Cleaning...Light or Heavy??

srslybritt

So... you're going to ignore successful people and put blinders on so you can do what you want to do?

notsuchaskinnybitch

You can burn LOADS of calories cleaning! I try to not log mine any more though as I just end up eating it all back. :P

I would say heavy- scrubbing/hoovering

Light- dusting, wiping.

I wore my HRM once when I cleaned for 1 hour and burnt over 400!

GrammyPeachy

I don't log cleaning. I do however, know for a fact that, now I get up and do more and for longer periods of time.
When I was heavier, I told my kids to do things that I was unable to do. I'm sure I burn more calories now than
when I was sitting on my butt telling somebody else to do everything.

As far as your question OP, I'd say go with the breaking a sweat rule or
easy work =light, more strenuous work=heavy.

KylaDenay

So... you're going to ignore successful people and put blinders on so you can do what you want to do?

LOL I guess people do not know how to take advice now a days.

KayleighIsGoingFatToFit

So... you're going to ignore successful people and put blinders on so you can do what you want to do?

I didn't say that what so ever. I am ignoring people who are being rude as there is no need for it.
I have lost 6 lbs in a week does that make me unsuccessful, just because I don't have my ticker in my posts for everyone to see?

I didn't ask for everyone's opinion on what I should and shouldn't do. Simple.

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

without reading all of the replies, unless you only ever rarely do some major intense scrub cleaning, something that you've never done before, then I would say probably don't log it, unless it makes you feel better. They are, after all, your calories to burn/eat back, therefore its your decision.

srslybritt

So... you're going to ignore successful people and put blinders on so you can do what you want to do?

I didn't say that what so ever. I am ignoring people who are being rude as there is no need for it.
I have lost 6 lbs in a week does that make me unsuccessful, just because I don't have my ticker in my posts for everyone to see?

I didn't ask for everyone's opinion on what I should and shouldn't do. Simple.

When did I ever say you weren't successful, or that having a ticker makes you successful automatically? I was giving you anecdotal evidence as to why you might want to take some of the things these people offer as advice seriously.

I don't think you're unsuccessful. Congratulations on your weight loss.

_Waffle_

If you were doing an activity while gaining weight and getting fatter, then don't log it as exercise while losing weight.

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KayleighIsGoingFatToFit

I have taken on what some people have said.

Since I asked a simple question I don't understand why everyone has such a big opinion on it.

As I am quite large light cleaning might break me into a sweat and gets my heart rate up as I am doing 4 different things at once.

I didn't even say I was even going to log the calories burnt I was just curious so I could see how many I do burn.

bajoyba

OP to answer your question, from a calorie-burning, weight-loss-affecting perspective there is little to no difference between the two. One could come up with a vague definition of either, but unless you're doing something that makes you break a serious sweat, over a sustained period of time, the difference to your calorie burn and intake is so small that it's not going to make much of a difference.

This is why so many are advising you not to log it. If you decide to do so, and adhere strictly to the principle of eating back your exercise calories, you run the risk of decreasing your deficit, and preventing yourself from losing weight at the rate you've chosen. If it makes you feel better to do so though, vaya con Dios.

^Just all of that.

The reason why people are offering their opinions rather than simply stating the difference between light and heavy cleaning is because they're trying to give you good advice and save you some trouble when it comes to potentially over-estimating your calorie needs. Aside from a couple of joking posts on the first page, I didn't see anyone be rude or deliberately unhelpful before you responded and took offense.

Of course it's ultimately your choice how you want to account for your activity level and what you want to log as exercise, and you are free to disregard anything that anyone says in this thread.

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

If you were doing an activity while gaining weight and getting fatter, then don't log it as exercise while losing weight.

</thread>

ding ding ding!

AskTracyAnnK28

I have taken on what some people have said.

Since I asked a simple question I don't understand why everyone has such a big opinion on it.

As I am quite large light cleaning might break me into a sweat and gets my heart rate up as I am doing 4 different things at once.

I didn't even say I was even going to log the calories burnt I was just curious so I could see how many I do burn.

You come here...asking a question. You not only got some great answers, but some great advice on logging and you have a problem with it?

Anyway...if you're that curious get a fitbit.

KayleighIsGoingFatToFit

I just wanted to see how many it burns, I am curious. Like if I went for a 90 minute walk I would want to know how many calories burnt to be curious

I WASN'T GOING TO LOG THEM!!! I AM CURIOUS OF THE NUMBER

lemurcat12

This thread is interesting. I have always been a walker, walking several miles per day. Since starting MFP two weeks ago, I log that walking as exercise. Apparently, since I was walking before starting MFP, I should not be logging this?

I don't understand the logic of this.

People get weird about this, IMO.

I think it depends on how you determine your goal. When I first started I had my activity level on sedentary and used a Fitbit, and then ate back calories from my Fitbit, which of course included walking (and moving around when cleaning), so on. You get conflicting advice about this (sometimes contradictory advice, IMO), but it always worked for me. To this date Fitbit estimates my TDEE right in line with what I'm actually losing, if I also log in my intentional exercise that's not walking-based (biking, runs so it can adjust calories, etc.).

So similar to that, I think if people have their activity level as sedentary, they should log walking and cleaning and such, at least if the cleaning genuinely is active (washing dishes isn't for me, for example).

