Logging 'food preparation?' /rant

momwhosbusy

As someone who has logged "food prep" as exercise I would like to take a quick min to respond. I don't log it regularly, only on the days I have a huge dinner to cater for 100+ people. Let me tell ya, this is HARD work as its usually just my mom and me doing ALL the prep, service, and clean up for these events that take most of a day, if not 2 days of work. (I know that this isn't what you're alluding to but maybe others are doing this as well?)

I know that some people will log their regular meal prep, but hey, like others have said, who cares its their diary and ultimately they're only hurting themselves!

lauren3101

*sigh*

Does this mean I should stop logging my toilet visits as a squat? :grumble:

chez_b

Honestly...why does it bother you what they do? Its not hurting you. It doesn't effect you at all. Just ignore it and do what works for you.

This.

There could be any number of perfectly good reasons why a person would do this. And why would it be any different to log exercise for the same reason many of us start logging food - to make our starting point concrete in terms of the amount we actually eat and the amount we actually exercise so that we can set realistic and specific goals for improvement. How many of us thought we "ate well" until we started logging every ounce and bite? And how many thought they were "fairly active" until they started logging that as well?

1stday13

Haven't seen that - pretty funny...

Maybe it was something super intense, like butchering a camel.

Or grinding sausage meat by hand.

Or squeezing a tonne of oranges by hand.

Or pulping grapes for wine by stamping on them.

Or kneading a massive amount of dough for one hour.

Or...ok, I'm just getting carried away now. I don't actually think it was any of those things, but it was fun to think about what would be worth logging.

you eat camel?

I don't eat camel, but I drive by a camel butcher every day on the way to work.

I'm a pescetarian, and one of the reasons is the cute baby camels out the front of the shop every morning, and the heads/necks on display every evening...

Kidding Right?????? eewwwooo :noway:
I really try not to look at others exercise journals too often. I am obese (100+ to lose) I have not started an exercise regimen yet .Hence I do not log anything I figure its just a plus when I vacuum, scrub floor, Paint a room, etc, etc. Just part of my regular life. Go ahead & rant !! Love a good rant. :drinker: Disappointed there wasn't more comical answers though :sad:

1stday13

*sigh*

Does this mean I should stop logging my toilet visits as a squat? :grumble:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

HopefulLeigh

I do wonder how many calories beating a dead horse has netted you.

sheclimber

I have to agree with the poster. I do think that people who log these things are cheating themselves and as they get closer to the goal it's just going to make the wake up call that much harder.

But seeing these responses raises a question for me with regard to Sedentary. I have a desk job so that is my setting. But I, like I think most everyone with a desk job still has to get up out of there desk and go to the store, pick up their house, cook their dinner (or walk to the car to go to the drive-thru, if that's where they are in their journey). The setting is based on who you spend approximately 8 hours of your day. The setting isn't "Immoble" or "Comotose". People are still leading lives, have family/friends, and functioning members of society. So is the conscensus that Sedentary implies that you don't move all day??

Personally, I don't log anything that isn't exercise. ie I put on different clothes meant for sweating and moving. I understand if you're catering for a large group (unless that's your normal job which then should be reflected in your base setting), or you are doing heavy-duty cleaning on the rare occasion. But I like to think of those things as a bonus, which will be a nice surprise on the scale. I don't say anything negative to those who do, but I have to wonder when it will come to bite them in the butt.

trb85

Personally I don't log anything that I would have done when I was getting fatter - it did not stop me from getting fat - so why on earth would it now help me get thin!!

Yep, pretty much.

MrsSWW

Well I'm sure all your friends who log 'food preparation' will read this and remove you from their friends list, there's your problem solved! (I say YOUR problem as I don't think it's a problem for them as long as they're still losing, provided that is their aim )

Fedup23

I would guess that many of these people who are, in your opinion, doing it wrong have lost more weight than you.. so do what YOU do and carry on with your day.

da_bears10089

i will admit right away i was all about wearing my HRM for EVERYTHING, because i was going to burn sooooo many calories, and i wanted people to see how many calories i was burning. now, i wear my HRM for my workouts, but i don't even log those calories anymore. I do have a fitbit to set up goals for just moving around more during the day between steps taken and floors climbed. it will do calorie adjustments in my diary, but i don't eat those back.

rml_16

Personally I don't log anything that I would have done when I was getting fatter - it did not stop me from getting fat - so why on earth would it now help me get thin!!

Yep, pretty much.

I went running nearly every day while gaining 25 pounds over three years. Therefore, no one is aloiwed to log running as exercise.

curejenn

I only ever log my true exercise as exercise. Running around with my 2 year old at the park for an hour a day is something I did before I started MFP, as was cleaning the house, as was going out with my daughter to ride her bike for another hour in the afternoon. Now, if I put my walking shoes on and take the dog for a walk for an hour at top speed, I definitely log that. But everyday activities that I have always done, I don't log. I want that exercise spot to be keeping track of true exercise efforts. Not just adding up daily things to get to my goal number.

Mokey41

If they have their activity levels set at sedentary then everything they do above and beyond sitting IS exercise. Also if they are extremely over weight walking up the stairs for 2 mins could well be a great achievement for them. Cooking a huge meal/kneading dough etc is hard work!

This is a misconception that gets pushed around here a lot. Sedentary doesn't mean you do nothing but sit all day. It's referring to your work day being something like a desk job. It still includes the fact that you "live" during the day.

Example: Sleeping - 8 hours
Personal care (dressing, showering) - 1 hour
Eating - 1 hour
Cooking - 1 hour
Sitting (office work, selling produce, tending shop) - 8 hours
Driving car to/from work - 1 hour
General household work - 1 hour
Light leisure activities (watching TV, chatting) - 3 hours

Sedentary is not laying in bed all day, that's closer to just your BMR so if you're doing those things above they definitely don't get counted as exercise.

vim_n_vigor

Hey, so as I warned this is a rant... I want your opinions on this.

