really? logging "standing" as a calorie burn?

agthorn

However, when I first started losing weight, I thought it was hard to walk a few blocks. I work in a lab and on the 'busy' days in the lab where I was actually standing... guess what? I was exhausted on those days. And here's the kicker, according to my arm-band, I WAS burning a fairly substantial amount of calories just by moving my bulk around the lab a little.

The band had a rather interesting effect on me- once I realized that I could burn calories just by getting out of my chair and walking down the hall to the bathroom and back, guess what? I started doing that a lot more frequently.

Just an FYI - monitors are *not* accurate for low heart rate activities. They are only accurate for cardio activities.

She's not talking about a heart rate monitor. She's talking about a bodymedia band that you wear on your arm, which is intended to calculate a calorie burn around the clock.

rainbowbow

I just don't understand why that is not included in their activity level. I'm not discrediting that it may be hard to hold a child while shopping Its just not additional excersize from daily activities. If you hold a child and walk around all day then youre activity level should not be sedentary. And if because of these factors this is NOT your activity level in MyFitnessPal then these calories burned will be allotted in your caloric intake.

I have a few friends that do this. "Burned 758 calories walking with a 5-10 pound child. Includes shopping for groceries and running errands." I'm always like where the hell did you even get that number? Also isn't this stuff included in your activity level? O_o

To give a different POV, my oldest son is HUGE. He isn't fat, but he is a 4 year old who is the height and weight of a 7 year old. We are tall. I had my second son when the first was only 1 year old, and at times I carried one in a sling and the other on my hip. Grocery shopping/errands were some of those times. That isn't bull****...that is really a workout. I've run a marathon. I STILL say that was a workout. Oh, and my second kid was BORN 13 lbs. Cut them some slack. When they ask, "why am I not losing?", that's the time to suggest they may be over logging.

AmeChops

I have personally logged 'standing' as an exercise...I got the formula from another website which took in to account my weight/height etc.

I work with an animal rescue and we attend dog activity/fun days as stall holders and I am literally on my feet standing, talking about dogs for 5+ hours, with the odd bit of walking...well more like ambling...around looking other stalls and giving the dogs a bit of a break. As this is something out of the normal for me and I'm pretty sure it would count as exercise then why not log it??

jaeone

As others have said, they're only cheating themselves. I don't care what other people are doing.

^This! SOME not all log these calories just to eat them back. Then post a topic titled "What am I doing wrong?"

docdevore

You burn more calories standing and moving around (even if it's light) than you do sitting down at a desk all day. I was told by a dietician (granted she could have been lying to me) that you burn about 100 extra calories an hour standing. So it's not completely ridiculous to bump up the activity a little bit to not sedentary. Standing for 8 hours isn't part of life if you live a sedentary lifestyle.

I only log standing when I represent my company at trade shows. My job is normally behind a desk on a keyboard.

Beastette

I just don't understand why that is not included in their activity level. I'm not discrediting that it may be hard to hold a child while shopping Its just not additional excersize from daily activities. If you hold a child and walk around all day then youre activity level should not be sedentary. And if because of these factors this is NOT your activity level in MyFitnessPal then these calories burned will be allotted in your caloric intake.

I have a few friends that do this. "Burned 758 calories walking with a 5-10 pound child. Includes shopping for groceries and running errands." I'm always like where the hell did you even get that number? Also isn't this stuff included in your activity level? O_o

To give a different POV, my oldest son is HUGE. He isn't fat, but he is a 4 year old who is the height and weight of a 7 year old. We are tall. I had my second son when the first was only 1 year old, and at times I carried one in a sling and the other on my hip. Grocery shopping/errands were some of those times. That isn't bull****...that is really a workout. I've run a marathon. I STILL say that was a workout. Oh, and my second kid was BORN 13 lbs. Cut them some slack. When they ask, "why am I not losing?", that's the time to suggest they may be over logging.

Perhaps since they don't do it every day, they don't want to include it in their activity level. The scale doesn't lie. If they are fudging, they won't lose. If they aren't, then they will. I get why this may be annoying, but some people who run 10 miles a day might find another's Pilates DVD scoffable. (Yes, I just made that up). Ya dig? Different levels of fitness.

catwrangler

http://mashable.com/2011/04/22/standup-desks/

yaddayaddayadda

I don't worry about what other people log... I log my exercise and go on with life... to each his or her own:-)

MrsJax11

i think it depends on where your base level is set. I know for me, I have a sitdown desk job M-F 8 hrs, etc. So when I stand all day or go the store after work or do out of the ordinary cleaning, i might log it. If my job switched to a mostly standing moving around job, I would change my base level and go from there.

