Am I missing something?

butterfly_lvr

I agree with the dissenters of the OP. Anyone who's taken the steps to come onto this site and actively participate in filling out THEIR OWN diaries every day, already knows that they have to be honest with themselves in order to succeed. They also know what they are trying to achieve by logging their daily chores as exercise (whether they're trying to track their 'movements' or whether they're calling it actual exercise so they can eat it back). But its their decision and shouldn't be condemned. At worst, they are only hurting themselves and will eventually see the error of their ways (if there are any).

I personally keep my friends list pared down to people who I've grown to know and trust their judgment. If I disagree with someone's food or exercise diary, or how they go about losing their weight, and therefore can't offer the support to them that I expect from my MFP friends, then I simply unfriend them. I don't call public attention to it and make them (or anyone else who might feel convicted by MY OPINION) feel worse about themselves. This is supposed to be a safe place where people bare a lot of themselves, and I'd hate to see it become anything else.

very well said...it is not my place to judge anybody choices on anything. I am here for support and will only offer the same in return

tashjs21

My .02....

I'd say you are missing something. You're not thinking about the simple math. Does spending an hour cleaning the house burn as many calories as running for an hour? No. Does it burn SOME calories? Yes. Are those calories burned accounted for in your daily cal goal? Depends. For some they are, for others they are not. It depends on what your settings are (as Eric mentioned.)

If they are not accounted for, then they need to be added or you don't have all the information. MFP is a tool for measuring intake and output. All of the numbers are estimates and the best we can do is get the best estimates possible. Ignoring, underestimating OR overestimating a component leaves the equation incomplete and inaccurate - and can lead to the formula not working. NOT logging appropriately (or having your settings correct) can lead to overeating OR undereating - both of which can stall weight loss.

For someone with a sedentary setting, cleaning or casual walking is sometimes appropriate to log. Or maybe that was the closest or most apt description they could find for what they ACTUALLY did. Or maybe they cleaned or cooked for 8 hours and only logged 2 - as I did when I had to cook for 8 hours for my son's birthday. Or as I log cleaning now that I'm working on remodeling my house and I work for 4 hours at it and only log 1 or 2 hours to avoid overestimating. And my activity level is sedentary and I'm almost never on my feet for 8 hours because I work at my desk all day. And I lose weight like clockwork every week.

The point being, there are a LOT of reasons why someone would/could/SHOULD log this type of activity to ensure that they account for their activity in some way. And there are probably some people who don't need to log it. But if you don't have all the information, there is no way for you to know which it is.

If you don't like seeing it in someone's diary and don't feel comfortable asking them about it or suggesting something - and can't be supportive of them - then perhaps it's better you take them off of your friends list. Because I'm sure they don't appreciate being judged and labeled a "justifier" by someone who's supposed to be a friend and doesn't have all the information.

Very well said! :drinker:

WhitneyW78

Had to reply to this, but when your day used to consist of sitting your *kitten* on the couch or in chairs for 24/7, then ANY form of extra movement counts... ANY form. Obviously, you do not understand the life of a massively obese person.

I think I have some expertise in this area... 211 pounds do not lie.

eeeekie

Had to reply to this, but when your day used to consist of sitting your *kitten* on the couch or in chairs for 24/7, then ANY form of extra movement counts... ANY form. Obviously, you do not understand the life of a massively obese person.

I think I have some expertise in this area... 211 pounds do not lie.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you. You never fail to disappoint.

scagneti

I don't vacuum often, and since we don't have baths (only showers), I don't have to get on my hands and knees and scrub the tub as often as I would, but whenever I do lug out the vacuum or decide it's time to scrub what the Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner missed, all 140 pounds of me are covered in sweat, my face is red, and my heart is pounding through my chest. I exercise 5-6 times a week (cardio & weights) and I'm STILL winded and sweaty from cleaning. I couldn't imagine what it would do to someone larger than I am who hasn't worked out for the last year or walk 5 miles a day 5 times a week. I figure if I had my HRM on, it would likely say that I burned a good 200 calories over those 20-30 minutes (around the same as Zumba). For someone larger than I am, it would likely be closer to 300 calories. If they've already reduced their caloric intake to 1200 (so already have a big deficit), adding another 300 calorie deficit would not be healthy. Plus maybe they just need to see that "you've burned x-number of calories by exercising today" to make them not give up. Until it affects your weight loss journey, it really isn't any of your business.

