What counts as exercise?

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LokiFae
LokiFae Posts: 774 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I haven't been logging exercise on the days I don't do any organized exercise (take a walk, do a DVD, take a class, etc.), but on those days, I end up REALLY hungry and usually go over my calories. I spend a good part of every day cooking, cleaning, carrying my (22 lb.) son around and walking up and down the stairs. Does this count as exercise? Or does MFP already factor that kind of thing in when it sets up calories? I set my activity level as sedentary (which maybe I should change to lightly active or something), and I just usually feel like I haven't had enough to eat. Or is this just my body getting used to eating right? Has anybody already asked this question, or does anyone know the answers?

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  • LokiFae
    LokiFae Posts: 774 Member
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    I haven't been logging exercise on the days I don't do any organized exercise (take a walk, do a DVD, take a class, etc.), but on those days, I end up REALLY hungry and usually go over my calories. I spend a good part of every day cooking, cleaning, carrying my (22 lb.) son around and walking up and down the stairs. Does this count as exercise? Or does MFP already factor that kind of thing in when it sets up calories? I set my activity level as sedentary (which maybe I should change to lightly active or something), and I just usually feel like I haven't had enough to eat. Or is this just my body getting used to eating right? Has anybody already asked this question, or does anyone know the answers?
  • edyta
    edyta Posts: 258
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    I can only tell you that I was feeling the same.
    Change to lightly active (or even active if you are taking care of your son) and see how is it going to work for you.
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
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    this is a very good question. I dont know an exact answer, so im bumping it so that i can see what others have to say!
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    I can tell you that I set my activity level to "sedentary" and I have no children, live in a 1-story house, and work at home in front of my desk most of the day. To me, that is truly sedentary day! Yours sounds more like active to me!!
  • vldowd
    vldowd Posts: 74 Member
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    If you search under exercise it has different activities for light or heavy cleaning, gardening and cooking or food preparation. I usually include these in my daily activities since they are calories that are being burned. Your base calories are determined by what is burned when you are at rest....never something that happens with small children around. :laugh: I have been steadily loosing 2-3 pounds a week logging this way. I'm interested to see what others have to say since nobody mentions this often.:bigsmile:
  • edyta
    edyta Posts: 258
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    I've hear some voices here (including Banks) saying that the site underestimates calories needed for many people.
    The best way to know how much you burn is to buy a heart rate monitor - that's what I've heard. I have one, I was wearing it for a few hours and I calculated I need 1950-2100 calories to maintain. MFP says it's 1990 if I chose ACTIVE (!!). I have a desk job, study, spend like 1.5-2h in my car every day so it doesn't sound like very active, isn't it? It may be that I gained lots of muscles exercising for a long time but regularly since February.
  • LokiFae
    LokiFae Posts: 774 Member
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    I went ahead and changed my activity level to lightly active. We'll see what kind of difference that makes. I'll keep you guys updated! Thanks for all the advice! But if anybody else has ideas, I still want to hear them, because I'm still kind of curious if anyone else has had this kind of thing happen to them.
  • icandoit
    icandoit Posts: 4,163 Member
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    I count the gym or walks. If I do really heavy yard work, I will count that. Outside of that, I don't.
  • LokiFae
    LokiFae Posts: 774 Member
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    What activity level did you set for your goals?
  • icandoit
    icandoit Posts: 4,163 Member
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    What activity level did you set for your goals?

    Light active
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    I'm set in "sedentary" so I log a lot of things. I do this because there are days that I am nearly 100% sedentary.

    I don't log every last thing, but I do log my weekly housecleaning (any incentive and I'll take it) and my "commuter walks" when I walk to and from the subway. Itty bitty here and there stuff (laundry, washing dishes, etc. . ) I don't log.

    My rule now is. . .if I'm wearing my HRM while I'm doing it, I log it. Otherwise, I don't.:flowerforyou:
  • may_marie
    may_marie Posts: 667 Member
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    I can tell you that I set my activity level to "sedentary" and I have no children, live in a 1-story house, and work at home in front of my desk most of the day. To me, that is truly sedentary day! Yours sounds more like active to me!!

    thats exactly me .llol..

    yup very sedentary.... hard to be mor active when you work from home in front of pc. i try to take break and go walk around, do dishes, change the laundry over ect. after work i do my work out, and try to stay off couch.........
  • dshandt
    dshandt Posts: 192
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    btw, you can go to www.caloriesperhour and find out how many calories you burn in virtually every activity (including intimate activities :embarassed: )! I do not like the way the site is set up....a little confusing at first, but keep looking and you will find what you want. That is not to say that you should enter every little thing you do, but there may come a day when you have done something unusual and it will help you . :flowerforyou:
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I'm set in "sedentary" so I log a lot of things. I do this because there are days that I am nearly 100% sedentary.

    I don't log every last thing, but I do log my weekly housecleaning (any incentive and I'll take it) and my "commuter walks" when I walk to and from the subway. Itty bitty here and there stuff (laundry, washing dishes, etc. . ) I don't log.

    My rule now is. . .if I'm wearing my HRM while I'm doing it, I log it. Otherwise, I don't.:flowerforyou:

    Yup, that's how I do it. I chose sedentary as my activity level even though I walk on campus a lot, and then just log the stuff I do specifically for exercise. It leaves a little wiggle-room for the days that I'm really starving and want to eat more.
  • iojoi
    iojoi Posts: 378 Member
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    I set my activity level to "sedentary"because i have some days where i dont do much activity 9/5 due to my job and my illness
    so whenever i take a walk or do anythin above the norm i add it as exercise
  • barracudamuscle
    barracudamuscle Posts: 313 Member
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    btw, you can go to www.caloriesperhour and find out how many calories you burn in virtually every activity (including intimate activities

    Sweet, now I have all the more reason to hook up with my fiance ( as if I didn't already! ) I can't wait to tell her after were done " I just burned 145 calories!" She will probably slap me but then I'll come back and tell her she only burned 80!:laugh: Then get slapped again. Ah what a great start to a life long relationship huh?
  • cinandchris
    cinandchris Posts: 229 Member
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    Sweet, now I have all the more reason to hook up with my fiance ( as if I didn't already! ) I can't wait to tell her after were done " I just burned 145 calories!" She will probably slap me but then I'll come back and tell her she only burned 80!:laugh: Then get slapped again. Ah what a great start to a life long relationship huh?

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • iojoi
    iojoi Posts: 378 Member
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    lol she'l slap you if she sees your post :laugh:
  • barracudamuscle
    barracudamuscle Posts: 313 Member
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    Yea, thats why I've opted to not tell her how great this site is anymore! She tracks her intake with a notepad and I've been telling her how simple this is ( 16 pounds 13 day later using it ). I just hope she never joins, if she does she'll never be my friend because then you gals will rat me out ( you all seem to stick together!:laugh: )

    Best Dishes,
    Pat
  • kerikitkat
    kerikitkat Posts: 352 Member
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    btw, you can go to www.caloriesperhour and find out how many calories you burn in virtually every activity (including intimate activities

    Sweet, now I have all the more reason to hook up with my fiance ( as if I didn't already! ) I can't wait to tell her after were done " I just burned 145 calories!" She will probably slap me but then I'll come back and tell her she only burned 80!:laugh: Then get slapped again. Ah what a great start to a life long relationship huh?

    I think you and my husband would get along REALLY well. Must mean your fiance is totally cool like me. :wink:

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