Base level= ordinary activity
Logging= out of the ordinary activity

This is valid --
I teach, so half of my day from 7-2:30 I am on my feet walking around. I have my activity level at lightly active. Yesterday I spent hours walking around the mall, so I logged one hour of walking at a slow pace since it was above and beyond normal activity. Another example would be when I am cleaning the yard or something -- above and beyond normal activity, so it gets logged.
Today I kayaked for about 1 hour and 45 minutes...the MFP calculator seemed high, so I logged it as 1.5 hours. It seemed like a high burn at 600 cals, but walking would have burned about 400 and it was harder than walking....

If someone constantly logs something inaccurately it will show up eventually, or rather, not show up on the scale! Think of all of the people who eyeball their foods and then complain about not losing!

Pangea250

Please elaborate as to how a monitor only accurately monitors your heart rate for cardio? How does it become more accurate as you work harder?

Because the relationship between heart rate and calories burned is *very* different at low and high heart rates. The readout of calories burned at low heart rates is vastly overstated.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75
http://www.heartratemonitor.co.uk/heart_rate_monitor_faq.html

satikat

if it motivates it counts for that person. personally i only do a vigorous cleaning once a week and many times skip the gym to do it so i count it..
and question why does strength training have no calories burn counter?

i had this same question- the strength exercises don't have calories attached, but if you go to the cardio section and type in strength training you can log your minutes (just like everything else) and get a calorie estimate.

killerqueen17

It's all about someone's life style, I think... I'm sitting down for the vast majority of my day-- full time desk job, and full time grad school, and lots of homework... so yeah, if I do something like clean the house, I'm going to log it because it's a deviation from my normal state-- sitting on my butt!! lol! I haven't gone so far as to log "standing," but I do log my walks to class and that sort of thing... But if someone logs standing and their plan seems to work for them, then who cares?

JoJo_fat2fab

I clean and do laundry every two days, I don't log that, that is just my regular everyday life, but once a week I go to the bank, I used to drive there, now I walk, its about a 45-50 min walk, I DO log that.

tigersword

An important point people seem to ignore is, calories burns and activity levels are not calculated per day. They calculate a weekly amount, and give you a daily average to eat. So just because you do something a couple times a week, but not every day, does not mean it isn't accounted for in your TDEE.

tcdawley78

I don't log my daily cleaning, but if I do something more intense (like steam cleaning, moving furniture, scrubbing floors on my hands and knees, etc) then I DO log it. I may or may not eat back the calories, but if my heart is pounding and sweat is rolling off me? I'm counting that! LOL

This mentality doesn't make sense to me, the only reason on this site to log exercise is to know how many exercise calories to eat back, otherwise there's no reason to track it, it doesn't mean anything.

I don't east back my exercise calories, but I do log them... I use it to keep track of my exercise... If I have a week where I don't lose much, it helps me to see how much exercise I did (or didn't do) that week... It keeps me motivated when I don't feel like exercising. I can look back and say "last time I didn't exercise for x days, I didn't lose as much as I usually do"

LynneGG

Ok...In my opinion the basis of this post is valid. But who cares? Why does anyone have the right to belittle someone on how they track there food or activities? You can't judge when you do not know all the particulars about the person. Bottom line if it works it works. Their choices are not for everyone but if they work or don't work only time will tell. This site I thought was about knowledge and support....

SueGremlin

I log standing when it's for extended periods of time. Sometimes as part of my job I spend 5-8 hours on my feet.

SueGremlin

Ok...In my opinion the basis of this post is valid. But who cares? Why does anyone have the right to belittle someone on how they track there food or activities? You can't judge when you do not know all the particulars about the person. Bottom line if it works it works. Their choices are not for everyone but if they work or don't work only time will tell. This site I thought was about knowledge and support....

Thanks. That's exactly what I wanted to say. What I am doing works great for me.

Beastette

Please elaborate as to how a monitor only accurately monitors your heart rate for cardio? How does it become more accurate as you work harder?

Because the relationship between heart rate and calories burned is *very* different at low and high heart rates. The readout of calories burned at low heart rates is vastly overstated.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75
http://www.heartratemonitor.co.uk/heart_rate_monitor_faq.html

This makes me sad. The first link is about using HRM during isolation-style weight exercises, and the second is about selecting a HRM. The young lady in question is wearing a different type of instrument...as other posters have already stated.
Secondly, total-body weight training is also cardiovascular. They aren't mutually exclusive. Cardiovascular exercise is any exercise that raises your heart rate. Running can increase strength. Vigorous and heavy lifting can raise your HR.

