Logging 'cleaning' and 'shopping' cals burned etc

BobbyClerici

Don't log this in.
It's NOT exercise.

SeaSiren1

I do not log anything other than training. However, I have MFP friend's who have been very ill, doing those things are a challenging and they log them. Those things are an accomplishment for their daily life and I cheer them on

mseper

I don't add cleaning, deep down I know I'm moving which is better than sitting on the couch. Why do you want to give yourself credit for burning calories, so you can eat more? Personally I rather under estimate workouts, cardio etc and take the pounds off the scale.

Too each there own.

mlemonroe2

I'M A STAY AT HOME MOM SO I DON'T LOG LAUNDRY, COOKING, PICKING UP TOYS ECT. 1 DAY A WEEK I WILL TAKE A FEW HOURS AND SCRUB BATHROOMS, DUST, MOP ECT. I LOG THAT. I FEEL LIKE IF PEOPLE WANT TO LOG THEIR CLEANING/SHOPPING THATS THERE PEROGITIVE. IT'S NOT UP TO ME OR ANYONE ELCE TO JUDGE WEATHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD. I TRY TO JUST WORRY ABOUT MYSELF AND AS LONG AS SOMEONE IS MAKING AN EFFORT TO BETTER THEMSELVES, I'LL GIVE THEM A GOOD JOB!

latinahada

If it's working for a person to log it, good for them!!! Personally, I do log for cleaning, laundry and shopping...That being said, I don't log for a 15 minute grocery store run, but if I'm shopping for 2 hours you better believe that I will be logging it!! For laundry, I have certain laundry days, so it is NOT a daily activity and will usually take me 30-1 hr minimum to do this...Same goes for cleaning, I don't do vigorous cleaning every day so when I do it, I log it. The activity level I chose was not based on cleaning, shopping and doing laundry every single day...If someone wants to log these items, good for them, better than sitting on their a**!!!

HoLLyZ82

i log my cleaning too. yesterday for example i burned over 600 calories and had a TDEE of 3100 calories. most of this coming from cleaning my house for a few hours and shopping ( i wear a bodybugg so these numbers are very accurate). maybe people (like myself) log these things because we KNOW what we are burning. Also, if someone is bigger they can surely burn that many extra calories on a shopping spree.

cuddlyrunner

I only log workouts and due to a bad chest infection haven't done any of them this past two weeks. Today, however, son number one finally found somewhere he hopes to move into this week so I've been moving beds, moving and packing boxes and generally doing extra up and down stuff. I won't log it though but I'm secretly hoping it helps!!!

LorinaLynn

I only log X-TREME!!!! cleaning now, but when I first started and listed myself as sedentary, I logged the walking I did while shopping and other normal household chores. It got me in the habit of logging, and thinking, "If walking slow for an hour burns XX calories, what about if I walked the dog FAST for an hour?" It was like... gateway exercise. :laugh: Now I call myself lightly active and log real exercise or anything above and beyond normal maintenance. If I have to move furniture to vacuum under it, I log it. Shoveling snow and mowing the lawn gets logged, too.

TBH, as I wasn't truly sedentary, it's probably what kept me from undereating, feeling deprived, binging and quitting. I don't think many people really are truly sedentary. Especially when I see stay at home moms of kids below school age... unless you're a bad mommy and/or have the most boring children ever who never make messes or need chasing or picking up, you're not sedentary.

writtenINthestars

Considering I haven't even been home to clean the last two weeks, it will be an all day thing this coming week. I spot clean through out the week but when I am cleaning the spare room, the storage room and moving stuff all day and huffing and puffing, if I think about it and remember, I log some of it...because on a regular cleaning day, it's just light stuff.

At the end of the day, doesn't bother me if other people do. I only do it when I KNOW I'm working my butt off....just because it's not on a treadmill doesn't mean it's not exercise. People log gardening and other things...so why not heavy cleaning? I will say though that MFP's estimates seem pretty high. I usually have on my HRM on the days I know I'll be going non stop up and down three flights of stairs.