DancingYogini

Had to reply to this, but when your day used to consist of sitting your *kitten* on the couch or in chairs for 24/7, then ANY form of extra movement counts... ANY form. Obviously, you do not understand the life of a massively obese person.

I think I have some expertise in this area... 211 pounds do not lie.

I wasn't going to pipe in here...just enjoying the "debate," but I love this ^^^post That is all.

CallMeMamaBoo

I wanted everyone to know that with all these really mean things being sad about me, I'll probably be going off of MFP. Thanks for all the motivating energy and positive thoughts for just accepting my opinion or my thoughts or for just leaving it alone. I appreciate all the sense of humor many of these postings but none of what I said was meant to be rude, mean, or ignorant. So while you all were bashing me on here I was out exercising and enjoying the sunshine while you all hijacked my 'ha-ha' moment to degrade the person that I am. Want a clue as to who I am really? Read my blog or get off it. Thanks Winners! I feel brilliant. /sarcasm.


I hope you feel good about yourselves and wish you luck on cleaning your houses and losing weight doing it! I know it wouldn't work for me...being asthmatic with thyroid problems since childhood, I have my own challenges to bust through and today, you all are not one of them.

Jade_Butterfly

Had to reply to this, but when your day used to consist of sitting your *kitten* on the couch or in chairs for 24/7, then ANY form of extra movement counts... ANY form. Obviously, you do not understand the life of a massively obese person.

I think I have some expertise in this area... 211 pounds do not lie.

Dang right my awesome friend! Love it~!

Mads1997

EXCELLENT POST!!! I agree with you totally and everytime I see someone *log* their exercise of the things you mentioned, I just roll my eyes and say, "they just don't get it." Thank you for sayin' what I've been thinkin'!

Ditto, they then wonder why they are not losing on the scales.

HMKan

I wanted everyone to know that with all these really mean things being sad about me, I'll probably be going off of MFP. Thanks for all the motivating energy and positive thoughts for just accepting my opinion or my thoughts or for just leaving it alone. I appreciate all the sense of humor many of these postings but none of what I said was meant to be rude, mean, or ignorant. So while you all were bashing me on here I was out exercising and enjoying the sunshine while you all hijacked my 'ha-ha' moment to degrade the person that I am. Want a clue as to who I am really? Read my blog or get off it. Thanks Winners! I feel brilliant. /sarcasm.


I hope you feel good about yourselves and wish you luck on cleaning your houses and losing weight doing it! I know it wouldn't work for me...being asthmatic with thyroid problems since childhood, I have my own challenges to bust through and today, you all are not one of them.

I don't think anyone here wants to see you leave MFP. It's a great tool and it would be a shame for you to give it up. However, you have to do what you're comfortable with. I hope you reconsider and stay.

But, you have to expect dissention when you post an opinion. I don't think this was a "haha" moment since it was questioning (with lots of ????, so it gives the impression of you being flippant) other people's behavior. I'm not trying to personally attack you, and I get that pride can be a big factor in these posts, but what you said right here:

Thanks for all the motivating energy and positive thoughts for just accepting my opinion or my thoughts or for just leaving it alone.

this is the attitude I feel you should've taken about the people you were questioning in the OP.

Just my two cents. I hope you stay and continue to find success.

ladyhawk00

I wanted everyone to know that with all these really mean things being sad about me, I'll probably be going off of MFP. Thanks for all the motivating energy and positive thoughts for just accepting my opinion or my thoughts or for just leaving it alone. I appreciate all the sense of humor many of these postings but none of what I said was meant to be rude, mean, or ignorant. So while you all were bashing me on here I was out exercising and enjoying the sunshine while you all hijacked my 'ha-ha' moment to degrade the person that I am. Want a clue as to who I am really? Read my blog or get off it. Thanks Winners! I feel brilliant. /sarcasm.


