Thoughts about burning calories by cleaning?

KelseyDawn84

My house gets a thorough 3 hour clean on Saturdays. This is energy I wouldn't spend on Sun-Fri (and energy used = calories burnt = logged). That said, a 3 hour clean only gets logged as 2 hours, but I want to give myself the option of eating back later - in case I get super hungry as a result of energy expenditure. It's just a way to track what my body's doing/using for energy.

tansygreen

I'm a stay at home Mum and have 2 dogs, active little boys and a big messy house. I would never deream of logging cleaning, laundry,dog walking (unless running for 30 mins or more) or even sanding or painting or whatever other DIY jobs I might occasionally have. I never log the school run (and when my boys are on their scooters it literally is that).

I only joined MFP a few weeks ago so it's really too early to tell but my weight loss has been relatively slow (e.g. average less than 1 lb per week)

I do however log any 'proper' exercise, like running, cycling, yoga or whatever, and I eat back the calories. I agree with what others have said I think MFP really exagerates the calories burned through activity.

SusanLovesToEat

Sounds like everyone is in agreement that being a homemaker would not be counted as a sedentary occupation.

BTW-Why would anyone care what someone else logs anyway? This isn't a competition.

If someone is tracking their extra activity and includes housekeeping that's their business.

suemar74

I think if they are set as sedentary, they can count the moderate effort cleaning. Because when I said sedentary, I meant 5 days out of 7, I have my *kitten* parked in front of my computer at my desk for 8+ hours a day. I only clean-clean on weekends.

And I know my carpet pile is high enough that it's a sweaty workout to maneuver my cheap vacuum around my living room.

That said, I don't count cleaning. I did once when I cleaned the house from top to bottom and it took an entire three day weekend, but I only counted half the amount. And I didn't do it so I could have a free-for-all binge-fest. I did it so I could be sure I was adequately fueling my body that weekend.

But the bottom line is, "they" can do whatever they want. It's their life. I don't think people should have to justify to others what they consider a work out.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I certainly have an opinion on the things that other people log as workouts that I do not: if it works for them what flocking business is it of mine? If I have a friend who is losing weight and is eating well and logging various things that I do not log as exercise and eating back those calories then it’s apparently working for them and my two cents stay in my pocket. If I have a friend who is not successfully losing weight and is eating well and is logging exercise that I personally do not log as exercise I would caution them to be more conservative with what they are logging as exercise. I do not log cooking, cleaning, and other moderate activities (like taking a walk with my son) as exercise even though I have my activity level set to sedentary, but I am also 132 pounds and pretty damn fit. Someone who is in a different fitness situation than me has to exert a lot more effort to accomplish basic daily activities.

TXBelle1174

I dont log routine cleaning - doing the dishes, etc but I do log heavy duty cleaning - scrubbing/mopping floors, vacuuming, etc. because when I do, I am definitely sweating and my heart rate is definitely higher than if I wiped off the counter. I also only log half the time I do it because I think the burn on MFP is way too generous and I dont have an HRM.
As for gardening - I do not log watering the lawn... but this past weekend I cleared an eighth of an acre by hand, dug rows, planted seeds, and cleared a 4x6 foot flower bed of leaves, vines and shrubs. I was drenched with sweat. I was out there for 4 hours. I logged two. Although it may not be "exercise", you cant tell me that it doesnt burn calories. I am constantly moving, digging, raking, lifting rocks, pulling up weeds and roots, walking around the yard, etc.. that is definitely a workout. I didnt stop often enough to drink water. Today, I am as sore as I would be if I tried to do aerobics or the elliptical for an hour. I am more sore than I was on the first day of C25K.
I just think there needs to be a common sense approach when logging, esp if the person does not have a HRM. I down play my calorie burns a lot or I will look them up on three or 4 different sites and take an average, then log the time to give me the most correct burn I can find.

Microfiber_wechange

So, how do you feel about having "cleaning" as an exercise?

