had your lifestyle set as sedentary, then it would be an issue. You cleaned for 6 hours, instead of your normal 2 hours right, ONE time.
    Eat your 400 calories and let's call this a day.

    Also that is like saying "if you exercise at the gym 1 hr only ONE day dont log it. That makes no sense. Exercise is exercise. You dont log it weekly - you log it daily!
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Cleaning is normal part of life. Anything that is a normal part of life is not worth logging.

    Cleaning for 30 mins or an hr or maybe even 2 is normal. Cleaning for 6 hrs a day is not "normal"... it's obsessive compulsive disorder. (Which I have btw and I still don't clean for 6 hrs a day without stopping every single day).

    If you cleaned for 6 hours every day and had your lifestyle set as sedentary, then it would be an issue. You cleaned for 6 hours, instead of your normal 2 hours right, ONE time.
    Eat your 400 calories and let's call this a day.

    Also that is like saying "if you exercise at the gym 1 hr only ONE day dont log it. That makes no sense. Exercise is exercise. You dont log it weekly - you log it daily!

    Yes, if one is overweight and goes to the gym ONE day, should not eat those calories back if he/she don't want to be overweight anymore.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited May 2017
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Cleaning is normal part of life. Anything that is a normal part of life is not worth logging.

    Cleaning for 30 mins or an hr or maybe even 2 is normal. Cleaning for 6 hrs a day is not "normal"... it's obsessive compulsive disorder. (Which I have btw and I still don't clean for 6 hrs a day without stopping every single day).

    If you cleaned for 6 hours every day and had your lifestyle set as sedentary, then it would be an issue. You cleaned for 6 hours, instead of your normal 2 hours right, ONE time.
    Eat your 400 calories and let's call this a day.

    Also that is like saying "if you exercise at the gym 1 hr only ONE day dont log it. That makes no sense. Exercise is exercise. You dont log it weekly - you log it daily!

    Yes, if one is overweight and goes to the gym ONE day, should not eat those calories back if he/she don't want to be overweight anymore.

    That is very wrong. I also exercise every few days. If one is overweight and begins exercising they log EACH DAY they exercise. If it is once per week they log it and eat back the calories if they are under 1200 net. You should not eat 1200 calories, burn off a few hundred and leave it that way. it's not healthy - no matter your weight.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    @Verity1111 I'm with Christine on this one. Use your fitbit obessively. Link it to MFP. Let it make activity adjustments. It'll figgure things out in a couple weeks.

    I quit worrying about logging exercise or unusual activity when I started wearing my phone with its step counter everywhere and linked it. Of course, now I'm obsessed with keeping the thing on me, and not all my clothes have appropriate pockets.. *sigh*. But it does seem to be doing a fairly good job telling me how much I'm moving and how much I can afford to eat.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,032 Member
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Can I get an estimate? I was seated most of the time, but sorting clothes, sweeping the floor around beds, sorting toys, moving laundry bags around and doing laundry (so a tiny bit of walking but not much) for 5-6hrs. Myfitnesspal says 600-700 calories for 4hrs but it seems a bit over the top to me so I was wondering if anyone has a better calorie estimator. I'm 5'4" 180lbs and 27 years old.

    @Verity1111 Because someone else chooses not to log particular activities doesn't mean you shouldn't, only you know your body and how much you exerted. If you feel it was workout for your body I say log it as an activity. Regarding calories burned unless your going by a HRM , I might halve what MFP gives as a calorie burn to be safe and not over estimate. Also not sure what you eat back in regards to exercise cals... Sometimes I eat some, sometimes none, it all depends on how strenuous my workouts are.

    Have a lovely day...great job getting everything organized! :smiley:
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    Thank you both very much for the kindness and input!
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Cleaning is normal part of life.

    Is it? I haven't done any cleaning this year.

    OP, I would log this as about 200cals but I have set my sedentiary calories lower than what mfp says because mfp 'sefentiary' is my 'very active'.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    I just want to point out in response to an earlier post that using a rowing machine at the gym is seated activity. I still log it, and for good reason!

    You don't need to be on your feet to increase your calorific expenditure.

    I've used a rowing machine before, and i couldn't compare the exertion of that to light housework.

    Maybe my idea of light is different than most people. Then again I can easily do 4-6hrs at a gym and I consider 4 hrs of exercise moderate and 2 hrs light. I usually do 2+ hrs at the gym when I go and I log it as light exercise.

    It's the intensity of exercise that would determine light or moderate, not the duration.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Log it if you want, but Fitbit registers steps sometimes when you move your arms and it really doesn't give an appropriate calorie count... like when folding laundry, doing dishes, or petting the dog. Fitbit will give you a calorie burn that would assume that you're using your whole body (ie, walking), and not just your arms.

    That being said, I just sync MFP and fitbit, check the 'calories left' on Fitbit (MFP typically gives me 200 extra calories, which would wipe off my deficit), and try to eat that. *shrug*
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    annacole94 wrote: »
    Who is the dork flagging all the OP's responses as abuse? Hint: it's not.

    I didn't notice lol. But that's pretty hilarious. The closest to abuse I thought on the entire thread from anyway was the one I just responded to - telling overweight people not to eat back exercise calories if they're netting 1200... only because that's dangerous advice and could lead to an eating disorder

    That was not abuse. It was my personal opinion. You asked for it, I answer. If you don't like it doesn't mean it's abuse. It doesn't mean than netting negative calories for ONE day will cause an eating disorder either. Have you gotten an eating disorder when you've been sick and haven't eaten for a day or two?
    Just for the record I am not the one who is flagging you as abuse.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Verity, why don't you let your fitbit handle it? Then you can do away with random guessing games of how much you actually burned.

    Because it said 1500 which seemed very high lol

    Except you're losing over 2lbs per week by your own admission with only 50lbs to go. So it's not even close to being too much.
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