Do you count housework towards your daily cals.

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Replies

  • Sheila_Ann
    Sheila_Ann Posts: 365 Member
    Nope. Consider it bonus calories burned.

    ditto on this one comment.
  • ma_oeuvre
    ma_oeuvre Posts: 123
    A once a month deep clean? Damn right I count it! You're working hard, working your muscles, getting your heart rate up a little - yes, log it! One thing though - be a bit wary of how many calories mfp says you have burned, I feel that they overestimate the household deep clean :)
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Nope. Consider it bonus calories burned.

    I believe that's called exercise.

    You burn calories just by being alive. Does being alive count as exercise?
  • Yaya1976
    Yaya1976 Posts: 357 Member
    I think I've only logged cleaning once. I see people on here log everything from cleaning to cooking. I don't know? I guess if you're wearing a HRM maybe?

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  • LovahLorah
    LovahLorah Posts: 39 Member
    If I am heavily cleaning I log it, it allows me to visually see my extra wiggle room, if needed. It also is a great motivator to see calories burned, really gets me to clean more :wink: I don't eat back the calories usually, but I like to see what I am working with. To each their own, that's my opinion.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    It is counted on my BMF so yes i count it. And it can actually add up to a good amount of calories. I can burn a lot of calories with slow and steady activity over several hours, and sometimes i feel like this is better than fast hard burns. But if i didn't use the BMF i would probalby not count it as activity, but rather just include it in my daily BMR calculation.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    No.. nor do I count strolling to the park with my kids, walking around the lake throwing rocks in the water, washing the car, painting my spare bedroom, cooking, doing laundry, dancing at a wedding..... I agree with the previous poster who said that is life, not exercise.

    I agree with this.
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    I amazes me that people are going to poo, poo someones activity just because it's not "gym exercise". Just because someone isn't bench pressing or running at the gym doesn't mean that what they do to burn calories isn't exercise. Disgusting that people are dissing others means of "exercise". You should be ashamed of yourselves!

    Yes, house cleaning is exercise. If you are doing any activity that gets your heart rate going and you are physically fatigued you can log that under your exercise tab.



    you log cleaning don't you :flowerforyou:
  • toya316
    toya316 Posts: 137 Member
    Nope. Consider it bonus calories burned.

    EXACTLY....
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I don't, but I also have an otherwise busy lifestyle. I don't judge those who do, it's up to each of us to be honest about our own energy expenditures and be true to ourselves. If you feel that you're getting a good burn doing this and it's not already built into your set daily activity level, then why the hell not?
  • TinaBean007
    TinaBean007 Posts: 273 Member
    To answer your question: It depends on the day/activity.

    Advice for MFP: Take all advice with a grain of salt (warning: salt is a highly controversial subject), disregard the negative posts, and find out what works best for you.

    Once you weed out those who just post for the entertainment value, it's a pretty cool site. Good luck!
  • toya316
    toya316 Posts: 137 Member
    Nope. Consider it bonus calories burned.

    I believe that's called exercise.

    You burn calories just by being alive. Does being alive count as exercise?

    LMAO... I am going to log sleeping..
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    Is your lifestyle listed as sedentary? If so then feel free to list whatever activity you choose... Do not eat back all of your exercise calories... I never eat back calories and stay under goal constantly and have dropped my 112 in less than 6 months...
  • Francesca3162
    Francesca3162 Posts: 520 Member
    I count it as part of my lifestyle/activity level... it's not a workout. Only workouts are workouts.

    ^^ AGREE
  • LassoOfTruth
    LassoOfTruth Posts: 735 Member
    I don't count it as exercise, and I don't understand why others do. Not judging, just curious.
  • msaestein1
    msaestein1 Posts: 264 Member
    I rarely add it. I only add it if I don't do enough of my regular workouts in for the week. For those of you don't consider it as real 'exercise', many nutritionists and other health experts say we are overweight today because most of us don't get the same amount of acitivity or "life", as many have put it, as our ancestors. MFP has it as an option for exercise, so I don't think she is alone in wanting to add it. However, if you want to lose faster, I wouldn't add it daily under workouts. I would just up my activity level for my calorie goal.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    Nope. Consider it bonus calories burned.

    I believe that's called exercise.

    You burn calories just by being alive. Does being alive count as exercise?

    No, the activity of simply being is set into your base calorie goal, then you set your normal activity level, then you decide if based upon your set activity level you need to log an activity as exercise or if it's already a part of your base.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    The last 2 times I did the deep clean I wore my Heart Rate Monitor. First time the 4 hour calorie burn was around 800 cal. the second time 3 hours was 625. I count it. Not the regular daily stuff. But, the "Dang my house is dirty" cleaning I do. Usually once a month.
  • toya316
    toya316 Posts: 137 Member
    No.. nor do I count strolling to the park with my kids, walking around the lake throwing rocks in the water, washing the car, painting my spare bedroom, cooking, doing laundry, dancing at a wedding..... I agree with the previous poster who said that is life, not exercise.

    I agree with this.

    :drinker: PREACH...
  • dunlunicor
    dunlunicor Posts: 189 Member
    If your activity level is set to sedentary and you are doing non-sedentary things for at least 30 minutes, log it. Obviously, you don't want to log the walk from your front door to your car, but serious deep cleaning is a whole different animal. However, if you are set to lightly active, it's already figured in for you.

    Another way to figure out whether you should log it: Are you currently losing weight? If you are, you know you are in a calorie deficit. Add in your deep cleaning for a month or so. If you stall out, you probably don't need to log it. But if you continue to lose weight, feel free to add it in.

    Adding EVERYTHING that is out of the norm is a good idea, because you have a record you can go back to and say, "Well, last month I lost a bunch of weight, but this month I lost none. But last month I was doing a lot more [insert activity], so I probably need to get in a little more exercise."
  • LetsGetFitMama
    LetsGetFitMama Posts: 102
    When she refers to cleaning, she isn't referring to light cleaning, she is moving furniture around, she is moving the fridge, stove, couches etc. She is scrubbing on her hands and knees cleaning. I think when she is doing this form of cleaning she is actually working out. She is using her muscles and probably getting a good workout with all the lifting and lugging of furniture.

    When we have a lot of weight to lose and go from doing nothing to something, day to day activities can really get our heart rate going. So she may log now but as she loses weight it may not matter as much.

    I just think some people need to stop being rude about it. A simple no is fine, you don't have to make people feel dumb for asking. According to some of you, walking isn't even worthy of being logged even though for some of us, that is a big workout. To each their own. Log what you feel is right for YOU and stay positive. I wouldn't let negative nellys get in your way!
  • TinaBean007
    TinaBean007 Posts: 273 Member
    I don't, but I also have an otherwise busy lifestyle. I don't judge those who do, it's up to each of us to be honest about our own energy expenditures and be true to ourselves. If you feel that you're getting a good burn doing this and it's not already built into your set daily activity level, then why the hell not?

    Agree! Although when I move furniture and all that good stuff, I turn into a big old nerd and wear my HRM. It's "fun" to see how much energy is exerted.
  • LMT2012
    LMT2012 Posts: 697 Member
    I think once per month givng yourself an extra 300 calories that day is fair. yes.
  • mzjessicaxo
    mzjessicaxo Posts: 330 Member
    No.

    agreed
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Of course you should count it or at least make a note of it so if you're hungrier the next day you know why -- don't listen to these people telling you otherwise. Just like all calories count so does all your activity, if you're losing weight what you're doing is right.

    ETA:
    And I suspect that the people saying it doesn't count are in such amazing shape it's not a workout for them or they just straighten up their house and don't actually clean clean.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    Once a month I deep clean the house, ceilings, baseboards, fans, on my hands and knees waxing the floor, etc. Would you count this as an activity? Trust me at the end of the day I hurt.

    I do not count my daily cleaning sweeping, dusting, straightening up. I know I sound a wee bit anal, but we have 5 dogs :smile:

    if i'm doing all this then yes i would count it. i have 2 large dogs and i do not count "normal" housecleaning (stuff i do all the time) but spring and winter cleaning (BIG scrub top to bottom that to me counts).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    No...I've thought about it, and it's true that there are certain things that get my heart rate up when I'm doing a deep clean like that, but it's not sustained....the average heart rate throughout the cleaning day is higher than a normal day sitting at my desk, but certainly not up the a level that would be considered a cardio exercise. At the most, I might have 5 minutes or so at a pop when I'm really hitting something hard that my heart rate gets to a level that would be considered aerobic. I might burn a few add'l calories, but nothing I'm going to bother logging so that I can eat them back.
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    I walk alot at work I do not count that, up and down stairs alot I do not count that. Im sure someone allready said it but do what works for you as long as you are happy with your progress that is what really matters.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Nope. Consider it bonus calories burned.

    I believe that's called exercise.

    You burn calories just by being alive. Does being alive count as exercise?

    No, the activity of simply being is set into your base calorie goal, then you set your normal activity level, then you decide if based upon your set activity level you need to log an activity as exercise or if it's already a part of your base.

    Not sure why you're telling me how this site works. I know how it works.

    The person said that burning calories = exercise. That is not true. I pointed this out.
  • mandipandi75
    mandipandi75 Posts: 6,035 Member
    I spend many hours per week cooking and cleaning but that is a regular routine for me so I don't count it. Just like having mattress mambo.

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