I cleaned today for about 2 hours. I moved furniture round etc etc but I only logged it as moderate for 30 mins

rml_16

I don't mean to bash the stay-at-home moms who have a hard time establishing an official workout time, but sometimes when I see how many calories some people burn by putting "cleaning, moderate effort" into their diary it makes me feel like all the sweat pouring off of me when I jog at night is for nothing.
I have also heard from numerous people that myfitnesspal tends to overestimate calories burned on many exercises.
So, how do you feel about having "cleaning" as an exercise? Do you think it really burns that many calories?

1. Why does what someone else logs affect anything about you?

2. I don't count cleaning, personally.

3. People on my FL are adults and if they count cleaning and it works for them, then who am I to tell them not to?

CawfeeLuv

I don't log cooking or cleaning. It just doesn't feel right for me. I feel bad enough logging when I do Wii.

LilRedRooster

Um, have you tried to be a stay-at-home mom and keep a house clean while your toddler runs around behind you, ruining everything you do as you do it? Not to mention living with a man who stomps around with cows all day and forgets to take his boots off when he lets both dogs in after running through the ditches in the pasture..

I don't log my cleaning, but some days, I feel like I should, because I spend the whole freaking day doing just that.

That being said, why does this argument keep coming up? Is there some written standard of calorie burning that I missed getting? Why does everyone care so much what other people log? Does it really make that much of a difference in your day if someone logs cleaning? If they're getting healthy, losing weight, and being happy, does it really matter how they do it?

MassiveDelta

Its a load of trash or laundry, mostly trash though.

Do an actual workout then you dont have to worry about how much carrying a 25 lb baby around with a rested load displaced on the hip baby will burn while walking up a half flight of stairs 32 times in 5.67 hours with wet hair might burn...On a good day

mrmanmeat

I don't mean to bash the stay-at-home moms who have a hard time establishing an official workout time, but sometimes when I see how many calories some people burn by putting "cleaning, moderate effort" into their diary it makes me feel like all the sweat pouring off of me when I jog at night is for nothing.
I have also heard from numerous people that myfitnesspal tends to overestimate calories burned on many exercises.
So, how do you feel about having "cleaning" as an exercise? Do you think it really burns that many calories?

nevermind.

andreacord

I think the calorie thing WAY overestimates what you burn, probably part of the reason why I stalled for so long last year. My parents have a HRM somewhere that they neglected to tell me about (big WTF to them on their part) , so I'm dying for them to find it so I can use it. I personally don't count cleaning though, although I did count when I did my moving out of college res this year. 90 minutes of moving 20 lb + boxes down three floors HAS to burn something. Eeep.

rml_16

I think it's a cheaters way to eat more.

If the person is still losing, what difference does it make? That's very rude.

PSTreasure

If someone is going from being completely sedentary to up and moving, every movement counts!! I like that for the most part everyone on MFP seems to be helpful. It is not helpful for someone to clearly put someone else down for what they list as exercise. Just because I don't break a sweat walking my dog, doesn't mean it is not exercise!! I also go to the gym and work with a personal trainer, but that doesn't mean I don't count things I do around the house. For instance, I spent an hour grocery shopping for 16 people, loaded everything into my van and then carried every bit of it into the house. If I can't count that as exercise, then what can I count? I say, if you can't give advice without being condescending, then keep it to yourself!

bradXdale

Heart rate monitors.

BobinNC66

Would be better to put on an HRM at the start and use those calories, sometimes mine HRM calories are higher than MFPs, especially for grass cutting, but on most things they are lower.

Lizabee84

I logged it when I first started. Because I found moving all my furniature to sweep, mop etc a workout. 3 months later I dont count it only because I find it is as hard as a workout video or any other activity for me. I think it depends on the persons activity level. I have a fitbit that just takes count of the steps I do while cleaning so all is good

jenj1313

The only time I ever use it is if it's seriously heavy and long... and then I use moderate or light versus putting "strenuous" and I cut the MFP calories by at least half. I was actually thinking of wearing my HRM while doing yard work yesterday but then I ended up bailing on the yard work anyway.

Basically, if I'm pouring sweat with cleaning and I miss a work out because of it, I'll log it, but it's not my norm.

