am i cheating by counting cooking and cleaning as cardio?

annabelsmommy

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 the same way I approach cooking/cleaning. I usually don't log cooking because I make most dinners in under 30 minutes, but when I spend a whole Sunday cleaning I definitely log it!

geeksrule

I think you have to judge for yourself like most people have said. I myself don't include the burn from any activity that I do on a regular basis. So weekly/daily cleaning/laundry/cooking I never count, something like chopping wood out back(we have acreage)/snow shovelling or even window cleaning - stuff that I don't do all the time - I count as a burn. Just my 2 cents worth.

Oh, and I don't include driving!

dansls1

My theory is that it has to be over and above what your normal lifestyle was to count as exercise - but that is me. And really the answer is up to you - only you can tell what is cheating and what isn't.

Yanicka1

Rather then logging that as an activity, why not just put yourself at maintenance until you can get back at it. It will be practice for maintenance, will hepl with your metabolism and you will stay on track until life is more managable

SaketoKim

I feel like that is cheating... is your heartrate really going fast when you are cooking? Minde doesn't when I do. Cardio is usually an exelerated heart rate.... and cleaning, maybe but not really. Sorry i think you should put in some real cardio... this is probably not what you want to hear, but need to know.

KaciWood19

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!

julysbaby

well, thanks for the input everyone. I know that it is not ideal, but being that I work a desk job and don't get a lot of exercise in my daily routine my activity level is set at sedentary. And the fact that I was active until I have been attacked by this PLAGUE (ugh) I needed to keep my motivation intact. Rest assured...I am not counting high calories. Most of the time, I count that i have only burned 100-200 calories a day when it comes to cooking or cleaning and yes, I eat back the calories at times. Just trying to keep logging until I am feeling myself again so I can get to the gym and work out 60 minutes 4-5 days a week as I was. I appreciate all of the input!

LadylvsRacin24

Yes, I would count it as cardio. I have an app on my phone called Lose it. It is similar to myfitnesspal. For one hour of housecleaning they listed 195 calories burned. There was a list of all sorts of activities for calorie burning. :happy:

Pollywog39

I count my cleaning if I do 30 continuous minutes but not if I just pick up things for 5 minutes. That being said, I have an office job where I am required to sit and a commute so I chose sedentary for my activity rate. Also I log shopping as walking leisurely pace. Before I started MFP I didnt consider that to be a workout but after 2 hours of shopping and then lugging the sfuff in I was too tired to do a regular workout and a lot more hungry. This has been working for me so far. Part of the problem with being overweight is we kick ourselves everytime we think we didnt do something the way someone else does it.

^^ This

If I do anything outside the "norm" for me, I count it. And when I shop, I marathon shop.....I can be walking for 2 or more hours, so I count that as leisurely walking (there IS a shopping entry in the cardio area If I am doing BIG cleanups, or laundry (as I have to walk a long flight of stairs and outside my apt building to a laundry room), I count that.

But the day to day stuff? Nah, I don't count that.

imatoughgirl

After reading more of these replies, I have add a couple thoughts.

1) If you've ever done what I call a "good clean" then you know that should be counted. When you run around every room to clean and vacuum and move furniture and change sheets then put them in and out of washer and dryer, that's exercise. Perhaps everyone needs to clean more.

2) Just because the question was asked doesn't mean she's rationalizing. I have discussed this ad nauseam with my fitness coach and you'd be amazed at the little things we forget.

3) Aren't we all smart enough to know not to eat our exercise calories? And on that topic, does it irritate anyone that our daily diary automatically adds those into our available calories. Then you have to subtract them to see what's really left, if you journal after every meal and exercise routine.

Jamie2007

Do not count it...plain and simple.

oilphins

The problem with doing chores and walking at work etc is that we don't really know how many calories we burn by doing those things. On the treadmill we know excactly how many we've burned. Everyday we all do burn calories with our lifestyles but how much? probably not enough to cover very many extra calories were allowed. If your not breaking a sweat or getting your heart rate up, cooking and cleaning more than likely isn't doing much.

meerkat70

I wouldn't count it. Perhaps bump your activity level to lightly active to take into account the 'on your feet' time.

season0508

I personally wouldnt count it... I dont count any of my housecleaning exercise. Although truthfully it is, just think of that as EXTRA if you go over your calories one day by 50 or something. Then you can think back.. " Oh yeah I worked my butt off cleaning" then you wont feel guilty about going over lol.

meerkat70

The problem with doing chores and walking at work etc is that we don't really know how many calories we burn by doing those things. On the treadmill we know excactly how many we've burned. Everyday we all do burn calories with our lifestyles but how much? probably not enough to cover very many extra calories were allowed. If your not breaking a sweat or getting your heart rate up, cooking and cleaning more than likely isn't doing much.

