am i cheating by counting cooking and cleaning as cardio?

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  • annabelsmommy
    annabelsmommy Posts: 24 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 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
    geeksrule Posts: 143 Member
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    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
    dansls1 Posts: 309 Member
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    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
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    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
    SaketoKim Posts: 254 Member
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    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
    KaciWood19 Posts: 553 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!
  • julysbaby
    julysbaby Posts: 97 Member
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    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! :smile:
  • LadylvsRacin24
    LadylvsRacin24 Posts: 2
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    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
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
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    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
    imatoughgirl Posts: 16 Member
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    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
    Jamie2007 Posts: 169
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    Do not count it...plain and simple.
  • oilphins
    oilphins Posts: 240 Member
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    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
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    I wouldn't count it. Perhaps bump your activity level to lightly active to take into account the 'on your feet' time.
  • season0508
    season0508 Posts: 33
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    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
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    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
    oilphins Posts: 240 Member
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    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
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
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    cleaning no, cooking yes, but that's my opinion
  • Asiral
    Asiral Posts: 133
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    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
    Fabnover40Kat Posts: 300 Member
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    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
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    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:

    calories.jpg?w=630&h=386

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