I would say that maybe some people use light or moderate in order to try to make sure they're not over-estimating, but then again I have no idea what other people actually do.

jkleon86

I use it but don't log near the time I do. I once cleaned at church climbing up and down a ladder (Try that carring 239 lbs and not burn calories or sweat) cleaning 8 chandaliers I washed walls and base boards and washed the wood part on the pews the vaccumed the rest plus other stuff 7 hours and I logged 3 of it.
I really don't see the harm in useing it that way. It depends on your fitness level. if your level is running and sweating good for you but please don't let mine or anyone elses fitnes's level make you feel your work is all for nothing. Myself , I wish I could run and sweat like I use to and might again someday but for now I gotta stick to what I can do.

myfitnessnmhoy

It isn't anyone's business, but it's a good learning thread.

What it DOES do is lead to an interesting conversation about what level of exercise logging works for a bunch of people, and what does not. It can help educate some frustrated newbies, for example, that MFP's calorie estimates for things like raking leaves, gardening, and cleaning can be somewhat ridiculously optimistic, without them having to post the "why am I not losing weight? I'm eating back my exercise calories" and get an insulting response about 3 hours of light cleaning not exactly being "worth" 2,200 calories. Well, how are they supposed to know? Easy - by reading a discussion like this one where we can all carp about the inaccuracy of logged activities without directing it at some poor newbie.

Without a heart rate monitor, estimating calorie burn on continuous exercise is tricky. Even with one, estimating calorie burn on interval work like gardening and cleaning is iffy. Most of the exercise entries on MFP seem to be based on a fairly high level of activity, so it's a good lesson learned that logging everything can be counterproductive (as counterproductive as logging nothing, and ending up not refueling after a 6-hour, 4,000 calorie burn).

It's all estimates. If what you are logging isn't working and you aren't losing weight, experiment with raising or lowering caloric intake. If you're fatigued and hungry all the time, that's a hint that increasing might be a good thing to try. If you're not, try lowering them.

mes1119

but sometimes when I see how many calories some people burn by putting "cleaning, moderate effort" into their diary it makes me feel like all the sweat pouring off of me when I jog at night is for nothing.

Personally, I agree that it is dumb to track cleaning (I personally think of it as "extra" calories burned that I don't track). That being said, don't be discouraged about your own fitness plan. I'm pretty sure we both know who will be better off in the end. By tracking things like cleaning, they are only cheating themselves.

beckylawrence70

I say it's poo-poo, lol, I never log anything like that, only conscious exercise.......I gotta laugh at the people saying it's no one's business, ha ha ha, then get off the site, it's a fitness site and we post questions and advice, duh! And to follow up on the cleaning house as exercise, nice try ladies, not buying it!

jkleon86

I also use wash & wax car or polishing all the stainless steel at work I figure it would be about the same.

ZombieSlayer

So, how do you feel about having "cleaning" as an exercise? Do you think it really burns that many calories?

I log cleaning and gardening as exercise. Why? According to my Bodybugg:

Cleaning burns significant calories (even just doing the dishes and I have a sedentary day job, so I'm set for sedentary).
Gardening burns HEL.LACIOUS amounts of calories (even just weeding).

Broken420

I do if I wear my HRM.

THIS exactly

kdeaux1959

To me, "cleaning" is (or should be) part of one's normal day. By adding these calories into an exceptional category, it is likely that they are hurting their progress... I only add exceptional exercise such as cardio at the gym... I don't even log weight training as "exercise" ... Just the cardio. It is all about the results.

treetop57

I often wonder how people log all the energy they waste sitting in judgment over what other people log as exercise. Getting on a high horse has got to burn quite a bit.

ZombieSlayer

To me, "cleaning" is (or should be) part of one's normal day. By adding these calories into an exceptional category, it is likely that they are hurting their progress... I only add exceptional exercise such as cardio at the gym... I don't even log weight training as "exercise" ... Just the cardio. It is all about the results.

No, I'm not hurting my progress, but thanks for the assumption. :flowerforyou:

Onesnap

So, how do you feel about having "cleaning" as an exercise? Do you think it really burns that many calories?

I log cleaning and gardening as exercise. Why? According to my Bodybugg:

Cleaning burns significant calories (even just doing the dishes and I have a sedentary day job, so I'm set for sedentary).
Gardening burns HEL.LACIOUS amounts of calories (even just weeding).

Yep, and you can bet your bottom I log yardwork and gardening.