I hope you feel good about yourselves and wish you luck on cleaning your houses and losing weight doing it! I know it wouldn't work for me...being asthmatic with thyroid problems since childhood, I have my own challenges to bust through and today, you all are not one of them.

While I don't agree with those few who have said something disparaging about YOU, it's certainly reasonable and acceptable for people to post something that disagrees with your opinion. If you post something on a public forum that is a generalized statement and frankly somewhat disparaging about other people or their intentions (ie logging cleaning just so they can eat more), it's not very realistic to then expect no one else to be able to post THEIR opinions as well.

shaunshaikh

I'd say you are missing something. You're not thinking about the simple math. Does spending an hour cleaning the house burn as many calories as running for an hour? No. Does it burn SOME calories? Yes. Are those calories burned accounted for in your daily cal goal? Depends. For some they are, for others they are not. It depends on what your settings are (as Eric mentioned.)

If they are not accounted for, then they need to be added or you don't have all the information. MFP is a tool for measuring intake and output. All of the numbers are estimates and the best we can do is get the best estimates possible. Ignoring, underestimating OR overestimating a component leaves the equation incomplete and inaccurate - and can lead to the formula not working. NOT logging appropriately (or having your settings correct) can lead to overeating OR undereating - both of which can stall weight loss.

For someone with a sedentary setting, cleaning or casual walking is sometimes appropriate to log. Or maybe that was the closest or most apt description they could find for what they ACTUALLY did. Or maybe they cleaned or cooked for 8 hours and only logged 2 - as I did when I had to cook for 8 hours for my son's birthday. Or as I log cleaning now that I'm working on remodeling my house and I work for 4 hours at it and only log 1 or 2 hours to avoid overestimating. And my activity level is sedentary and I'm almost never on my feet for 8 hours because I work at my desk all day. And I lose weight like clockwork every week.

The point being, there are a LOT of reasons why someone would/could/SHOULD log this type of activity to ensure that they account for their activity in some way. And there are probably some people who don't need to log it. But if you don't have all the information, there is no way for you to know which it is.

If you don't like seeing it in someone's diary and don't feel comfortable asking them about it or suggesting something - and can't be supportive of them - then perhaps it's better you take them off of your friends list. Because I'm sure they don't appreciate being judged and labeled a "justifier" by someone who's supposed to be a friend and doesn't have all the information.

CallMeMamaBoo

If anyone bothered to read completely through they would see that more people agree than disagree. With that being said, I need to say that I value other's opinions which was why I posted in the first place. I don't, however, value someone's ability to insult me. If you could see the messages I've received being called everything from a saint to a B*tch and a fat cow...than you would understand why, at this point, I am tired of the immaturity. Maybe some people don't understand my sense of humor (majority, I find, do and enjoy it) and decided to jump to assumptions rather than question me W/O the insults. I've never been surrounded by such angry people who are so unaccepting! I agree to that everyone has exceptions to the rules. I've already stated that. I am not arguing the point. The point that I am arguing is the fact that we are entitled to opinions and there is no need to downgrade me for mine. I seen a 19 y/o girl today post that she was quitting MFP because it was a big joke... wanna know why? But she was logging her food and her chores and not losing any weight over a month and not one of her friends bothered to step up and tell her that chores don't count but they waited til she posted and than rudely pushed her out the door for the choices she made but didn't know any better and by the time I could talk to her she was too insulted. She had no knowledge of how weight loss would work for her and needed the support NOT OPINIONS of others. Get off it already. Enough damage has been done here. I was merely trying to start a discussion in hopes that I would gain some knowledge for myself. For people who eat back their exercise calories like myself, I would like to know if I should eat more or less and that includes knowing what exactly counts as calorie burns. Enough.

pcronberg

I wanted everyone to know that with all these really mean things being sad about me, I'll probably be going off of MFP. Thanks for all the motivating energy and positive thoughts for just accepting my opinion or my thoughts or for just leaving it alone. I appreciate all the sense of humor many of these postings but none of what I said was meant to be rude, mean, or ignorant. So while you all were bashing me on here I was out exercising and enjoying the sunshine while you all hijacked my 'ha-ha' moment to degrade the person that I am. Want a clue as to who I am really? Read my blog or get off it. Thanks Winners! I feel brilliant. /sarcasm.


