Unless I sweat I don't log my activity.......right or wrong?

BrionySpandler

I do a daily dog walk of 1 hour. If it is no overly strenuous, and I walk at moderate pace and it burns 240 calories. I don't sweat at all, but that's a lot of calories! So, depending on what level of 'activity' you refer to will very much depend on whether you expend energy or not. But I would say factor something in...

fluffypetal

Hi,

I tend to log housework some of the time BUT only if I have been really on the move and then I do silly exercises whilst doing it (like lunges whilst hoovering). Some people say it may be cheating but I don't see it as that. If I was just flicking a duster around then no I wouldn't log it. It lets me see that I have been busy and that I have done something, which is better than nothing.

It's each to their own and if someone feels more motivated to move a bit more and log these kind of things into their planner then good for them as it will only keep motivating them and that can only be a GOOD thing. Sweat or no sweat.

Annie xxx

allisonj87

I usually only log cleaning if its a strenuous down and dirty kind of cleaning!! I do; however, log breastfeeding, which in no way causes me to sweat!! I want to make sure I'm getting enough for my baby.

zombiekookie

I sweat easy, at least that's how it feels. With that take I should be logging in my cleaning, but I list my activity level as moderately moving about. It is included in the calories i believe. As for my roommate, who is a housewife, she doesn't get out much doing the activities I do. She listed herself as sedentary. Her listing cleaning, walking, and shopping would work. I'm sure if she started working out, listing those would become obsolete.

jesindc

I think it has a lot to do with how you categorize you activity level. I sit at a desk much of the day on an average day at work, so I list my activity level as sedentary, but I do commute into work by walking or riding a bike, so I log those activity calories even though they aren't an official work out (although I do get out of breath on the bike on the two hills on the way to work). I suppose that I could just move my activity level up and MFP would give me a few extra calories per day and then I wouldn't have to log the calories I burn on my commute, but I'd rather keep track of it. I guess it's six in one, half dozen in the other. I don't log cleaning, but I will say that on a few occasions (like those twice a year deep cleaning days), I have broken a sweet while cleaning (mostly from going up and down the stairs so many times I suppose).

Lyssa62

I dont' log anything -- I let the fitbit do it. I think that "normal" activity is already factored in so some may be adding a calorie burn that is already being counted. I'd rather error in a low burn estimate than over estimating.

stefaniekeegan

I pretty much agree with you all here.
The calorie count that you allow yourself is taking into account the usual routine stuff. If you start to log every tiny thing you do surely you need to consider lowering the excess calories that you are allowed.

Since the walk to the shops or a quick hoover will only burn a few calories anyway isn't it better to not count them and have them as a bonus?

If you aim is to loose weight, then by cheating the system you are only cheating yourself and will not see the results you hope for.

I round up food and down calories just to be sure. Then if I do end up having cheeky biscuit I don't feel terrible about it and get to control my urges with the odd treat here and there.

kali31337

I used to log cleaning (when it happened!) but now that I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week, I don't log it. I just can't even try to attempt that many calories back. Though that being said, I did log the cleaning we did this weekend because we spent 4.5 hours cleaning our house from top to bottom and I still only logged an hour of it since I didn't wear my HRM

MartialAngel

I log a lot of my cleaning, but only because I didn't do much of it before. Now, when I clean, it's normally a very long process and I'm lugging a 14 month old wiggly girl with me everywhere, so I feel it is a workout for me. However, I don't use only that as my exercise. I still make sure to do some actual exercise. I power walk about 2.5 miles at LEAST once a week. I have workout DVDs I do during Gabriel's nap time. Now, while I count some cleaning, don't coun laundry, unless I'm folding, and I do more work by walking back and forth from the living room to whichever room the laundry belongs in for each article of clothing. While it is more work, and takes longer, I try to go quickly so I get a slightly elevated heart rate and breathing. If its simple stuff, don't count it. I'm still losing weight like crazy. But there is nothing wrong with how you are doing it. Keep up the great work!

Blessedmommy_2x

I don't really care what others do... Sometimes you just find what works for you, and focus on that. And it will vary for everyone.

I personally DO NOT log "daily activities" as exercise... like, cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, prepping food, whether I was sweating exhausted, spent hours doing it or not. My reason: If I have been doing these activities daily for years and its never helped me lose weight, and I still managed to gain... then WHY would I count it as "exercise" now??? I think it would just hurt my progress and at some point I think its cheating the system - at least for me.

