Let the bloodbath begin....

econut2000

I was reading another forum post where everyone was bashing the OP for wanting to log an activity that no one else seemed to deem as exercise. Am I one of the few on here that realizes that llllooooonnnnnggggg before there were gyms, people did chores to keep themselves fit?!? There was no such thing as an eliptical and people seemed to do just fine so why the heck shouldn't I log doing chores as exercise????

And, let the bloodbath begin....

Dagoth

Because chores are a part of your daily routine. You don't account for them because it's a normal part of your day. You might as well log your trips to the bathroom as Walking, 2 mph, slow pace (2 minutes). It's basically the same thing. I think anything you have to go out of the way to do that requires strenuous effort can be logged. Everything else is null.

Pebble321

I don't know why either - people seem to take it as a personal affront if someone else logs something that does't involve lycra or Jillian Michaels or a gym membership. Perhaps they feel ripped off, that someone else gets to eat more when they don't?

My personal favourite is when people say "I got fat walking the dog so I'm not going to count those calories". I suspect they were also breathing, walking around and going to bathroom when they got fat, but those same people will usually earnestly tell you that they don't eat less than their BMR (which of course includes all those things).

It really is simple - everything we do burns cals, you just have to decide whether you want to include it in your daily activity level, whether you want to log it as an extra, or whether you really don't care about cals in/cals out in which case there is no point worrying about it.

econut2000

It's not part of my daily routine. I know a lot of other people who don't strenuously scrub their floors on their hands and knees daily but they will log it if they do it. My levels are set to sedentary because I SIT almost all day long - so if I do clean, it's outside of my daily routine of sitting. Once again....our ancestors used chores as exercise, so why shouldn't people on MFP?????

Pebble321

Because chores are a part of your daily routine. You don't account for them because it's a normal part of your day. You might as well log your trips to the bathroom as Walking, 2 mph, slow pace (2 minutes). It's basically the same thing. I think anything you have to go out of the way to do that requires strenuous effort can be logged. Everything else is null.

But perhaps chores aren't a part of someone's regular daily routine - it's such an individual thing, I can't make any blanket statement about what your day includes, just as you don't know what is "regular activity" for me. And perhaps those chores are pretty strenuous. Again, it's personal difference and personal choice on how people choose to set up and log things.

Kara52217

I log my cleaning and chores IF they go above what I consider my normal routine and I am DEEPLY cleaning. Otherwise I just dont count it.
But hey if some do count it and as long as they are losing who cares :-). To each their own

econut2000

I don't know why either - people seem to take it as a personal affront if someone else logs something that does't involve lycra or Jillian Michaels or a gym membership. Perhaps they feel ripped off, that someone else gets to eat more when they don't?

My personal favourite is when people say "I got fat walking the dog so I'm not going to count those calories". I suspect they were also breathing, walking around and going to bathroom when they got fat, but those same people will usually earnestly tell you that they don't eat less than their BMR (which of course includes all those things).

It really is simple - everything we do burns cals, you just have to decide whether you want to include it in your daily activity level, whether you want to log it as an extra, or whether you really don't care about cals in/cals out in which case there is no point worrying about it.

^^Totally agree. If you have your settings set to high levels of activity, then maybe putting away your dishes wouldn't be something you would log. On the other hand, if you have a disability, and putting away dishes is difficult for you then maybe this IS something you should log. I just don't understand when people have a hissy fit if I want to log "walking to the bathroom". Maybe I am cheating myself if that's what I log, but it's only me I'm cheating! Just to clear up any confusion, since I KNOW there will be, I wouldn't log "walking to the bathroom".

milf_n_cookies

Because chores are a part of your daily routine. You don't account for them because it's a normal part of your day. You might as well log your trips to the bathroom as Walking, 2 mph, slow pace (2 minutes). It's basically the same thing. I think anything you have to go out of the way to do that requires strenuous effort can be logged. Everything else is null.

That, exactly. I clean my house every day and I cook dinner every night, that is included in my calculations of "active" or "sedentary" so I feel like it's double dipping if I take it twice. Now if I am spending an hour or two hand scrubbing the floor or moving furniture around the house I might count it (depending on length of time and how hard it really was) because its not part of my daily activity.

BeautyFromPain

haha, chores are so NOT a part of my daily routine.

I work full time and go to school full time.
In the school holidays is usually the only time I have to clean my room which will usually take some 5+ hours. I use my HRM, put some music on, wiggle away and my HRM says that I burn 1000+ calories so why shouldn't I log it? It makes me sweat for sure.

bulletprooff

If your settings are "sedentary" and you don't normally break out a sweat/increase your heart rate similarly as you would with other forms of exercises, then log it.

If you're logging it so you feel better about eating more, than you probably shouldn't log it.

shoobz

Because chores are a part of your daily routine. You don't account for them because it's a normal part of your day. You might as well log your trips to the bathroom as Walking, 2 mph, slow pace (2 minutes). It's basically the same thing. I think anything you have to go out of the way to do that requires strenuous effort can be logged. Everything else is null.

Why is it taking you two minutes to walk to the bathroom at 2mph? That's like 105 metres. If your house is really that big, you gotta get yourself a second toilet.

econut2000

I log my cleaning and chores IF they go above what I consider my normal routine and I am DEEPLY cleaning. Otherwise I just dont count it.
But hey if some do count it and as long as they are losing who cares :-). To each their own

^^ agreed. I have neurological problems. Chores are NOT a daily part of my life. So, when I do them, I log them. But, if I cleaned my bathroom everyday, I probably wouldn't log it.

Alex_is_Hawks

My problem is the ripping into other people...

I couldn't care less about logging chores or not. I do not log them, I count them as part of my daily activity but if someone else logs them because they feel they worked up a sweat what do I care...

really, it's their journey and only they really know how hard they work.

Lauren

Bobby_Clerici

I found a way to log in such things as house cleaning and yard work that work beyond mere "activity".
This has always been a disconnect for me.
I bought a 70 lb weight vest that I wear, and I feel like it's a workout.
Do what works for you folks!
The fruit of your philosophy is your weight loss.
All Is Possible:drinker:

Diary_Queen

I spend most of my time working, so chores are not part of my daily routine. They are the thing that I spend all day Saturday doing. Washing everything, sweeping, mopping, vaccuming, scrubbing, washing the car, raking the yard, folding laundry and going through drawers, bins, closets and cabinets to make sure all my kids clothes still fit. This is how I spend my Saturday. I track all my moving and energy expenditure by my FitBit. If it gives me more calories, so be it. I'm not one to eat back even a fraction of my exercise calories, but when I was 327 lbs. and could barely be bothered to get up from the couch to walk to my bed at night, that kinda of moving was a big deal for me. It's better than sitting on your butt all day and doing nothing.

caraiselite

i sit at a desk or lay in bed all day.
i don't clean everyday.
when i do clean, of course i log it.

laceybrobie

THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY. not anybody elses. Dont let anyone get you down by logging something you want to. People on here are so concerned with everyone else they forget the are just like the rest of us.

Log that cleaning. I will tell you what, my cleaning is deep cleaning scrubbing the floor boards etc. Get an HRM and see how many cals you burn on a Sunday cleaning day.

Dont let them get to you! you do what you do to keep going...

danimal5867

If you're logging it so you feel better about eating more, than you probably shouldn't log it.

^^Winning answer is...^^

jagwab

Why is it taking you two minutes to walk to the bathroom at 2mph? That's like 105 metres. If your house is really that big, you gotta get yourself a second toilet.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Zarebeth

I have a FitBit. They count every move I make, all day every day. So I set my activity level to sedentary - anything other than laying in bed counts. And I stick to it... I start with a lower calorie count and have to EARN every extra calorie I get.

Silverkittycat

so why the heck shouldn't I log doing chores as exercise????

Why the heck do you care what someone on the internet thinks you should do?
Log what you want, it's your diary.