am i cheating by counting cooking and cleaning as cardio?

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  • Sepheara
    Sepheara Posts: 208 Member
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    my BodyMedia counts activity spike swhen I'm cooking and cleaning. however I don't usually log it unless i am cooking a lot (aka hauling around a 6 gallon pot o chili or steaming my floors with my super heavy steamer) then I cut whatever MFP says in half. also my settings say I am sedentary.
  • DterMined2012
    DterMined2012 Posts: 600 Member
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    Only you can know that, really. On Saturday I cleaned the whole house (2 levels) switched out all the clothes for our family (5 people) from winter to summer, tons of laundry and climbing up to the attic - I logged it because it took 4 hours (I only counted half the calories it said) and I was WIPED out after, I had exercised.

    Now last night, I did the kitchen, but it was 15 minutes and I didn't feel like I had done anything, so I didn't log it. If you honestly feel like you've worked out, log it. If you haven't, don't.
    That' s the way I count mine
  • MelanieAG05
    MelanieAG05 Posts: 359 Member
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    If you are "sedentary" then, yes, it would be able to be counted although I never counted it. Once I put my HRM on when I did a cleaning session in the house and logged it just out of interest. It was about 100 cals in 45 minutes.
  • ash190489
    ash190489 Posts: 587 Member
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    I don't log anything unless it is intended exercise - such as going to the gym, on a walk, etc. I figure that cleaning is just an everyday lifestyle activity that just has to get done. I did 4 hours of cleaning on Wednesday and did not count a thing - I only logged the gym workout I did afterwards.

    But honestly, it's a personal choice. If that keeps you motivated then log it but I agree with someone who said previously, log it if it feels like a workout - you're exhausted afterwards.

    Good luck, I hope you're feeling better soon!
  • subtractionproject
    subtractionproject Posts: 64 Member
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    I wouldn't count it. I used to be a professional cleaner and I have never in my life worked as hard as I do when I run or even when I'm doing the 30DS.

    You're doing yourself a disservice by counting them as 'cardio'. Go for a half an hour walk and log that instead.
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
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    I believe it's an independent decision to be made by each person. If you are counting daily activities as calories burned and are consistently losing weight, then i would say you are being successful.

    However, for myself (please note) I asked my dietician if I should be counting those acttivities as calories burned and she said no. I had asked her because I would see people logging ironing, cooking, light housekeeping, etc. She said if I did those things before, than I should not count them. So my regular daily routine of light housecleaning, cooking, etc., I dont count. Even if I did count them, I would never eat them back, so I dont waste the time to log them. She told me to log only things that I do above and beyond what I had normally done before. So when I do aquatics, go for a walk, exercise on the Wii, etc, those are the things I count as true exercise calorie burn. I never did any of those things before starting this journey. This is what works for ME! Not saying it is right for everyone. I also must mention I dont pull heavy numbers on exercise because of double knee replacements, so that is why I dont eat my exercise calories back. But I try to eat as close to my daily goal as possible.
  • dme1977
    dme1977 Posts: 537 Member
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    I answered this yesterday with a YES because I had my lifestyle set to sedentary...
    BUT this thread got me thinking... have I been slacking on the actual "real exercising" because I was logging so many minutes/calories from household things like cleaning.?!?!?!..and the answer was of course YES!!
    I had found a groove (more like a rut) that i got comfortable in and had begun to look forward to cleaning because it was easier than actually working out. :ohwell:
    So, what I ended up doing was going back to Monday (no sense going any further than that) and erasing ALL housework and lemme tell you it left quite a bit of room for some "real" exercising to actually meet my goals now. *sigh*
    Good time for my conscience to kick in huh?!!
    SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THIS because it helped me re-evaluate myself and my goals. :flowerforyou:
    while I was losing it was important to me to have every little thing logged because it kept me motivated to do MORE but now that I am in maintenance mode its time to really kick it up a notch and get down and do the WORK...and that = exercising NOT just housework.
  • TheChocolatePrincess
    TheChocolatePrincess Posts: 137 Member
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    I don't count it, but I do put more effort into cleaning now because I know I can get some workout for it. A few weekends ago I swept and vacuumed both levels of stairs, I dusted the banisters, I now carry the laundry basket from the basement to the third level myself (I used to get my boyfriend to do it). I get on my hands and knees to scrub the kitchen and bathroom floors and I walk the dogs myself more.

    I don't think it is cheating, but I think that sometimes counting household chore calories can be inconsistent, especially since it is really only something that I do on the weekends (deep cleaning). I do the light stuff during the week.
  • dwightdegroff
    dwightdegroff Posts: 97 Member
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    It's really pretty simple: what activity level did you select when setting your goals? If you selected a level that would include activities like cooking and cleaning(i.e., if you didn't choose sedentary), then you should not log those activities again - especially if you plan on eating those calories back.

