Is it Really Exercise or Am I Cheating?

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  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I think you're accidentally double-booking it. MFP's description of "lightly active" is a bit more than what I consider light activity, so I think all your everyday activity should probably already be covered by that.


    ^^^^yep this! I would set your profile to sedentary if you want to log all your daily activities as exercise.
  • jordanreddick
    jordanreddick Posts: 197 Member
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    I have my settings to sedentary because my job is at a desk all day, but I am a VERY active person after work and on the weekends, so I log all of my activites including cleaning, riding and grooming my horse, mowing my grass, etc. If you want to log everything, change your settings and you won't be double dipping.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    First - Since you are already set up as lightly active I would only record the exercise. If you were set up as sedentary I would log everything.

    Second - Is it working or you? If so that's all that really matters.
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
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    Personally, I only count exercise that is outside of what I do on a regular basis around the house. I do include my 15 minute walk with the dog or work in the yard. The real issue that you need to look at is how your body is reacting. If you are logging everything and you are losing a pound per week (or whatever your goal might be) you can probably leave it alone for now. If you plateau, quit counting those calories and see if that helps you break through.

    With that being said, I wouldn't count every activity if I were in your shoes.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    If you're using the 'lightly active' setting, then yes, you might be cheating yourself a little bit.

    If you like tracking that stuff just so you get an idea of how much it burns, then go for it (nothing wrong with that). However, not sure its a good idea to eat back those house cleaning calories, because it might be counterproductive.
  • clehman71
    clehman71 Posts: 139 Member
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    I have my activity set as sedentary (desk job). I do not count daily cleaning like putting the dishes in the dish washer, or clothes in the wash machine/dryer. I do count the full house cleaning I do every week. It takes about 3 hours to clean the house and that I count. If it takes more than an hour or if it gets my heart rate up, I could it. I figure the small stuff doesn't burn enough off to make much of a difference.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    I do, but I have my lifestyle set at "sedentary" so I can log everything. "Lightly active" already means "spends most of your time on your feet like a nurse or salesperson". So you may be double-booking your exercise.

    More importantly, are you losing weight? If you're losing weight at about your set pace, then keep doing what you're doing - don't mess with success until it stops succeeding. ;)
  • virtuess1
    virtuess1 Posts: 6 Member
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    I went shopping for a bathing suit on Monday. It was so much work and I was exhausted at the end. I am sure I burned extra calories. Thanks for posting, so I don't feel guilty by not completing "formal" exercise.
  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
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    For me personally, I do not log simple household cleaning. The only times I do, are if I give the bathrooms a complete scrub down (On my hands and knees wiping baseboards and scrubbing the showers with a toothbrush between the tiles) because 30-45 mins later when I am done, I am DRIPPING. I don't even log as the full time, maybe half. Or if I am doing yard work, I may log that. I try not to eat back all of those calories though.
  • marieautumn
    marieautumn Posts: 932 Member
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    i dont record normal chores and things like that because i feel like its already built into my deficit and if normal chores really impacted my calorie burn, i wouldnt be trying to lose weight in the first place. i only count the thing i do extra, like the gym, maybe a bike ride if it was long enough to make a difference. my rule is nothing under 100 calories burned will be added.
  • jmjm55077
    jmjm55077 Posts: 43
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    They have different names...one is housecleaning and the other is excerising...just my opinion....
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    My opinion is it's not exercise unless it makes you sweat, increases your heart rate and leaves you out of breath. ;o)
    So paying my utility bill is an exercise?
  • amoffatt
    amoffatt Posts: 674 Member
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    My opinion is it's not exercise unless it makes you sweat, increases your heart rate and leaves you out of breath. ;o)
    So paying my utility bill is an exercise?


    :laugh:
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    My opinion is it's not exercise unless it makes you sweat, increases your heart rate and leaves you out of breath. ;o)

    So then weight lifting (which doesn't necessarily accomplish these things even if you're lifting heavy) doesn't count? When I lift properly my hr doesn't really get over 135, and when I'm doing my chest sets it might peak over 100 maybe, but I still count it.
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    If you are set as light active you should only count "exercise" as exercise, if you were set to sedentary then some of the stuff could be logged as exercise.

    Basicaly, what he said.
    I have my settings at SEDITARY so I count only the cleaning that gets my heart rate going like vacuming the house or chopping and stacking wood.
    Lightly active includes the lightly active activities.....
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
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    I only record stuff like cleaning if it's above and beyond normal cleaning. I don't log my weekly sweeping or dusting or anything like that. I only log cleaning if I'm really deep cleaning, like scrubbing the bathroom from top to bottom and moving rugs/furniature around.

    For example, today I am cleaning my classroom. Moving out furniature and cleaning out the items. Things that are above and beyond the normal.
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
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    One option is to put yourself to "sedentary" and log most of your activity. The thing to be careful of when logging activities of daily living is that you don't overlog, eat it all back, then wonder why you aren't losing.

    I set myself as "sedentary" then only log purposeful exercise and walking...and if I don't take a significant (3+ miles) exercise walk, I don't even log my normal walking.
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
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    If you're losing weight then probably no problem, if you stop losing weight then stop recording it. There are a few times I think I could had record it but mainly its when I'm doing some housework, cooking, etc under a time limit so I'm rushing and pushing myself which feels just like a work out. Just pay attention to what you're doing and if it works, it works if not then just adjust.
  • films14
    films14 Posts: 11
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    l record cleaning, but only because i run a house cleaning business and i only record the jobs where i'm really breaking a sweat like 3 story houses etc. --i work alone. i'm also a set decorator for indie films & tv, and i'm running around all day packing & loading trucks, moving furniture etc. and i use my "steps" on my fitbit to record that work.
  • films14
    films14 Posts: 11
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    lol!!! (sorry, this seems random.... i was lol-ing to someone's post where they said paying bills makes them break out in sweat, therefore is counted as exercise etc.) --i need to quote my replies sorry...

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