Do you log daily activities?

cmurphy04722

I have only been logging my workouts, and my boyfriend pointed out that we have a decent commute to work. I walk 10-15 minutes to the metro, then 10-15 minutes from the metro to work. And then the same going home, so at very least 40-60 minutes of moderate-speed walking every day. And I usually walk up the long escalators as well.

I know some people log cooking preparation and stuff like that where you're burning more calories than just sitting around, but I had never thought to add that stuff.

So what all do you guys log? I eat my exercise calories so I'm curious hehe. But I don't want to overestimate calories burned and then be screwing myself over. I've been losing about a pound per week for the last few weeks so I'm not in starvation mode, but just curious...

mvl1014

If you already counted it when you chose your lifestyle (sedentary, light active, active, etc.) then don't count it again. The thought of logging cooking prep is hilarious to me. Unless you usually eat prepared meals and have to spend hours cutting mirepoix, i wouldn't think it would make much difference at the end of the day.

chgudnitz

I never logged anything that I didn't set out to do as actual exercise. I assumed that there are points in my day when I'm doing less than what my lifestyle would burn and took the other times as a balancing out of sorts. For example, say you listed yourself as light active, well, there are probably times when you aren't doing anything at all and not burning nearly as many calories. I would take the points where I was burning more to just average it out...

Hope that helps a little.

cmurphy04722

I think my profile is set up as sedentary since I have a desk job. Perhaps I should bump it up to light active?

astrosnider

I don't bother logging my walks from the car to the grocery store or that kind of thing because I figure they are normal activities that are part of my daily calorie burning. If anything, I am logging fewer activities these days because I don't want to see any more additions to my calorie allotment on MFP. It makes it too tempting for me to eat more, and I already know I won't lose weight unless I stick to about 1300-1400 calories per day, no matter how much I exercise.

chgudnitz

You seem to be doing well at what you have it listed as. I wouldn't change anything at this point.

chgudnitz

I don't bother logging my walks from the car to the grocery store or that kind of thing because I figure they are normal activities that are part of my daily calorie burning. If anything, I am logging fewer activities these days because I don't want to see any more additions to my calorie allotment on MFP. It makes it too tempting for me to eat more, and I already know I won't lose weight unless I stick to about 1300-1400 calories per day, no matter how much I exercise.

Wow, how untrue is that... I know everyones body is different, but if you have some days of marathon workouts and you don't eat you will not be doing your body justice. Just because you dont see it on mfp doesn't mean your body didn't burn it, and it doesn't mean you don't need to replace it. Just be careful with that approach is all I'm saying.

dclarsh1

I think my profile is set up as sedentary since I have a desk job. Perhaps I should bump it up to light active?

If you're set at sedentary, then go ahead and log it as exercise. It's not going to be a lot of calories, maybe 150 for the round trip. If you bump yourself to light active, MFP might give you more calories per day than that.

jillybeanruns

I would keep everything as is. I only log my actual workouts and my desk job means my activity level is sedentary as well.

stormieweather

I think those activities are accounted for when you select your "activity" level in settings. There is sedentary, lightly active, active, etc. and those are for your normal lifestyle activities. If you think you are burning more than your setting allows, you can always increase it. To manually determine it, you would multiply your BMR times the following ratios (PAL=Physical Activity Level):

Life style and level of activity - PAL
Chair-bound or bed-bound - 1.2
Seated work with no option of moving around and little or no strenuous leisure activity - 1.4-1.5
Seated work with discretion and requirement to move around but little or no strenuous leisure activity - 1.6-1.7
Standing work (e.g. housework, shop assistant) - 1.8-1.9
Significant amounts of sport or strenuous leisure activity (30-60 min four to five times per week) - +0.3 (increment)
Strenuous work or highly active leisure - 2.0-2.4

Originally, I started out at 'sedentary' as I am an accountant and work a desk job. Then I went to calorie count and added up all my actual daily activities and realized that I am FAR from sedentary...considering I actually have TWO desk jobs, three children, two pets, and am going, going, going, 18 of 24 hours a day. My actual calories burned are closer to active than sedentary.

Cathyvil

I don't count my 10 minute walk to the metro when I take it *shakes fist at all the snow we've had* I do count when I walk to and from work though.

Phoenix_Rising

If it's a daily walk and you've done it for a while (even while overweight), then I'd think your body takes that into account as a part of your daily lifestyle. I would leave your activity as sedentary and not add that walking in as exercise, logging only intentional exercising. Just my two cents. :flowerforyou: