Am I logging this accurately?

Leskent
Leskent Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello All,

I'm halfway through week three of using MFP. Doing well, I think, haven't lost much yet, but I have a small weight loss goal and really my focus is just getting stronger and being healthier. I'm a 39 year old female from Canada.

I've ended up exercising every day, instead of the 3 times a week I originally programmed into MFP, just to have enough calories every day for supper. :-S I'm wondering if I'm logging my exercise in correctly.

3 times a week I 'hike' out in the field behind my house, up and down rows of Christmas trees (about 15 rows of 15 trees) and all the way around my own lot a couple times (1 acre). I do about 20-30 minutes of this. I originally started logging it as walking, but then saw the hiking listing and thought that would be more accurate. I started carrying 2 lb weights and pump them in a variety of motions as I walk. It really gets my heart rate up (always into my target range). I added 10 minutes of 'aerobics' to my hike log, because I didn't see anything else that would reflect the upper body motion and weight use.

With all the recent snowfall, my 'hike' has become much more difficult. I'm usually pushing through ankle to mid calf height snow. I can only make it once through the trees (used to do twice) during my 20-30 minutes and I've even had to stop sometimes for a minute breather because it's ALOT more work.

I'm sure I'm burning more calories now then when I was hiking on grass, but how can I reflect that in my logging? Any suggestions?

Replies

  • metulchik
    metulchik Posts: 59 Member
    I would log it as hiking- uphill (to reflect the work put into trudging through the snow) carrying a load >10lbs (or greater depending on how much weigh you are carrying).
  • lmhbuss
    lmhbuss Posts: 282 Member
    I have no idea how to log it, but you're a badass for getting out there and doing it in the snow!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I have no idea how to log it, but you're a badass for getting out there and doing it in the snow!

    Agreed, walking through snow sounds like a nightmare to me!
  • Sjenny5891
    Sjenny5891 Posts: 717 Member
    A- Don't log it because it is easier and it gives you bonus Calories in case you underestimate your food one day.

    B- use Endmondo or Runkeeper to track how far you went in the ammount of time and log it as .5mph faster than you actually went. That ought to come close to the extra calorie burn.

    OR
    C- log it as Hiking. Hiking ( Backpacking) usually involves carying an extra load and would probably come closer to what you are doing.

    The best way to find out would be buying a Heart Rate monitor that straps to your chest or arm.
  • 1waj123
    1waj123 Posts: 15 Member
    Log it as snow shoeing

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