Logging exercise for absurd things

jazzie2421

I would totally log the indepth cleaning that involves moving furniture, lifting mattresses, rearranging heavy boxes, etc. because that is WORK. When I seriously do spring/fall/summer/winter whatever deep cleaning I work out and I know because by the end of the day I'm spent. This is a quarterly deep cleaning, not a regular everyday cleaning. But if I were down on my hands and knees scrubbing my floor Cinderella style rather than with a simple mop/swiffer... heck yeah I'm adding that. (my everyday cleaning does not include Cinderella style anything).

moodymarble

Hmmmm....so then I guess the ppl that do the judging wouldn't consider raking leaves, shoveling snow or defrosting a freezer (including carrying the boxes of frozen food up and down stairs or chiseling the ice out of the freezer) wouldn't consider that exercise either. I would, considering they aren't activities that are done on a daily basis. Although I don't log them for the full period of time it took to complete the task I did log them. Like others have said and I completely agree with, we don't know what goes on others lives or what may or may not inhibit their physical activity. So I guess until we walk a mile in others shoes we really shouldn't judge so harshly.

vim_n_vigor

I am not judging, I just don't understand why people log such things when mfp takes that into consideration already.
I do understand people that mow lawns for quite a while but logging such things like minor things that are daily is considered cheating to an extent because mfc has already calculated that.

That is the problem though - depending on the activity level they choose, these things may NOT be added into their daily calorie goal. When I had my calories set to 1200 a day - I logged all activity and I needed it. Now that I have my activity level higher and my daily calorie intake higher, I count much less.

vim_n_vigor

I don't understand it either.. but alas people to do it.

To me, things like grocery shopping, cleaning, shopping at the mall, are a part of everyday life. They are things that most normal people did everyday without a second thought before they started logging. Now that they have started logging though, all logic goes out the window and everything magically becomes exercise, even if it isn't.

Yesterday I walked around an indoor track for a mile with my students. Normally I don't log that as I would consider it part of my job. Yet I did log it as exercise yesterday because I didn't have time to go to the gym and figured why not log it? Would some people consider that apart of my job and not exercise? Yea probably... and normally I'm in that camp. Circumstances change though, and thats what people have to understand.

One of my friends logs grocery shopping. The first thing she does is fill up her cart with the largest, heaviest bags of pet food and cat litter. Then she pushes the cart as fast as she can through the store while she shops and then unloads at the end.

If my family goes for all day shopping, I will log a few hours too. We are walking all day, and I am carrying bags and usually at least one child. That can be a bigger burn than an organized athletic activity. You don't know what I did for that day or why I logged it. Why does it bother you?

paulyarwooduk

Well, let me give my reasons for logging housecleaning.... I work 12 hours night shifts about 4-5 days a week. I can't always make it to the gym between work and trying to keep a house going with a 4yo and a son in a college and a fiance about to deploy.... Bottom line is this, I vacuum, sweep, mop, dust, do laundry, make beds, scrub toilets/showers, and clean up the yard EVERY SINGLE DAY...in addition to being on my feet 12 hours a night as a nurse. For me, personally, I log house cleaning because I like to remind myself that maybe I didn't hit the gym for two hours that day, but I was still up and active and not lying around like a slug. I think people probably log those things because of judgemental people who like to assume they know about other people's lives and if they haven't logged SOMETHING, there will be those who comment about what they didn't do. I guess we are screwed in life because there are always going to be those perfect people in the world whose examples we should learn from, huh?

Nicely said MFP buddy :flowerforyou:

foremant86

Oh whatever would we do if somebody didn't post this topic every single week....

The real question is why do you even care what somebody else logs? It doesn't affect you.

tropaze

Well the one guy who tagged this topic was totally right, everyone should just kinda calm down and relax. This is MYfitnesspal everyone is going to log different things differently, that's where the MY comes in. No one's the same, we all have different things and activities we consider working out and not really. Who cares and why does it matter.
Like I said I'm logging my dance central game play cause I can!

petreebird

Oh man, I definitely log snow shoveling, by hand!!! It's a real workout and is definitely not a part of everyday life! Especially if I've already done my Jillian video, phew, shoveling can take it out of you. Last time, by the time I was done, and the plow "re-snowed" the end of my driveway once, so I had to do that part twice (I'd already had that cleared) and that's the heaviest snow because it's full of salt and sand and is a wet heavy snow. I was dripping with sweat!! What some consider regular household chores but really aren't, I log for sure!!

chickybuns

I think if your lifestyle is sedentary then it's ok to log "absurd" things that are out of the norm.

szqnva

The way I see it I used to clean and take the bins out at my biggest so its not really exercise

I have seen this reasoning before, but have never understood it. I did Zumba, Yoga, Pilates & jogged on a treadmill at my biggest on a rather regular basis when I was at my biggest, but they still count as exercise...