Honestly... I am pregnant now and those daily activities totally wear me out, burn more cals and cause me to sweat at times. BUT I still don't log it as a exercise unless it is a formal planned exercise... not me just burning cals, living. I told myself I need to exercise daily to stay in shape... if I counted washing dishes and cleaning the house as exercise Id never get around to REALLY exercising.

mystic36

We burn calories with everything we do from sleeping sitting and cleaning. I myself clean for a living and most every day during the week I am on my feet moving around and it burns a lot of energy and that is what we are doing when burning calories. We are burning calories, it is energy. Even at that, doing housework burns calories whether it be something small or big; and yes some people do actually sweat and can get a good workout cleaning. To each's own. Do what you want and what you think is right, but to those of you who want to say that cleaning and certain daily activities shouldn't be counted you are sounding very negative and unsupporting of your fellow MFP members, and friends.

Aplmark

I usually log yard work, general carpentry and housework because I generally work my a** off doing it. My home has 2 flights of stairs and those trips are accounted for on my fitbit and my yard work days usually put me over 10k steps for the day (big yard). Even though I log these activities I don't usually eat more because of them, I still try to stay within my daily allotment of 1800 calories.

MinnieInMaine

Just want to reiterate that sweating isn't necessarily a gauge of physical exhertion for everyone. A friend of mine sweats very easily so she could go for a short walk and be sweaty. While for someone like me, it can take longer for the sweat to start coming and if the temps are low like they are now, I may hardly sweat at all.

If your heart rate is elevated and/our your breathing harder, then you're probably burning some calories over and above your normal daily activity level. I don't usually log cleaning either unless it's something major like moving furniture or cleaning windows. But I will usually log shopping days if I'm on my feet for hours walking around slowly. That is no where near my normal daily activity...I hate shopping!

gonzo2802

Clearly everyone is different, but I do log my cleaning from time to time. Mostly because when I decide I'm going to use that as my activity for the day, I go hard at it. It's not a leisurely cleaning. I set a time limit (ex. 30 minutes) and keep myself moving at a swift pace for that whole time. I think logging activities, like calories, is a matter of being honest with yourself. Only you know the level of your effort and how it differs from the norm.

darrensurrey

As I understand MFP, if you register your activities as sedentary then pretty much anything like washing the car, mowing the lawn, shopping should be logged (bearing in mind you're probably overestimating calorie burns, and no, I don't trust HRMs). However if you register your activity level as very active, then I wouldn't include anything even exercise unless it's a marathon or a 3 peaks challenge.

I think MFP's lifestyle settings describes each level well enough to understand what the developer was thinking at the time:
Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

So if you're on your *kitten* all day and set your lifestyle to "Active" then you're only cheating yourself if you start logging exercise.

michellekicks

I only log planned activity, but my lifestyle factor is set to very active so it includes all the housework, running around after my kids etc. Most people aren't actually sedentary. So if you chose sedentary, feel free to log everything. If you're still losing weight that way, cool!

SoDamnHungry

Dishes seem like a daily thing for me, so it's weird when people log it. However, sweat isn't important. If I go for a three mile walk, then that's logged, even if I didn't sweat during it.

sevsmom

If I were to log "cleaning" (which I haven't) you can believe it was some serious stinking cleaning! And with adult children moving out and leaving their filthy junk for me to pack up and clean up, I'd say I get some credit for that. And, chasing a 6 year old boy around and cleaning up after him should count for something too!!

But, I only log my activity when it is dedicated as exercise for the day. I may go on a 4 mile hike with the hubby and not break a sweat, but I'll claim the 300 or so calories.

bcattoes

It depends. If you are set at sedentary and you do something out of the ordinary like clean out the garage or whole house spring cleaning, then I would think you should log it. Even though you may or may not sweat, you would definitely be burning more calories than an average sedentary day.

Heck, I could walk several miles without sweating if the weather was cool and I'd sure log that.

ahviendha

i log anything that's not TMI (hubba hubba) & not my regular daily exercise.

so while i lift lots of boxes at work and run up and down stairs, i don't log that because that's a typical day.

forcing my *kitten* out of bed at 7am to walk my dog for 1/2 an hour, i count that.

basically i don't agree to only count something that makes you sweat. sometimes when i weight lift i don't sweat, but i feel the exertion and know i'm working my muscles.