I hope you feel good about yourselves and wish you luck on cleaning your houses and losing weight doing it! I know it wouldn't work for me...being asthmatic with thyroid problems since childhood, I have my own challenges to bust through and today, you all are not one of them.

Hon, you need to read back into some of the things that you stated in this forum. There were plenty of things said that really hurt a lot of those people who are using those types of activities as exercises. It is not anybody's place to judge how anybody else is doing their weight loss journey. Eventually they will figure out that it is or is not working and go from there. Just because it doesn't work for you, doesn't mean that it won't for somebody else. Assuming things really makes for ugly words. You stated something about eating a cookie after walking the stairs... That was found by a lot of people to be hurtful, and when people feel hurt they lash out... it's life. Just a word of advice, if you want to post something like this again, maybe it should be kept in a blog where only your friends can read it. Saying that if someone doesn't agree with you then they shouldn't read your "thoughts" isn't going to work if you post it as a topic for everyone to see. The consequences are obviously greater than you had anticipated, and that should be a reminder next time to think about anybody that might be hurt by what you are saying. I for one, have not lived a very active lifestyle due to surgeries and such... If I feel like I need to log in those calories, I most certainly will. You disagree with that, and you are entitled to your opinion. However, if you chose to voice your opinion on a place like MFP where everyone on here can read it, you are likely to get some pretty bad feedback for it by those who disagree with you. Let's keep it friendly. MFP is a place for people to get support in their weight loss journey, not to get bashed by someone who doesn't agree with how they are trying.

fteale

Yes, I think you are missing something. If you spend all day carrying around a 22lb baby, you log your activity level accordingly. I prefer to put my activity level as sedentary, and log the activity I do. Now I wouldn't put washing up/ cooking/school run etc as exercise, but I certainly put gardening in, if I have done a lot of it, or a walk longer than half an hour. If I didn't add those things, it would be more appropriate for me to put my activity level as moderately active, but I prefer to actually see how much I do do day to day.

ZachyABaby

I wonder how many calories I burnt typing this

shreddingit

That goes for breastfeeding too!!........if u log everything u do then ur taking out the rule of burn more than what u eat!! And extra exercise wont really kill any bad food u ate! But ur diary will tell u it did!! :laugh:
Just eat well and do real workouts

Okay, I am confused? Are you saying people shouldn't be logging breastfeeding? :huh: It is valid to do, as when you are breastfeeding exclusively, your body uses up to 500 calories more a day to create the milk. It is not about a "burn" for weight loss, it is about having enough calories to create food for your baby.

Im saying not as a exercise...you dont know how much your burning theres no set amount for everyone....if im breastfeeding I know my calories should not be too low, and if someone doesnt know then they need to learn!

fteale

I dont see the problem with logging your housework as exercise,if it helps people then its a good thing.Its annoying how people just assume they are doing it in order to eat more.
And the thing is housework IS exercise in its own way.
If I scrubb the floors thats exercise
if you have a large house with lots of carpet and your vacuming for 20 minutes or more a day thats exercise
if your scrubbing the shower thats exercise

While I was doing all of that, I put on 50 lbs. My mom had 4 kids and a 6 bed room house to maintain for 30 years, she put on 150 lbs. I really doubt that approach will work for me. It might for others tho! So G'luck with that. I wish it could be that easy for me but genetics tell me otherwise.

