Cleaning. Do you or don't you log it and why?

goldengirlamiee · October 2012

for normal, day to day picking up, I don't log it. If I clean all day, I mean clean, wash walls, baseboards, mop, vaccuum, all that , for hours straight, then I log like 30 minutes. MFP seems to overestimate calories burned. :ohwell:

daggs95 · October 2012

I am still adjusting my settings here so there are reasons to do so and to not do so. I know for example if I use the Very active setting it accounts for 450 calories. (this is above what the MFP settings have as the Basal/if you sat all day calories) so if I know I excert more than that I have to otherwise I fall into the same trap of the past 9 years of doing too much and eating just too little where my body had been in a frozen state of F you

So for me, if I am cleaning for 2 hours, its close to 200 calories (i am accounting for cleaning actively and standing so its one hour in the exercise log)

Then I just adjust my eating calories accordingly. For years I have known I work my *kitten* off, but it just wasn't coming off haha. But I didn't know the exact numbers like I do now. So it was quite shocking and really made sense why I wasn't loseing any weight despite having a deficet. So as an example my total day of activity and exercise and being alive gets close to 3000 calories I know I have to eat atleast 2000 that day.

But I don't log it if it falls into the 450 calories given on the active setting (which is basically 2 1/2 of cleaning for some one who weighs 180+) I have spent time logging my activities long before I found this site to better time manage myself. So I am aware of how many hours it takes to do certain things ect.

So it depends on your lifestyle and body. If you're active and stuck, you should log your activites to see how much energy it actually takes, then just do the math to deduct 500-1000 less in food a day. I personally learned from this site I had to eat more not less. But it depends on the person's situation.

Lala20112 · October 2012

Sometimes I do, if its yard work(mowing,cut trees and cleaning up others trash and Ive been at it for afew hours ,only because I know I will be to tired to do any excsrise later.

j0zf · October 2012

I try to only count my exercise calories if it makes me breath harder than normal. I figure it's better to underestimate my calories burned from exercise. basically the "secret bonus calories" that others have mentioned. These add up, since I've lost weight much faster than I would have based simply off my calorie consumption.

kimosabe1 · October 2012

if you can log it count it. I do because I sweat....

kimosabe1 · October 2012

10,000 steps is 5 miles.

jerbear1962 · October 2012

I log it because I'm burning calories.

Coming4U · October 2012

Yeah, I think logging things like cleaning and walking dogs or whatever just sets you up for failure. MFP overestimates calories burned anyway so if you log every little physical activity you do, plus eat those 'exercise calories' back, you're not going to lose, and you may even gain.

I personally only log what I set out to do as exercise. If I clean, I just count it as a little bonus like someone else said.

^that lol

I only count intentional exercise, not part of my normal daily routine. If it is what you normally do, it is already part of how your body functions etc and calculated into your basic MFP setup that figures out our calories etc.

GabyG69 · October 2012

Never. I only count "real" exercise.. cleaning, shopping, etc. that others count as exercise, I count as a secret bonus!

That's my personal preference though.. It just makes me uncomfortable counting it, idk why

kericarey · October 2012

Once a week i do what i call "speed cleaning" I'll turn on the radio and put on my ankle weights. I vacuum and shampoo the carpets. Pick up all the dirty clothes around the house, load the dishwasher and mop. I do this all in 30 minutes and I move as fast as I can to get my heart rate up. (i have a small house but two young boys and a dog so things get pretty messy.) I always break a sweat! This is the only time I log it.

quietasariot · October 2012

If it's something especially vigorous like scrubbing the bathtub or the floor, yes - I usually break a sweat doing that - but other stuff? nah. Everything else is a normal part of my routine!

pinkraynedropjacki · October 2012

I only log if I know I've done it hard that day. I literally dance around while cleaning so I do get my heart up a fair bit. Anything other than sleeping or sitting I kinda count as exercise.... but I don't log all of it.

Alicia7519 · October 2012

I do some kind of cleaning on a daily basis, so I don't log the time spent on putting my house in order. I don't count working in the garden either.

billsica · October 2012

I don't log cleaning, because I don't do it. I log "sandwich eating." Also I log "lifting legs so vacuum can go by."

EmGetsFit · October 2012

To each his/her own. Do what works for you. As others stated, I too have an office job. I have my TDEE set accordingly (basic). I don't log my normal walks from desk to copier, train station to work, work to lunch, etc.--but I of course log my "work-out" walks on nights & weekends. Ditto with cleaning. I don't log 5 minutes of washing dishes or taking out garbage--but I log my big weekend cleaning session. If I'm vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing, etc. for 2 hours straight, I'm definitely logging it. It helps ME to see MY calories burned for the day and plan accordingly meal-wise. If others think it's silly, who cares... It's my log & my fitness journey.

Natch, if your TDEE is set to include it, then omit it on your log. Good luck to everyone!

Kitiara47 · October 2012

I usually only log my exercising at our rec center, unless I do something different that day, like go hiking, wander around campus during my spare time, or work concessions during a game for 6 hours (I give myself 300 extra cals for this since it's mostly just standing with a little bit of running back and forth between the front and back of the stand). Since I walk to and from work and classes on campus, I get in about 60 minutes of walking a day. Instead of counting this as exercise, I changed my diary from sedentary (desk job internship where I did log my added up walking) to active. Except for the time spent sitting in class, I consider myself pretty active during the day, and not just the walking.

I also agree with others when they say they feel like they have extra wiggle room with light cleaning. Heavy duty cleaning I do count. My roommate and I cleaned our entire apartment for the first time in two weeks last night, and it took 4 hours! And believe me, it was heavy duty cleaning... We were both wiped out by the end! :laugh: