? about cleaning calories

newlaura30

Hi, i'm going to be doing a bit of vigorous cleaning and ironing today was planning to wear my hr monitor to see if i'm burning much' do you really add those calories to your diary.

samandlucysmum

Why not, I do, it burns the calories, you are already on a calorie deficit, so I have found that ny not eating my exercise calories, makes me really hungry and ratty!

roslynds9

If I'm doing more than a cursory tidy then I count it. So if I'm washing up, hoovering, dusting etc for more than say 10mins then yes I add it in as "cleaning - light to moderate effort

It burns more than sitting on the couch watching TV! lol

sms1986

If cleaning is part of your regular routine, it shouldn't really be added. My friend, who is a stay at home dad, does a lot of cleaning around his house, but he still does specific exercises five days a week.

charlotte66

i clean every day for 2 hours but dont add it i used to as i never used to clean that much but now its become a habbit :laugh:

but if your doing cleaning thats not your normal everyday wipe the sides clean bathroom etc then yeah id add it


also you just reminded me i have a huge ironing pile to tackle :sad:

BerryH

Opinions vary. Personally I attribute it to as part of my general activity level and don't add extra calories. Be cautious with HRM readings as the margin or error goes up with less vigorous activities and those that spike your HR with less aerobic activity, such as weight lifting.

MaximalLife

Hi, i'm going to be doing a bit of vigorous cleaning and ironing today was planning to wear my hr monitor to see if i'm burning much' do you really add those calories to your diary.

I count it as activity, but it's a personal choice.
I have noticed that most people seeking to count housework as exercise are looking for an excuse not to exercise or reasons to overeat. The debate rages on and on....:yawn:

At the end of the day the fruit of our philosophy are the results we produce.

Cal28

I wouldn't unless it was a major out of the ordinary clean. x

tanigrrrrr

This is such a hot topic and I see it posted constantly.

I have a pretty simple mentality - if the things you did before were enough, then you wouldnt be overweight.
I clean my house nearly every day and have been extremely overweight for longer... excersise should make you sweat, make your heart pump ... loosing a significant amount of weight doesnt come down to cleaning your house or just taking the stairs.

If youre serious, you need to do extra excersise! I dont even think about the calories I burn renovating my house, cleaning, walking to the printer at work, running up and down stairs constantly.... youre only cheating yourself

suzycav77

i added them once but felt really guilty as i didn't break a sweat plus it's something us women have to do i know we do more some day's more than other's, it's really hard though if your only on 1200 like me!! i go to the gym three times a week and try to go for walks when ever i can.

sandislim

If its not something you usually do then add them. I usually do a little bit around the house daily so I would probably only add half the calories burned but only if I was extra hungry that day.

jo_can_do

If its my ordinary everyday.. tidy up, clean, dust or whatever, then no, I dont add it. If its a hard out spring clean type.. hauling furniture and scrubbing clean, then yes, I add it... cos I'm usually sweating buckets doing that type of clean.

janebink

Why not - its a form of exercise and much better than sitting on your bum! There's either light or heavy cleaning on the list and I always add them I don't regard it as cheating at all - as long as you don't eat extra to make up for it!

sms1986

i added them once but felt really guilty as i didn't break a sweat plus it's something us women have to do i know we do more some day's more than other's, it's really hard though if your only on 1200 like me!! i go to the gym three times a week and try to go for walks when ever i can.

Women have to do it? I know plenty of men who do most of the cleaning in their house.

♥ChUbByCoyLe♥

I only add the cleaning calories if i'm going for a major clean....washing windows, floors etc. anything that gets me sweating. Put some music on and put some effort in and get the cleaning calories added. Good luck with your weight loss journey :flowerforyou:

newlaura30

Thanks everyone,
I do other vigorous exercise such as going to the gym, spinning and the wii so wasn't thinking to add it was really just curious i don't really eat my exercise calories as i tend to have a unrecorded cheat day sometimes..though.. i have realised this is not a good idea so i am working on making the healthier choices when i go out. this is a big clean :laugh: as i've been working and going to the gym lots. ironing taking over my house:laugh: oh well better go get started as this is not getting the housework done

samandlucysmum

Hi, i'm going to be doing a bit of vigorous cleaning and ironing today was planning to wear my hr monitor to see if i'm burning much' do you really add those calories to your diary.

I count it as activity, but it's a personal choice.
I have noticed that most people seeking to count housework as exercise are looking for an excuse not to exercise or reasons to overeat. The debate rages on and on....:yawn:

At the end of the day the fruit of our philosophy are the results we produce.

I disagree with your theory, I have a busy house, so count my cleaning calories, but I also can't wait to get out walking for my other, more cardio exercise, I only eat my exercise calories, as the exercise gives me an appetite!!

CMmrsfloyd

If you're going to be doing a lot more than what you would normally do, I say go for it. Wear the HRM, see how much time you spend 'in the zone' and log accordingly. When I was first starting out, cleaning WAS my exercise. I didn't have the confidence or energy to take on formal exercise yet, so I strapped on my HRM and went to town on my house. Really put some extra effort into it and work harder than usual and you will see from your HRM that it adds up. If you find, when you're done, that your HR wasn't up as much as you'd have thought, consider low-balling what you log in your diary a bit to compensate for possible over-estimation.