That's what's behind ideas like bodybuggs and fitbits.

oilphins

The problem with doing chores and walking at work etc is that we don't really know how many calories we burn by doing those things. On the treadmill we know excactly how many we've burned. Everyday we all do burn calories with our lifestyles but how much? probably not enough to cover very many extra calories were allowed. If your not breaking a sweat or getting your heart rate up, cooking and cleaning more than likely isn't doing much.

SPNLuver83

cleaning no, cooking yes, but that's my opinion

Asiral

I dont think you are cheating. They have "Light cleaning" in the exercise area for logging. You just need to be honest with how hard you feel you are working.

Fabnover40Kat

I log it as I only do this on the weekend...cleaning. I sit all day...desk job but when Im home on weekends I have so much to do Im usually non stop from the time I get up to the time I got to bed! So yes I log mine!

UpEarly

no if your activity level is set to sedentary...

This!

I keep my activity level set to sedentary and log the substantial time I spend cooking/cleaning. I wear a BodyMedia Fit, so I can see that the calorie burn for these activities is substantial and should be counted.

This is an example of calorie burn from my BodyMedia Fit. I marked cooking/cleaning/exercise:

jessihoover

I would still count it! moving is moving! however I would probably NOT eat those calories back!

JLove2Zumba

You can log it, But don't eat it.. I eat back my exercise calories But I would never eat those calories back, Unless you are cleaning on a 90 degree day w/out air conditioning and dripping in sweat, you are not burning fat, and that is the whole point of a workout right.. My Doctor said, its not about getting 30 minutes of exercise in everyday its about Sweating for 30 minutes everyday. Basically if you workout doesn't cause you to sweat ( unless medically you cannot) Its not Cardio!

Shell_7609

I have my activity level set at sedentary, but only count cooking & cleaning if its above/beyond normal daily activities.

katlynx6

I would agree with those who have said that the only person you are cheating is yourself. If it is something that keeps you motivated and keeps you logging despite feeling ill, then by all means go ahead!

But keep in mind: just because MFP estimates a calorie burn of 200 cals for an hour of cleaning (just numbers I made up - I have no idea what it would really be) doesn't mean you actually burned them. So ultimately, sure you can count them.... but if you eat them back you may end up gaining weight.

Tobi1013

3) Aren't we all smart enough to know not to eat our exercise calories? And on that topic, does it irritate anyone that our daily diary automatically adds those into our available calories. Then you have to subtract them to see what's really left, if you journal after every meal and exercise routine.

Actually, many of us are smart enough to know that the daily calorie allotment we are given already includes a deficit to allow us to lose the weight we want each week WITHOUT exercise. If you don't eat back the exercise calories, you are increasing that deficit and that could, depending on how large a defict you are creating through exercise and how long you go without eating those calories back (among other variables), hinder your your results.

There are plenty of topics in the forums that address the reasons we should be eating our exercise calories back and a search of the forums will yield plenty of results.

As for the question posed by the OP, many others have already stated the same, but if what you are doing is working, continue to do it. You are the only one who can say if what you are logging is helping or hurting your results.

ckmama

i think you should quit looking at it as pass/fail or cheating, this isn't a test.

It is a lifestyle change. And if you normally sit on your behind all day and you started cleaning and mowing your yard and not sitting on your behind all day then you are burning more calories.

It all depends as well on how your calorie level is set up, if you have it set for sitting on the couch or in an office chair all day then you should be fine.

Jenncoc86

if it's not normal count it, I count it as light stretching

KyleB65

If your activity setting is Sedentary, then no. Logging cooking and cleaning should count as calorie burn.

dixie3379

If it were me, yes I would feel that it didnt count and in the back of my mind I would be cheating myself. I dont log that type of activity, if I did I probably wouldnt be as motivated to get to the gym. If I get a lot accomplished around the house, I think of it as a bonus.

shaelataylor

i count any sort of activity like work or cooking or cleaning as a part of the "lightly active" i put in for my lifestyle. if i had put it on sedentary, i might count those in though.