Trying to find walking in the exercises and no luck

baltimorewriter

I'm brand new here and was able to find jogging up stairs but typing in walking into the box found no matches. Huh? I thought MFP was supposed to be easy to use, but not so far.

rainbowbow

Are you really wanting to count walking as an intentional exercise? Shouldn't that be included in your TDEE (or your maintenance calories?).

I personally wouldn't count walking as this could lead to over eating the estimated calories back and undoing your calorie deficit.

flumi_f

If you type in walking, lots of choices should appear. If you don't find an exercise, you can add your own into the database. For the real burn an hrm is usually better than the apps.

judykat7

When you search cardio exercises and type walking it comes of several times for different MPH. Try again, something went amiss. I would also caution you that the burn that MFP gives you for walking might be as much as 2x what you are really burning. So be careful not to overestimate your speed or distance or time you were really walking. I burn about 50 calories for 15 minutes of really getting with it.

hosegirl

YOu should count walking as an exercise. It is how most of us had began and exercise program.

TwelveSticks

Are you really wanting to count walking as an intentional exercise? Shouldn't that be included in your TDEE (or your maintenance calories?).

I personally wouldn't count walking as this could lead to over eating the estimated calories back and undoing your calorie deficit.

Rubbish. Anything you do that isn't part of your normal daily routine is exercise that you should count. Although, I do think that sometimes people take it a bit far with counting cleaning the house etc.

Shoechick5

Are you really wanting to count walking as an intentional exercise? Shouldn't that be included in your TDEE (or your maintenance calories?).

I personally wouldn't count walking as this could lead to over eating the estimated calories back and undoing your calorie deficit.

Complete BS. I lost 30 lbs and most of it was with walking 3 - 5 miles a day. Anyone using a fitbit automatically adds walking to the calories earned. It's all going to depend on how you set yourself up on MFP. If you picked Sedentary, then you absolutely should count your walking.

ValerieMartini2Olives

Walking IS exercise, as long it's above and beyond your normal routine. I do a LOT of walking. Get to walking a lot, then gradually increase it and start jogging and running.

3boysmom73

I've lost the majority of my weight walking around my neighborhood. Don't listen to anyone who says it doesn't count. And yes, it's under cardiovascular. When I first started, I got the "Runkeeper" free app on my smartphone (even though I walk, it has that option too) and it will measure your distance/pace so you have an idea of what to enter into MFP.

besaro

solid first b%#*y post.

marsellient

Never mind.

nccarolb

I'll second the others--try typing in walking again. I know it's there because that is my main source of exercise and I have it recorded in my diary for today. I'll also second the fact that walking IS exercise if it is intentional and at a pace faster than your normal wandering about the house speed. I've lost 69 pounds with walking being my main exercise, so it definitely works!

Jeez! I truly don't get why people feel they have to be mean!!

mjharman

Walking is, in fact, the best exercise for getting started. Its enjoyable and ITS GOOD FOR YOU! So...for all you nay-sayers out there...PSHHHH!

I don't know why you couldn't find it, OP. Several options for walking should have appeared under cardio, including "Walking, 3.5 mph, brisk pace" or "Walking, 3.0 mph. mod. pace, walking dog" or "Walking, 2.5 mph, leisurely pace," just to name a few.

Give the website time. You will find it is, indeed, very easy to use, and the friends you make here are INVALUABLE!

Good luck on your journey!
~Marsha

Greytfish

Yes, it's exercise and yes it's in there, but you're not doing yourself any favors if you count on it for calories burned. Walking burns very little in the way of calories. If you have been mostly sednetary its a good start and it will help lubricate joints, but if your goal is weight loss, you have to spend a lot of time walking at a very fast pace to even make a dent. Still, it's good to track for motivation.

rainbowbow

Just wanted to chime in here because clearly no one understood what i said. At all.

I didn't say walking ISNT exercise, i said i wouldnt COUNT it as exercise. Walking around during the day is something that is calculated into your TDEE which MFP creates a deficit off of. Even if you select "sedentary" MyFitnessPal assumes you will be burning 20% on TOP of your BMR before it creates your deficit. MyFitnessPal already assumes if you are sedentary that you're walking around 5000 steps per day.

Now then, OP doesn't address how long their walk was, whether they used a Heart Rate Monitor or whether they have a pedometer, etc. Therefore there isn't really ANY way to calculate the amount of calories burned. Generally it is NOT much higher than the amount of calories you burn at rest. According to the Mayo Clinic the Average person (of about 160 pounds) burns 314 calorie of walking PER HOUR.

The way MFP is set up allows you to eat back exercise calories. This is intended for strenuous training and to maintain a MODERATE caloric deficit. The purpose of this is to make sure you are receiving the correct amount of fuel, vitamins, and nutrients, especially while training.

Again, why wouldn't i count it as "exercise" on MFP? Lets say, for example, your calorie deficit is set at 1 pound of weight per week. As you know, OP didn't have any way to accurately count whether or not this was over their estimated TDEE by MFP. Let's say OP assumes they burned 360 calories, when, in fact, they only burned 120. Nothing like reducing your 1 pound per week deficit in HALF.

Do whatever works best for you, OP. I'm not saying it isn't a good start or it isn't getting that body a'movin. I'm just sayin... don't shoot yourself in the foot being as you have no accurate way to count.

randomtai

Just wanted to chime in here because clearly no one understood what i said. At all.

I didn't say walking ISNT exercise, i said i wouldnt COUNT it as exercise. Walking around during the day is something that is calculated into your TDEE which MFP creates a deficit off of. Even if you select "sedentary" MyFitnessPal assumes you will be burning 20% on TOP of your BMR before it creates your deficit. MyFitnessPal already assumes if you are sedentary that you're walking around 5000 steps per day.

Now then, OP doesn't address how long their walk was, whether they used a Heart Rate Monitor or whether they have a pedometer, etc. Therefore there isn't really ANY way to calculate the amount of calories burned. Generally it is NOT much higher than the amount of calories you burn at rest. According to the Mayo Clinic the Average person (of about 160 pounds) burns 314 calorie of walking PER HOUR.

The way MFP is set up allows you to eat back exercise calories. This is intended for strenuous training and to maintain a MODERATE caloric deficit. The purpose of this is to make sure you are receiving the correct amount of fuel, vitamins, and nutrients, especially while training.

Again, why wouldn't i count it as "exercise" on MFP? Lets say, for example, your calorie deficit is set at 1 pound of weight per week. As you know, OP didn't have any way to accurately count whether or not this was over their estimated TDEE by MFP. Let's say OP assumes they burned 360 calories, when, in fact, they only burned 120. Nothing like reducing your 1 pound per week deficit in HALF.

Do whatever works best for you, OP. I'm not saying it isn't a good start or it isn't getting that body a'movin. I'm just sayin... don't shoot yourself in the foot being as you have no accurate way to count.

+1

mammamaurer

get a fitbit

HerbertNenenger

Yes, it's exercise and yes it's in there, but you're not doing yourself any favors if you count on it for calories burned. Walking burns very little in the way of calories. If you have been mostly sednetary its a good start and it will help lubricate joints, but if your goal is weight loss, you have to spend a lot of time walking at a very fast pace to even make a dent. Still, it's good to track for motivation.

what. the. hell.

darrensurrey

Prancercise isn't in there.

Serah87

Are you really wanting to count walking as an intentional exercise? Shouldn't that be included in your TDEE (or your maintenance calories?).

I personally wouldn't count walking as this could lead to over eating the estimated calories back and undoing your calorie deficit.

:laugh: Ok.

Hhhhmmmmm......I been walking since I started this weight loss, I wonder how I loss the 102 pounds!!! :happy:

kirstenmaria

get a fitbit

Great advice. I finally figured out how show my negative exercise. I only count my fitbit calorie adjustment. Turns out my lifestyle is, on most days, less than sedentary by MFP's standards, and I wasn't losing anything when I was calculating my exercise through MFP because it was giving me more credit than I deserved. With the fitbit, every step I take gets logged, so I don't have to log it in MFP. Yay for automatic updates!!

After falling off the wagon, I'm back, and have lost more in a shorter amount of time than before now that I have figured out that MFP thinks I burn more than I actually do. Lightbulb!!