Great point!

lisaelainee

Obviously you have not been reading my comments because i have been saying constantly about only if it's daily.
Maybe read what I say before putting words in someones mouth.

Hmmmm....so then I guess the ppl that do the judging wouldn't consider raking leaves, shoveling snow or defrosting a freezer (including carrying the boxes of frozen food up and down stairs or chiseling the ice out of the freezer) wouldn't consider that exercise either. I would, considering they aren't activities that are done on a daily basis. Although I don't log them for the full period of time it took to complete the task I did log them. Like others have said and I completely agree with, we don't know what goes on others lives or what may or may not inhibit their physical activity. So I guess until we walk a mile in others shoes we really shouldn't judge so harshly.

Suziq2you

I don't see that it's any of my business.

amoffatt

This, right here is why I don't log my exercises on MFP. I log mine on LoseIt! At least there people don't delete you for logging things like driving or shopping. My bad that I burn more calories pushing a grocery cart around for 2 hours than you do running in place for 3. But I'm not here to impress anyone but myself. If a person thinks what I'm doing is absurd or petty then more power to you. Be on your marry way because I'm doing what I want to do to keep out with my weight lost.

I agree!!! So what if people log certain things, there are some people who log stuff that couldnt have burned that many calories, but it is their journey and they are only shooting themselves in the foot. I understand that some things people log can be frustrating, I see them myself... but, I worry about me, people are going to do what they want. :flowerforyou:

earthymom

No kidding! I didn't even know that you COULD see other people's diaries. Not sure why you would want to.

earthymom

Oh whatever would we do if somebody didn't post this topic every single week....

The real question is why do you even care what somebody else logs? It doesn't affect you.

My post was in reply to this statement. I'm evidently not so good at posting.

sdrawkcabynot

Some people might have had virtually no activity level before joining MFP, so if they are doing something outta the ordinary, then why not log it? I don't count things like dishes or laundry, but if I go outside and mow the lawn (push mower obviously), then I'll log it. If a person is starting from a point in their life that they see "every day things" as exercise, then little victories that seem absurd to others could be a big deal to them. Maybe the trash bin is far away from their house - our trash bins are about 1/5 mile away from our house because we have a long driveway, but I have my DH bring that out. lol If I had to bring it out, I'd log it too! 2/5 mile is 2/5 mile! That being said, I don't log the odd household things, but instead think of them as bonus points, but I don't think it's nice to call something someone else logs absurd - like I said, it could be a victory for that person to have accomplished something they used to not do. Besides - if they are only doing it to make up reasons to eat more, then they probably aren't in the same place as some of us, and need more support from this community, not ridicule. Just my $.02.

KUDOS!

Where is that pesky little "like" button?

If I go into one of my rampage cleaning modes (which only happens about twice a month and means everything gets cleaned) and it's a non workout day- I will log it. But for "Light Housework" i cut it in half usually. So if I do laundry (strip and remake bed included), do the dishes, sweep, mop, vacuum, pick up things around my apartment, clean ceiling fans, dust all areas, and take the trash out (which requires walking across a parking lot)... it may take me 2 hours all together, but I will log 45 mins. It's calories burned and not something I do everyday and lets face it... I wouldn't be burning those calories if i were sitting on the couch channel surfing.

I agree with Virginia. We shouldn't pass judgement - just be supportive. You gotta start somewhere... even if that means walking the trash out to the end of the driveway.

CMmrsfloyd

What is absurd to you might be a challenge/victory for someone else.

sdrawkcabynot

No kidding! I didn't even know that you COULD see other people's diaries. Not sure why you would want to.

I keep my diary public so that I am held accountable... No closet eating for me! If i eat it - i try to post it. And I have been called out for having one to many margaritas at dinner before ...

Lesson learned. Now instead of 3 - I will keep it down to 2. LOL

langababy

i saw someone log driving as exercise lol

Fred Flintstone is on MFP??

engineman312

I don't understand why some people log calories for putting out the bin and other things like this.
I only log what I have gone out my way to do like take a half an hour walk, and such.
Putting things out in the bin is just things you do in your regular day without thinking.

What are your thoughts?
and whats the craziest thing some one has logged that you have seen?

i'm glad you've figured out everything to make you fit at such a young age. others are still trying to figure it out.