Let's make a pact: Cleaning house IS NOT AN EXERCISE
Replies
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I clean houses for a living, 3 to 4 hours at each house 2 houses a day. I sweat, I work hard and I don't clean one room then sit on the couch and watch a 30 min program on tv. But even if I didn't clean houses as a job I would still count it if I got my heart rate up for more than 30 min at a time. More people should count this and make it a priority in life. I started out doing this to make mad money but after seeing how filthy some people lived it became a profession.0
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hahaaha exactly!
The weight comes off a lot easier when excuses aren't apart of your mindset. Overestimate calories consumed & underestimate activity calories burned. I guarentee you'll see results.0 -
Then do it. You are an adult and we are all responsible for our own weight loss/gain. We all don't have to agree on what is considered exercise but I know when I'm burning calories and when I'm not.
I agree that we shouldn't be hyperanalyzing the actions of others here...it's not negatively affecting you for other people to do that; ultimately everyone is accountable only to themselves. I'm sure you meant well and I think that maybe this topic could have been brought up in a less offensive way. On MFP we don't coddle people, but we do try and be supportive at all times. Lots of people have very high levels of pain where activity is involved, and to them maybe it's exciting to log a small victory. It's not for us to judge what they qualify as a workout.
Very well said! I am wondering why anyone would be bothered by what someone else is logging. I don't have any clue what anyone else is logging, nor do I care (I don't mean that in a mean way). I use MFP to keep MYSELF accountable, and to get POSITIVE SUPPORT from others.0 -
I work full time, go to the gym 3 - 4 times a week and supplement my workouts in other ways... my job is mostly sedentary so when I clean my house... (thoroughly) which is every other week, I count it. I have friends that are at home moms and they count that in their normal everyday activity.
I truly think this is a personal call.... everyone has differernt lifestyles and different baselines... not one of us have any place to judge anothers action as to what they count and dont count. I applaud anyone that is using whatever activity they can get in to strive towards their goal of getting healthy.0 -
I also have to disagree that you should only add exercise that gets your heart rate up or that you can't talk while you are doing it. I work out hard but this summer when we go on vacation to the Grand Canyon I will be hiking for 4 hours at a time every day a couple of times a day. My heart rate won't go anywhere near what it does when I run or when I do a spin class but you bet I'll be counting that as exercise.0
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Please follow the forum rules. We can debate an issue without attacking or insulting other members.
4) Do not attack/slam/insult other users. The forums are here so that members can help support one another. Attacks or insults against each other takes away from the supportive atmosphere and will not be tolerated. You can discuss the message or topic, but not the messenger - NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, YOU will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself, defending a friend, etc. are NOT excuses. Violations of this rule are taken very seriously and may result in being banned without warning! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Thank You,
Arewethereyet
Forum Moderator0 -
Just am FYI I just spent the last 45 minutes cleaning the bathroom with my heart rate monitor on. I worked up a sweat but barely got my heart rate going and if I log it would be a whole 79 calories.0
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I'm gonna continue logging it, but I always keep the mustard within reach so I'll pass on that.
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I hardcore clean one day a week for at least 4 or 5 hours. Bet your *kitten* I'm counting it!0
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What is your BMR?
Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating.
This was taking from this site. So, taking this into consideration, then cleaning does count. You are doing activity and not resting.
At least that's how I take it. I know that not everybody counts cleaning, but I do. It has not done any harm and I have lost weight, even more than the 2lbs a week that I have set for myself.0 -
The logic that it shouldn't be logged because it's something you do daily is a bit...flawed. If that's the case, and someone burns 400 calories doing an exercise DVD every day or 600 calories running several miles, they shouldn't log it because it's something they do every single day. They should, instead, bump their activity level up and only log things that are out of the ordinary.
Fact is, we all do different things on a daily basis. Our activity levels and routines are vastly different. For you, cleaning house may not be any extra calories. For the person who sits behind a computer all day at work 5 days a week, but comes home on weekends and shampoos their carpets and repaints the basement, that's extra calories that aren't typically burned and need to be logged so they're able to keep their net calories above 1200.0 -
I hardcore clean one day a week for at least 4 or 5 hours. Bet your *kitten* I'm counting it!
