Question for the "Sedentary" Folks...

SeasideOasis

On my food diary, I am set to sedentary. 5 out of 7 days of the week, I am sitting in a chair working between 8-9 hours a day.

Here is the biggest question - To the people like myself, do you count days where you grocery shop and do massive prep-cook? I spent at least 1.5 hours (probably more) running around two different grocery stores. Since I've gotten home, so far, I have been on my feet prepping and cooking for at least 2-3 hours (it will be more soon enough because that was pretty much only prep work). Since there is a DRASTIC change in my behaviors (sitting for 8-9 hours versus standing and moving around for 5-6), do you count that at all?

woopidydoo

I don't.

_Schatzi_

I would!

I would still identify as having a sedentary lifestyle, but I would totally add that to my 'exercise' for the day!

I now say I have a 'light' activity level. My goal is AT LEAST 30 minutes of activity, 5 days a week. I have a list of activities and how many calories they burn for me. 'Yard Work' and 'Mega-House Cleaning' are on the list with walking the dog, lap swimming, horse riding, and stationary rowing.

Sometimes when the weather is bad, or I don't want to go out, or am just suffering from a serious lack in motivation it's nice to have those less intensive exercises to pick from that still count.

I think for those of us trying to move out of a sedentary lifestyle it's important to something- ANYTHING- to get moving, and I believe that counting the minor victories helps give you the encourage to move on to bigger ones.

Best of luck!

colorlessgreen

Yep. I count everything, since sedentary basically assumes you're lying in bed all day. I include my 5 minute walks to the store (3.0 mph walking), housecleaning on the weekends (light housecleaning), and other times I'm moving and on my feet (sometimes as "yoga," haha). I eat back most of my exercise calories, and continue to lose, so it works for me!

kcoftx

Sedentary doesn't mean you are lying in bed all day. Your BMR covers that. The fact that you take your BMR and multiply it by an activity rate number (1.2) to give you a rate for sedentary implies that there is some activity involved.

Now this next part is less than scientific but it takes about 5,000 steps for my fitbit to register that I've been more than sedentary for that day (you can't count the adjustment during the day since it has predictive factors, count only at the end of the day). I can be plenty "busy" all day and not reach 5,000 steps. (Other articles use the 5,000 step measure too. Again, no scientific evidence for me to spout at you but also again, sedentary includes an activity rate above your BMR so it assumes you get out of bed) and do stuff.

(This is not answering the original question or the question about cooking and shopping for the day. Technically I do count it since my fitbit is likely to tell me I moved a bunch more and well over 5,000 steps and thus give me an adjustment. It's just a caution that just because you get out of bed and move, it doesn't bump you up past the activity level already included in the sedentary rate).

Panda_1999

I do, especially if it is sustained. But I was bedridden for much of the last year, so it has been work for me just to get moving again. Walking, sustained housework, running up and down stairs, Wii... It feels great to start functioning again

doinitforme2012

i'm set as sedentary but i wouldn't count my cooking and cleaning. i DO log my grocery shopping as a walk because i'm walking around the store. and if hubby came along it's like 2 hours of walking around the store.

hbrittingham

I don't. Any extra movement is a bonus, but not worth logging. I've been doing this for a year and a half (a year on MFP) and if I were to log any random extra activity, I would not have lost any weight since I only log intended exercise and am still losing weight at a snail's pace.