Plus...why does anyone care what others do?! lol

MissFit0101

People who work up a sweat automatically assume they are burning a lot of calories, which I know first hand not to be the case.. but to each their own. No I do not log cleaning as exercise and most certainly not shopping but people do and that's their right... in some cases of heavy cleaning I can understand why, but general day to day stuff is not considered exercise in my book so I won't be logging it. I'm not going to talk down about those who do though.

mlemonroe2

ALSO, I KNOW SOMETIMES I WILL ONLY LOG HALF OF MY CLEANING TIME JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. SO MAYBE THE PERSON WHO LOGGED AN HOUR AND A HALF SHOPPING WAS REALLY SHOPPING FOR LONGER. IF YOU ARE AT THE MALL SHOPPING FOR 3 HOURS YOU CAN REALLY BURN A LOT OF CALORIES. I LOGGED WHEN WE WENT TO THE ZOO FOR 4 HOURS. I NORMALY DON'T WALK ALL DAY SO I CONSIDERED THAT ABOVE AND BEYOND NORMAL ACTIVITY LEVELS. ALSO, SOMEONE WHO WEIGHS 250 POUNDS IS GOING TO BURN A LOT MORE THAN A PERSON WHO WEIGHS 150, SO MAYBE 700 CALORIES SEEMS LIKE A LOT TO YOU BUT MAYBE THAT PERSON IS A LOT BIGGER THAN YOU.

luv_lea

I have seen people logging that they have burned 700 calories doing clothes shopping for an hour and a half!?!? This is so unrealistic

Sometimes mfp will group exercises together and post it under just one activity done. I've done this where I logged multiple exercises for multiple days to catch up, and it posted all the burn under one activity (usually the lowest thing like walking.) I actually did 4 or 5 different things, but mfp only showed 1. Way I see it, it's everyone's personal choice what they log. And judging by what mfp posts for other people's activity probably isn't themost accurate/great thing to do.

tkb1985

I chose a sedentary profile when I started because I work in an office most of the time. So I log any siginificant activity. Minor tiding up I do not log but if I spend a half hour or more vacuuming, doing laundry and clenaing up the house, I do log it. For me I am trying to i ncrease my overall activity level so I need incentive to keep moving.

I usally will log shopping as slow walking. I do think about how much time I am really walking and try to log just that. I may been out for 2 hours but was really only walking about 20 or 30 minutes.

In the end the proof is in the weight loss. Maybe it is overestimating the calories but for me it has kept me on track for a slow loss that I can live with.

Exactly this!

Regular day-to-day cleaning no...but the every couple of months big clean ohhhhh yes!!

And this! I spent over 8 hours cleaning this weekend - serious cleaning, moving and lifting furniture, broke a sweat - not something I do day to day. I logged about half of it, as I agree that the MFP does overestimate a bit.

If it's not something you do day to day, and you are down as sedentary, then why shouldn't you log it?! If others are anything like me, they don't log these thing for the 'praise'. I log it because I'm always amazed to see how much you can actually burn doing these things, and it motivates me to keep going. I'll admit I'm not the most active person in the world, but I'm trying - and succeeding - to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.

What and how I log is working for me. What works for others may not work for you, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't log that way.

kathyjean24

I definitely log for cleaning, especially when I'm running back and forth and up and down stairs. I cleaned for 4 hours the other day with very few breaks. What I will usually do if I clean for that long is only put like 60 or 90 mins so it's more realistic. Friday at work I was doing heavy lifting and arranging so I clocked that as vigorous effort cause I was freaking sweating at the end of it.

morganhccstudent724

ahhhhh....the great debate...

to log or not to log....

kassandra81

Personally, I don't log cleaning up, walking around the house, etc. I only log actual exercise I do at the gym. That's my personal preference though. If somene wanted to log finger dancing on their desk, lol ... have at it! They're the ones that are invested in their own progress. I am invitested in my own progress. So it doesn't matter to me what anyone else does.

SarabellPlus3

I do eat my exercise calories, but I work out hard enough (running, spinning, or resistance), that cleaning, even as a SAHM, just doesn't get me any kind of workout. If I do burn a few extra calories while I'm walking around the store, those can just be a bonus in my day. No, I'd never log those kind of calorie burns, and I certainly wouldn't log them as high as I've seen some crazy ones around here.

Panda86

I kind of agree. I do log some stuff- if I am doing deep cleaning and I am obviously working up a sweat. Or shoveling snow, mowing lawn, raking... that stuff actually does get my heart rate up (I often wear my HRM while doing those things). But I don't really think that people should log clothes shopping (or similar activities) unless they are wearing their HRM, because they probably didn't walk for 90 minutes straight- there is a lot of stopping and standing involved in shopping, so that should be taken into account. But if you are wearing your HRM and actually burning calories and you normally lead a very sedentary life, then that could be seen as exercise. But I wouldn't use the MFP settings and log 90 minutes of shopping if you didn't actually move/walk for the entire 90 minutes (or however long).