Same here. Every Friday is sweeping, mopping, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, changing the sheets, 3 -4 loads of laundry (which requires a lot of up and down the stairs), etc... I don't do it every day and I sure as heck sweat while doing it so I'll call it exercise. Except I don't trust MFP counts so I just log it as 30-60 minutes of light cleaning. lol0 -
So people are reaching 600 calorie "workouts" in part because they "cleaned the house"... wtf??? Should I add "Run to catch the bus" or "jump to reach the mustard"?? We are tryin to lose weight here, let's be honest! Who's in?
May I ask exactly where your mustard is that you must jump for it? That sounds like a bigger problem to me than figuring out your calorie burn. It's a great condiment! LOL!!
Wow! finally, a noon-defensive comment!! Awesome!! It's super cool that you can laugh instead of getting all touchy, like somebody else stuffed our faces for us, lol!
Ps. My mustard reserve, I shoul have said, is in the very top shelf of my very high cabinet! I'm loggin that in as plyo!0 -
Wow! finally, a noon-defensive comment!! Awesome!! It's super cool that you can laugh instead of getting all touchy, like somebody else stuffed our faces for us, lol!
I'm really sorry that you feel we all came off that way. I'm sure none of us meant it like that. I think we were just concerned about why it is that your focus is on what you see as inadequacies in others instead of on your own journey.
We all just want to support you and each other!0 -
hahaaha exactly!
The weight comes off a lot easier when excuses aren't apart of your mindset. Overestimate calories consumed & underestimate activity calories burned. I guarentee you'll see results.
Awesome!! Another replier with ANY sense of humor... and REALITY I might add. MORE POWER TO YOU!
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Awesome!! Another replier with ANY sense of humor... and REALITY I might add.
Speaking of defensiveness. You're being quite rude, it seems to me.
I'm tempted to stop visiting this thread for fear of catching the negativity but I just want to add, once more, that no one comes to this site to be down on anyone else. We're all just here to find a community of support. If you don't feel like that's a good match for you and your goals, I'm really sorry.0 -
Well, my mustard isn't up high, but my spices are and a couple of years ago, I set my sweater on fire by reaching up on my tippy toes to that little cupboard over the stove and you can BET your *kitten*, I would have logged those calories, as I leaped around the kitchen, throwing off my sweater and stomping out the fire! LOL Of course..........it would have been only a few minutes, but still!0
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So, I'm sorry all!
The entire thing was meant to be funny and the delusional me even thought it could be inspirational! (even though it was bit tough, a la Jillian Michaels) Of course we burn calories when we clean our house, but I thought we all were in sync here to force us to do MORE, to do that extra effort and PUSH ourselves.
I'm sorry most of you took it sooo bad, I tend to overestimate the resilience of people (though I do recommend also improving that, it's part of self-confidence)
Happy cleaning to all!0 -
Well, my mustard isn't up high, but my spices are and a couple of years ago, I set my sweater on fire by reaching up on my tippy toes to that little cupboard over the stove and you can BET your *kitten*, I would have logged those calories, as I leaped around the kitchen, throwing off my sweater and stomping out the fire! LOL Of course..........it would have been only a few minutes, but still!
HAHAHAHA! Great story! Thanks, and I bet you lost about 20 pounds in fear that day!
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So people are reaching 600 calorie "workouts" in part because they "cleaned the house"... wtf??? Should I add "Run to catch the bus" or "jump to reach the mustard"?? We are tryin to lose weight here, let's be honest! Who's in?
May I ask exactly where your mustard is that you must jump for it? That sounds like a bigger problem to me than figuring out your calorie burn. It's a great condiment! LOL!!
Wow! finally, a noon-defensive comment!! Awesome!! It's super cool that you can laugh instead of getting all touchy, like somebody else stuffed our faces for us, lol!
Ps. My mustard reserve, I shoul have said, is in the very top shelf of my very high cabinet! I'm loggin that in as plyo!
Nicely done.0 -
So, I'm sorry all!
The entire thing was meant to be funny and the delusional me even thought it could be inspirational! (even though it was bit tough, a la Jillian Michaels) Of course we burn calories when we clean our house, but I thought we all were in sync here to force us to do MORE, to do that extra effort and PUSH ourselves.
I'm sorry most of you took it sooo bad, I tend to overestimate the resilience of people (though I do recommend also improving that, it's part of self-confidence)
Happy cleaning to all!