But I do think it's probably better, especially since I don't trust MFP estimates, to work regular activities into your activity level if you don't want to use something like a Fitbit. Thus, rather than logging my walking for commuting and other daily activities (which can be quite a lot as I live in a city and walk half a mile to my el stop and do most things on foot), I changed my activity level to lightly active. (IMO, most people probably are lightly active at least, not sedentary, and that would preclude having to log stuff like cleaning.) That aside, it's still quite possible that you would have days on which the walking (or cleaning) is way beyond normal, and then I think it makes sense to log it if you want. Or don't, and have those extra calories as a buffer for any underestimates.

However, my personal opinion about what makes sense to me need not be relevant to anyone else, so if others prefer to be "sedentary" and log walking and such on a daily basis I see no reason why that's not an acceptable approach. The only thing for anyone, no matter how you do it, is to be willing to adjust if it doesn't work.

I hate that people get all puritanical about logging daily activities when it's well known that people inaccurately assume they are sedentary based on the descriptions on the MFP site, and thus in theory should be logging activity beyond sedentary. It reminds me a bit of the way that some seem to think it's more virtuous not to eat back exercise when the MFP method is based on eating back exercise. Now, are there some benefits to doing a different approach where you don't have to do that? IMO, yes, but what works best and is most motivating or less burdensome is going to depend on the person.

KylaDenay

I just wanted to see how many it burns, I am curious. Like if I went for a 90 minute walk I would want to know how many calories burnt to be curious

I WASN'T GOING TO LOG THEM!!! I AM CURIOUS OF THE NUMBER

SHEESH!! Calm down. No one is being rude and no one is coming down on you for logging cleaning calories (if you were going to). It is simply just advice. You cannot ask a question on these forums without getting some. It is a lot of helpful advice. Instead of taking it personal, just say thank you and move on.

It is okay if you choose to log it or don't. That is up to you. Your answer has been given many times and you got some good advice a long the way. I don't think that is so bad.

cassique

This thread is interesting. I have always been a walker, walking several miles per day. Since starting MFP two weeks ago, I log that walking as exercise. Apparently, since I was walking before starting MFP, I should not be logging this?

I don't understand the logic of this.

I think it is a tricky situation. I don't log my walks, but I log my runs. If I consider it a workout it gets logged. If it is considered lifestyle it doesn't. But then the trick is to accurately record your lifestyle. I am obviously not sedentary. My job alone has me at lightly active. Then I have my daily routines, walking the dog, housework (although I am a terrible housekeeper). Is it enough to boost me to moderately active? I'm not sure. Then in the spring and fall I usually do heavy gardening (tilling, harvesting, pulling), in the summer I get lazy about pretty much any housework, but I am more recreationally active. In the winter I am lazy, lazy, lazy. Sometimes I shovel snow, but the amount is unpredictable and mostly dependent on mother nature and my family's eagerness to jump in.

So I think for some it is easier to put in sedentary or lightly active lifestyle, and then record everything that gets the heart rate up. The thing is unless you have a good hr monitor and activity tracker then the calories burned may not be at all helpful. There isn't really a right answer, but if you choose this method, and eat back the calories and find you are still losing, then great. If not, then it is time to rethink this system.

Right now I am trying to get a better handle on my true TDEE by recording my activity based on a scale I created based on my perception of how active I am on a given day. 1- is a sedentary day (Stay in bed watching old movies), 2-normal day (typical work day with my walks and typical housework), 3- normal day plus at least 30 minutes of working out or heavy housework/gardening, 4- normal day plus at least 60 minutes of working out, 5-highly active day (a day that revolves around fitness activities). I am hoping that with this information I will be able to adjust my calories based on my fluctuating activity levels. That way, if I am going through I lazy phase, I know what dietary changes I need to make to accommodate, and vice versa. It has only been 1 month in, so we shall see how helpful this proves itself to be.

lishie_rebooted

I just wanted to see how many it burns, I am curious. Like if I went for a 90 minute walk I would want to know how many calories burnt to be curious

I WASN'T GOING TO LOG THEM!!! I AM CURIOUS OF THE NUMBER

MFP grossly overestimates calorie burns and HRMs are only accurate for steady state cardio (ie walking, running, etc).
So it's pointless. You aren't going to get an accurate or useful number.

libbydoodle11

I just wanted to see how many it burns, I am curious. Like if I went for a 90 minute walk I would want to know how many calories burnt to be curious

I WASN'T GOING TO LOG THEM!!! I AM CURIOUS OF THE NUMBER

SHEESH!! Calm down. No one is being rude and no one is coming down on you for logging cleaning calories (if you were going to). It is simply just advice. You cannot ask a question on these forums without getting some. It is a lot of helpful advice. Instead of taking it personal, just say thank you and move on.

It is okay if you choose to log it or don't. That is up to you. Your answer has been given many times and you got some good advice a long the way. I don't think that is so bad.

^^^^^^^^^

this

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

I just wanted to see how many it burns, I am curious. Like if I went for a 90 minute walk I would want to know how many calories burnt to be curious

I WASN'T GOING TO LOG THEM!!! I AM CURIOUS OF THE NUMBER

strap on a HRM and go to town, then. Good googa mooga.

KayBallin

I don't log cleaning... but I guess light is just vacuuming. Idk. It depends on the person. If you clean a lot, I would just set the activity level to "lightly active" instead of "sedentary" so you don't have to worry about it.

Using a fitbit would probably tell you. HRM is for steady state cardio so the number would be inaccurate.