anyonebutmehaha

i'll log intense, break into sweat, flurry of house cleaning (lol, don't check to see how often that happens) or any yard work/gardening cause my BMR was literally in coma, in bed all day, in wheelchair, etc for the 2 years before joining MFP. so ya never know why someone is logging something that seems like ordinary daily activity to you.

stubbysticks

I don't really log any activity I do but that's only because I wear a Bodymedia Fit activity monitor that measures my actual activity. It's impossible to estimate what one would burn cleaning or shopping because those activities vary so greatly. I'll put in a little plug for BMF by saying that wearing the monitor gives me a way to see what I really burn doing those things. I burned nearly 4600 calories one day on vacation by going for a short run in the morning then spending the rest of the day walking around a theme park. No way would I have been able to estimate that any other way.

As far as people logging entries using what's in the db here, I'd say that if you're relying solely on that, don't log anything except intentional exercise. Sure, if it makes you feel good to see some numbers that's on you. But it makes it more likely that you'll overestimate your burn for the day, & if you eat back your calories, you could eat your way back into weight gain.

Someone else logging cleaning as exercise isn't going to make me gain weight so I couldn't care less really. My comment is more for folks wondering if they should, & my opinion is definitely NO.

CrystalMarie253

I agree for the most part. It's the "finding something to call a workout" vs going to work out thing. It bugs my husband too when he is on here! The only "every day" thing I log is mowing lawn and raking. I only do that cuz I have a push mower and a hill. It's a work out for sure! LOL!

4thehardman

I can tell you, trying to squeeze my butt into size smaller jeans definately burns calories!

More seriously though, some people that do that may not yet be sure which 'activity level' they are to get an accurate calorie goal from MFP, if they are sedentary then they should log everything.

Try not to be so judgmental though. I don't really see why it bothers you so much.

Im not being judgemental and it doesnt bother me, I am using this forum to ask an opinion on something, which is what is for!!!

You are being judgemental. Call it what you want but yes you are. Why are you using this forum to ask a question about other peoples business when it has no bearing on your own life and weight loss? This forum is not for that. You might want to try www.thisismyjudgmentofothersbecauseIknowbest.com/forums

cppeace

I only log em if it is an abnormal cleaning like clean out the garage or unusual shopping... Not my normal day to day stuff

aranchmom

My question for you is, why does it matter? Why do you care? And if you're not being judgmental, why would you ask if we praise people for their cleaning/shopping? Your tone clearly suggests that you think they are unworthy of praise for doing such a mundane bit of exercise.

^^This.

I so agree. AND - I may do JM 30 Day Shred for 30 min, jog for an hour, and did 10 min jumping jacks, but if I logged the 1 hour of shopping first, that is what MFP will show. Its really no one's business - unless asked for advice.

(not that I would do that much activity in one day!!LOL!!:laugh: :laugh: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: )

aranchmom

My question for you is, why does it matter? Why do you care? And if you're not being judgmental, why would you ask if we praise people for their cleaning/shopping? Your tone clearly suggests that you think they are unworthy of praise for doing such a mundane bit of exercise.

^^This.

I so agree. AND - I may do JM 30 Day Shred for 30 min, jog for an hour, and did 10 min jumping jacks, but if I logged the 1 hour of shopping first, that is what MFP will show. Its really no one's business - unless asked for advice.

(not that I would do that much activity in one day!!LOL!!:laugh: :laugh: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: )

My1985Freckles

When I log cleaning, it's because I was cleaning ALL day and wouldn't get a workout in otherwise. It's my choice to do so. Cleaning is NOT in any way shape or form a "daily activity" for me. If I clean once a week, I'm doing good.

GinNouveau

As long as it's working for them, why does anybody else care??

haha because everyone wants to be right.

crzyone

Yes, cleaning and shopping should be praised!! Those are both good things to do!!!!

It's whatever works for you!!!!

4thehardman

As long as it's working for them, why does anybody else care??

haha because everyone wants to be right.

Ha ha! I think its the hunger! If they log more calories they eat more calories, Maybe the 1200 cals a day consumers are just jealous of the extra intake of the shoppers and cleaners?

Want2weigh165

I agree for the most part. It's the "finding something to call a workout" vs going to work out thing. It bugs my husband too when he is on here! The only "every day" thing I log is mowing lawn and raking. I only do that cuz I have a push mower and a hill. It's a work out for sure! LOL!

why does it bug you guys what others do when it has nothing to do with you? you know you can IGNORE it right? either support them or dont, it's that simple