It is interesting how type-written things are interpreted when there's no voice inflection and body language to go along with the words. Depending on the mood someone is in, your original post could come off as very harsh, not funny. "Let's be honest." An implication that people that log house cleaning as exercise aren't being honest with themselves. But you have no idea what that person did to warrant logging those calories, whether they were being honest or not. When I clean hard, I log it as exercise. Honestly. I had a friend who used to log "sitting, reading newspaper, 8 hours" and get around 1200 calories added back for that. Made me sad. Maybe he's not being honest with himself, but that is part of his journey. And judging is not going to be helpful or inspirational to him at all.
The passive-aggressiveness on these threads really gets to me sometimes. I know coming out and saying what you think of someone isn't allowed (for good reason), but the whole insiuation that someone that disagrees with you has no resilience or self-confidence is the same thing really. Potentially good threads go downhill from there. And people like me, who usually don't reply to threads like this, get discouraged and frustrated. I guess that's why I decided to reply in the first place, to defend those that do log cleaning. I think that shows a lot of self-confidence.0 -
So, I'm sorry all!
The entire thing was meant to be funny and the delusional me even thought it could be inspirational! (even though it was bit tough, a la Jillian Michaels) Of course we burn calories when we clean our house, but I thought we all were in sync here to force us to do MORE, to do that extra effort and PUSH ourselves.
I'm sorry most of you took it sooo bad, I tend to overestimate the resilience of people (though I do recommend also improving that, it's part of self-confidence)
Happy cleaning to all!
It is interesting how type-written things are interpreted when there's no voice inflection and body language to go along with the words. Depending on the mood someone is in, your original post could come off as very harsh, not funny. "Let's be honest." An implication that people that log house cleaning as exercise aren't being honest with themselves. But you have no idea what that person did to warrant logging those calories, whether they were being honest or not. When I clean hard, I log it as exercise. Honestly. I had a friend who used to log "sitting, reading newspaper, 8 hours" and get around 1200 calories added back for that. Made me sad. Maybe he's not being honest with himself, but that is part of his journey. And judging is not going to be helpful or inspirational to him at all.
The passive-aggressiveness on these threads really gets to me sometimes. I know coming out and saying what you think of someone isn't allowed (for good reason), but the whole insiuation that someone that disagrees with you has no resilience or self-confidence is the same thing really. Potentially good threads go downhill from there. And people like me, who usually don't reply to threads like this, get discouraged and frustrated. I guess that's why I decided to reply in the first place, to defend those that do log cleaning. I think that shows a lot of self-confidence.
A lovely lady made a joke of me and my mustard-jumping WHILE stating that she does log in her house cleaning. That is resilience. The rest is defensiveness... which is of course a choice. Sad one though.0 -
I'm going to start logging "posting in forums" as an exercise.
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Awesome!! See, that's a fun and ligh-hearted post!
I think I lost like 5 pounds on this thread!0 -
Argh! You guys make me want to eat a PB sandwich. I did vacuum today, after all...
:laugh:
You mean I CAN'T just add things that I usually do in order to eat more!?
.......:grumble: 0 -
I avoid this problem by not doing any cleaning
HAHAHHAAHA this made my day) 0 -
I avoid this problem by not doing any cleaning
:drinker:0 -
Argh! You guys make me want to eat a PB sandwich. I did vacuum today, after all...
:laugh:
You mean I CAN'T just add things that I usually do in order to eat more!?
.......:grumble:
Gosh, did I really say that??? lol! I'm sorry woman, by all means, log-in dusting and eat up! :drinker:0 -
I have logged house cleaning once- I skipped my workout to seriously overhaul my kitchen for hours. As others have said, I worked up a sweat.
On a normal day I don't log dish washing, oven wiping, counter scrubbing, cooking etc. 0 -
Not me! I don't do a lot of strenuous cleaning on a daily basis, and my activity level is set to sedentary. If I work up a good sweat, you bet I'm gonna log it! My HRM agrees I did indeed burn extra calories that day, so I'm going to enjoy eating back at least some of those well-deserved calories!
If some choose not to, that's their choice. For me, after losing 40 pounds, I realized my daily calorie deficit was too big and hindering my weight loss. I need to eat extra on days I clean hard!
If you do it on a daily basis, then you don't live a sedentary life.0
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