What counts?

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kaitlynbiehler
kaitlynbiehler Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all,
I'm pretty new to MFP and I have a handful of questions about logging exercise and food.
1. Do you log the general walking from place to place during the day? I have only been logging walking that has been deliberately for exercise. Same goes for stairs, etc.
2. Does anybody have any idea how many calories one burns during an Insanity workout? I've been classifying them as "calisthenics' workouts but I'm not so sure that's right.
3. Any tips on measuring serving size for food? I'm at college so I don't get to take a one cup measuring device and put three cups of salad on my plate I get to go to the dining center and guess how much is three cups.

Any advice would be much appreciated! So would friends!
Best,
Kaitlyn

Replies

  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
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    Well, I'm just like you with regards to your first point ... I only log deliberate exercise ... if I walk more one day or do more laundry or clean more house ... so be it ... I don't log it ... now if I garden for 2 hours or something really out of the ordinary, I 'may' log that ...

    on point 3 ... I weight almost everything ... a simple digital scale is great ... once you get a feel you don't have to weigh anymore but I almost always find weight equivalents for everything when starting out with a new food especially .... but whatever you do, just be smart about it and you'll get in the groove ...

    Good luck :)
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
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    I think it's best to only log things that are outside your normal daily activities. So if you walk a lot for work, don't count extra for it.

    You routine daily activity level should be calulated into MFP's formula if you choose the correct activity level.
  • seballard09
    seballard09 Posts: 26
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    Hi Kaitlyn -

    I'm new to MFP also, so I can't help too much, but maybe a bit. I also only log the deliberate exercise. I think anything else is just part of life and would be included in general amount of calories your body burns throughout the day. I've done a bit of looking into the number of calories burned during Insanity (I just got the program). Obviously, the actual number of calories burned depends on your weight, how much effort you put into it, etc. But generally speaking, I decided that a realistic (and maybe somewhat conservative) number of calories burned would be 400 per workout for a 150 lb person. The best way to determine your burn would be to purchase a heart monitor that calcuates calories. They're not too expensive and won't be 100% accurate, but will at least give you a pretty good idea of what you're burning. There are several forums online that talk about calories burned for Insanity, so if you google it you'll be able to find lots of information. As for measuring serving size while at the cafeteria....I have no idea! For proteins and starches I try to follow the general rule of a serving is your fist size. But that doens't really work for salads..... Good luck!
  • JoceyyySmall
    JoceyyySmall Posts: 155 Member
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    Heyyy- I personally don't log everyday walking because I live in a city and well walking is how I get around, unless I decide to take the bus or something. I only log my gym workouts etc.

    Insanity: As I have never done it, but I think I have read some people log it under circuits training.. Don't quote me on that, but from what I understand about insanity and those type of discs this would be my most logical guess.

    Food: I would say just guess. Someone told me that the size of your palm was about 3 oz. For this like cups I would kind of visualize and you can tell when a serving is huge especially if its taking up your plate or such. And well I believe salad and veggies you can get as much as that as you need. Maybe a couple tong grabs of it. I remember going to the cafeteria at school and it was hard to gauge especially because the main meals they would serve for you... You can alway do the trick of leaving food on your plate.
  • amayzingamanda
    amayzingamanda Posts: 254 Member
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    Welcome to MFP!!!!

    I agree with everyone above regarding the exercise and walking around etc.
    I can't help you on the Insanity question.

    But i may be able to help with the college food! Colleges (just like any other large institution that has a dining area for a mass audience) have someone on staff that plans the nutrition and portion of the food. Where I went to school, we had multiple dining options that I'm sure are similar to yours. We had a food court area and we had a cafe, coffee shop, convenience store, and the main dining room which is cafeteria/buffet style. The things that are cafeteria style, like the main courses etc you can most likely calculate as a generic portion (4oz chicken breast or 1 serving of mashed potatos etc). If you ask for extra or seconds, then track it as such. For things like the salad bar where you help yourself, assuming the plates are the same size you would see at a restaurant that served you a salad before your dinner, you can assume that if you fill your plate to the same general size you see at a restaurant it's a normal portion. On things like a dessert tray or dessert bar, most times ethings are already sliced and plated so those are also a standard serving size.

    This is all based on my 4 years at college (I'm out now, but it wasn't too long ago). I'm not a nutrition expert and if you do have the means to measure, then you should. But this can help you guesstimate a little better while you are in between classes or on the go etc.

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