Hopefully this last bit of logic will get through, because frankly I've lost interest in this thread.

SueGremlin

If they are really, really heavy maybe they can burn a significant number of cals just standing or cleaning. Other than that you should recommend they change their activity level in their settings rather than log every little thing. Its easy to be overzealous about logging stuff when you first start out but it really becomes a pain to do long term.

I don't think anyone should tell others how to do things unless asked for advice.

╰☆╮PilatesPOPster╰☆╮

That's on them. If they want to log every single thing they do in their every day life- im sure theyll be coming to the forums soon complaining that they aren't losing weight, or maybe even GAINING...and they;ll ask for opinions and suggestions/advice then. Until then- I would just ignore it.
I don't go out of my way to "OH great job! what a burn!!" people who log "standing", "cleaning", etc. I also dont go out of my way to put them down or judge them for logging those things- this is their journey. they'll eventually learn what work and what doesnt work for them.

thankyou4thevenom

Maybe they were just doing a standing Yoga pose for a very long time.

:laugh:

fteale

In general, absolutely no, I don't even log walking unless I am doing it literally all day, and then I log it as 2 hours (rather than the 8 or so it is), but I DO log standing when I am singing. On concert days I can be standing and singing for 8 hours straight, and I assure you, it IS exercise. But the only way to log that here is as standing.

hikeout470

ok, getting up off the chair and going to stand while I clean, clean, clean:)

Pangea250

Please elaborate as to how a monitor only accurately monitors your heart rate for cardio? How does it become more accurate as you work harder?

Because the relationship between heart rate and calories burned is *very* different at low and high heart rates. The readout of calories burned at low heart rates is vastly overstated.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75
http://www.heartratemonitor.co.uk/heart_rate_monitor_faq.html

This makes me sad. The first link is about using HRM during isolation-style weight exercises, and the second is about selecting a HRM. The young lady in question is wearing a different type of instrument...as other posters have already stated.
Secondly, total-body weight training is also cardiovascular. They aren't mutually exclusive. Cardiovascular exercise is any exercise that raises your heart rate. Running can increase strength. Vigorous and heavy lifting can raise your HR.

Hopefully this last bit of logic will get through, because frankly I've lost interest in this thread.

The passive-aggressiveness is, frankly, unnecessary.

There are facts in each of those links. I didn't bother to point out the specific part of each link, but only included the links because I was asked for specific information and thought it would help. I won't bother pointing out the specific part in each link because you are bored and now, apparently, uninterested.

I was referring only to HRM's. Sorry you got confused.

CMmrsfloyd

I set my activity level as 'sedentary' and for that reason I do log my cleaning activities. If I am *really* doing something that is vigorous that will get my heartrate up, I wear my HRM and log the calories that it shows. This is normally significantly higher than the MFP estimate and normally for this type of *actual* vigorous cleaning, my HRM shows me being 'in the zone' for the majority of the time I'm cleaning. Thus why my burn is higher than MFP's estimate for 'vigorous' cleaning I guess. If I'm doing only moderate activity, I do log it but I don't wear my HRM, I use the estimate given by MFP and I frequently low-ball the amount of time I spent cleaning just to be on the safe side. I want credit for my activity, but I'm afraid of over-estimating it and messing up my day without realizing it, so I log my time lower than what I actually did so that the estimate given is lower.

If I had my activity level set higher, I wouldn't log cleaning. But I set it to 'sedentary' so to me these things do count. Of course I don't log every time I wipe down a counter or give the kids a bath. LOL Only for when I'm cleaning for more than 30 minutes at a time and really moving around in the process. And I've been consistently losing weight. Obviously when I do 'real' exercise I burn much more, but in my view these small things add up. Just like each extra dessert added up over the years, so does my vaccuming and scrubbing bathtubs. ;-)

suzieduh

back to the original OP topic - how can standing burn a significant amount of calories compared to sitting down or lying down? other than boredom where I hop around on each foot?

fteale

back to the original OP topic - how can standing burn a significant amount of calories compared to sitting down or lying down? other than boredom where I hop around on each foot?

Try measuring your HR standing vs sitting. It's higher.

CMmrsfloyd

Yeah it actually takes effort to remain standing. Maybe not much but still more than laying down.

ajbeans

Why do we repeatedly get threads about people complaining about what other people log? Why do you care? How does it affect you in any way? If you're really "friends" then you shouldn't be judging, and if you're judging them negatively, you need to remove yourself from their friend list because you're not being a friend, and you're not being supportive. What they log only affects them, so I'm not really sure why you give a crap.