    Hang in there, hope your schedule calms down and you can pick the exercise back up. Do your best, and forget the rest! :)
  • julie9200
    julie9200 Posts: 62 Member
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    Only you can know that, really. On Saturday I cleaned the whole house (2 levels) switched out all the clothes for our family (5 people) from winter to summer, tons of laundry and climbing up to the attic - I logged it because it took 4 hours (I only counted half the calories it said) and I was WIPED out after, I had exercised.

    Now last night, I did the kitchen, but it was 15 minutes and I didn't feel like I had done anything, so I didn't log it. If you honestly feel like you've worked out, log it. If you haven't, don't.

    This is what I do, also. Normal everyday stuff, I don't count. But I will count it if I have a heavy duty weekend of cleaning or if I'm preparing a meal that involves a lot of movement (like when I grill out because I end up running back and forth between the kitchen and the patio a zillion times).
  • pxpwop
    pxpwop Posts: 704 Member
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    Yes. Can't count life as working out.
  • tracymnx
    tracymnx Posts: 105
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    Personally I would never log cooking and cleaning as cardio, because I think yes its cheating.
  • TinaLTaylor79
    TinaLTaylor79 Posts: 140 Member
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    Well...moving around is great and wonderful of course..but when your talking about dropping weight..i would not really count that as your daily workout...because cleaning and cooking does not put your heart rate up in that fat burning zone! Maybe if you were heavy lifting and moving furniture around and really working up a big sweat...but in general i would not count cooking and cleaning as my workout and give myself those extra calories. But, its up to you in the end...do what you find gives you the best results, this is just my opinion. :wink:
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    It really depends on the person, the level of cleaning (not sure cooking burns a lot of calories unless you're on your feet in a professional kitchen all day), and comparison of how much you did before you started counting calories.

    If your ticker is correct, and you really aren't seeing any progress in this journey, than yeah, you very well may be cheating yourself.

    Everyone is busy and exercise is definitely something you have to MAKE the time for. If you can find time to work in some really good cardio (even if its just 15-20 minutes a day), try to make that happen! In the meantime, maybe just focus on getting over your illness and hit it hard again when your sure that its behind you!
  • mrssturrock
    mrssturrock Posts: 8
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    You cook and clean in your normal everyday life. In my opinion, cooking and cleaning doesn't count. Especially if you're eating back your exercise cals.

    Exactly. I wouldn't count anything that I wouldn't NORMALLY do just to survive. I count intentional exercise only.
  • JenaePavlak
    JenaePavlak Posts: 350 Member
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    It depends on what activity level you have MFP set at.. you tell it you sit all day and do nothing.. sure, track it.. but if you put your slightly active (which includes your job etc) then you need more excercise.. You're only cheating yourself... If it does keep you motivated.. its better than nothing but look for improvements. I never include normal activities. Like At my job where I am really busy walking fast back and forth for hours (prolly several miles a night), doesn't count for me.
  • leannbiggs
    leannbiggs Posts: 12 Member
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    Glad you posted this. I was wondering if I could count playing with the kids and the many stairs that I have to climb while carrying them up to the babysitters house. I feel like Im cheating too by counting them. I think Im gonna count them but count them as less than what they really may be. :-)
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    Glad you posted this. I was wondering if I could count playing with the kids and the many stairs that I have to climb while carrying them up to the babysitters house. I feel like Im cheating too by counting them. I think Im gonna count them but count them as less than what they really may be. :-)

    They're nothing, so how are you going to count less?

    Glad to know you like to cheat yourself though.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    So what exactly is the purpose for wanting to log all this daily activity type stuff as workouts?

    To meet the manually entered fitness goals that you have entered regarding number of workouts/week and time spent each day?

    Or is it in regards to wanting to get credit for calories to eat it back?

    Bad news no the latter part - if you recorded all your effort through the day as workouts to log, for purpose of having extra food to eat - you just ruined the deficit by making it up.

    If this is merely to log activity for personal encouragement because you see the number and go, yeah, look what I did, then fine.
  • abazooday727
    abazooday727 Posts: 150
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    In my opinion,(Just my Opinion) Unless you are dancing to the FLASHDANCE or Zumba while cooking...it shouldn't be counted...If cooking gets your heart rate up, you got more to worry about than cheating on your calories burned...or your are cooking for way too many! LOL JUST MY OPINION! They are like elbows...everyone has a pair! :drinker:

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