And yet my mother had 4 children and a 7 bedroom house (maybe that extra room made all the difference) and has never weighed more than 112lbs, even though the house was always a mess and she never did a minute of exercise the whole time I was growing up. She didn't need to because she ate right and was on her feet all day keeping up with us. If your mother gained 150lbs, it was because she ate too much, not because she didn't have enough to do.

TBH you have admitted to eating junk, so it's not that surprising that you have found the weight creep on DESPITE your active lifestyle.

shreddingit

If anyone bothered to read completely through they would see that more people agree than disagree. With that being said, I need to say that I value other's opinions which was why I posted in the first place. I don't, however, value someone's ability to insult me. If you could see the messages I've received being called everything from a saint to a B*tch and a fat cow...than you would understand why, at this point, I am tired of the immaturity. Maybe some people don't understand my sense of humor (majority, I find, do and enjoy it) and decided to jump to assumptions rather than question me W/O the insults. I've never been surrounded by such angry people who are so unaccepting! I agree to that everyone has exceptions to the rules. I've already stated that. I am not arguing the point. The point that I am arguing is the fact that we are entitled to opinions and there is no need to downgrade me for mine. I seen a 19 y/o girl today post that she was quitting MFP because it was a big joke... wanna know why? But she was logging her food and her chores and not losing any weight over a month and not one of her friends bothered to step up and tell her that chores don't count but they waited til she posted and than rudely pushed her out the door for the choices she made but didn't know any better and by the time I could talk to her she was too insulted. She had no knowledge of how weight loss would work for her and needed the support NOT OPINIONS of others. Get off it already. Enough damage has been done here. I was merely trying to start a discussion in hopes that I would gain some knowledge for myself. For people who eat back their exercise calories like myself, I would like to know if I should eat more or less and that includes knowing what exactly counts as calorie burns. Enough.

people dont want to hear the truth girl!! they just wanna chat about mfp crushes and what cars they drive...your on the right mind set though.....

ladyhawk00

If anyone bothered to read completely through they would see that more people agree than disagree. With that being said, I need to say that I value other's opinions which was why I posted in the first place. I don't, however, value someone's ability to insult me. If you could see the messages I've received being called everything from a saint to a B*tch and a fat cow...than you would understand why, at this point, I am tired of the immaturity. Maybe some people don't understand my sense of humor (majority, I find, do and enjoy it) and decided to jump to assumptions rather than question me W/O the insults. I've never been surrounded by such angry people who are so unaccepting! I agree to that everyone has exceptions to the rules. I've already stated that. I am not arguing the point. The point that I am arguing is the fact that we are entitled to opinions and there is no need to downgrade me for mine. I seen a 19 y/o girl today post that she was quitting MFP because it was a big joke... wanna know why? But she was logging her food and her chores and not losing any weight over a month and not one of her friends bothered to step up and tell her that chores don't count but they waited til she posted and than rudely pushed her out the door for the choices she made but didn't know any better and by the time I could talk to her she was too insulted. She had no knowledge of how weight loss would work for her and needed the support NOT OPINIONS of others. Get off it already. Enough damage has been done here. I was merely trying to start a discussion in hopes that I would gain some knowledge for myself. For people who eat back their exercise calories like myself, I would like to know if I should eat more or less and that includes knowing what exactly counts as calorie burns. Enough.

It's unfortunate that you've had such a negative experience (or that anyone does.) Sadly, there are immature, mean people everywhere - in RL, online, on any website or social network. But letting them dictate your experience isn't going to help you or anyone else.

Honestly, your OP (and further responses) didn't sound like you were joking (in a nice way, at least) - it sounded like you were bashing anyone who logs cleaning or cooking or whatever. The approach and tone was what generated the negative responses. Perhaps if you'd made it a bit more of an honest question, rather than seeming to make fun of those who do it, it would have gone over a bit better. I've learned over many, many years in forums that tact and choosing words carefully is even more important than in RL, because tone and intentions are a lot more easily misunderstood in text.

At any rate, hopefully you got some helpful responses somewhere. I think it's a mistake to write off the whole community based on a few people. But you should do whatever will help you be successful. Good luck to you, either way.