I have seen people logging food preparation, washing dishes, even 2mins walking up stairs. Is this getting a bit ridiculous? I see those everyday actions as being part of my net personally.

Should I log it every time I use the bathroom? And add extra calories if it's a little more difficult than usual? Like seriously people, be realistic... unless you are doing a strenuous amount of housework I don't see why this should be logged. But do prove me wrong, please, I'd like to giggle at the reasoning.

Cheers,

A grumpy Aussie

Not really yours to judge unless someone comes to asking why it isn't working. You never know what they really did to burn those calories either. You don't know where someone is starting either. Someone 400 pounds that is sedentary can get a heck of a workout from 2 minutes of stairs, and could even be very sore the next day. Worry about you.

sheclimber

This is a misconception that gets pushed around here a lot. Sedentary doesn't mean you do nothing but sit all day. It's referring to your work day being something like a desk job. It still includes the fact that you "live" during the day.

Sedentary is not laying in bed all day, that's closer to just your BMR so if you're doing those things above they definitely don't get counted as exercise.

Thank you, I was begining to think it was just me.

vim_n_vigor

This is a misconception that gets pushed around here a lot. Sedentary doesn't mean you do nothing but sit all day. It's referring to your work day being something like a desk job. It still includes the fact that you "live" during the day.

Sedentary is not laying in bed all day, that's closer to just your BMR so if you're doing those things above they definitely don't get counted as exercise.

Thank you, I was begining to think it was just me.

My BMR calculates at over 1700, but MFP has no problem setting me at 1200 calories if I put in a sedentary setting. By that reason, if I were to set myself to 1200 calories, would I then need to add each trip to the bathroom to make sure I get a decent amount of calories for the day?

LoosingMyLast15

i'm going to log hitting the snooze button 3 times. hey i had to raise my arm to do this. it must be exercise

raynavee

I've logged cleaning before. You try breaking down a tree for over an hour at a time. This was not something I do on a daily basis, but occording to your reasoning, " cleaning" isn't exercise. Have you ever been over 300lbs? Do you know how hard it is for some people to do certain activities that you deem as "daily"? No. Why don't you just delete them? If they are losing their weight, what's it to you how they exercise? I don't consider my job, that consists of standing/walking for 8+ hours at a time and lifting 50+ lbs of weight exercise, but another person might log that they walked for 20 minutes. By your logic, this isn't exercise because I do it on a daily basis. Someone that works on a farm bails hay on a daily basis, and yet someone else might find it an exercise to help a friend do the same thing, because their body isn't accustomed to it. Also, I must state that Sedentary means that you take less than 6000 steps a day. It doesn't mean only your work life! That is just an example used by MFP, because most peo ple in the US only get physical activity in at work.

dobenjam

Hey, so as I warned this is a rant... I want your opinions on this.

I have seen people logging food preparation, washing dishes, even 2mins walking up stairs. Is this getting a bit ridiculous? I see those everyday actions as being part of my net personally.

Should I log it every time I use the bathroom? And add extra calories if it's a little more difficult than usual? Like seriously people, be realistic... unless you are doing a strenuous amount of housework I don't see why this should be logged. But do prove me wrong, please, I'd like to giggle at the reasoning.

Cheers,

A grumpy Aussie

I think this goes to a point I made on another thread a few min ago. I think most people feel sedentary means they don't do anything at all and feel the need to log every little thing as an activity. It doesn't bother me because what someone else does to better themselves is their business and I cheer them on instead of chastising them for not knowing.

Lets be a little more supportive of people making their life changes. Really, to spend the time to comment about how someone else "has too much time on their hands" by logging such things really shows how much time that person has. I think we all can focus a little more on building up each other who are trying to make these life changes instead of making fun of them if we feel they aren't doing it correctly.

dovetail22uk

I've logged cleaning before. You try breaking down a tree for over an hour at a time. This was not something I do on a daily basis, but occording to your reasoning, " cleaning" isn't exercise. Have you ever been over 300lbs? Do you know how hard it is for some people to do certain activities that you deem as "daily"? No. Why don't you just delete them? If they are losing their weight, what's it to you how they exercise? I don't consider my job, that consists of standing/walking for 8+ hours at a time and lifting 50+ lbs of weight exercise, but another person might log that they walked for 20 minutes. By your logic, this isn't exercise because I do it on a daily basis. Someone that works on a farm bails hay on a daily basis, and yet someone else might find it an exercise to help a friend do the same thing, because their body isn't accustomed to it. Also, I must state that Sedentary means that you take less than 6000 steps a day. It doesn't mean only your work life! That is just an example used by MFP, because most peo ple in the US only get physical activity in at work.

Say what? Breaking down as tree is cleaning?! You have a tree in your house?

I think what the OP (and many many others) have been trying to say is that you got fat when you did cleaning, continuing to do cleaning is not what is going to make you lose weight.

I think some people just need to get real and I, for one, am not going to cheerlead when they are setting themselves up for failure (raynavee - this last bit is not actually directed at you!)

DonnaBee2013

I'm fairly new here, but I have to say I'm disappointed with some of the harsh, judgmental things being said about people when you don't know their circumstances, their health or medical issues, or anything else about them, for that matter.

I personally don't log anything I do throughout the day because I was doing these things when I gained the weight, but that doesn't mean it's the same scenario for someone else. Perhaps that person didn't (or couldn't) clean, cook, walk upstairs, do laundry, or whatever else you're complaining about them logging.

These people need support. They don't need to be mocked or made fun of.

I find this whole thread pathetic and pointless.

Timshel_

If they have their activity levels set at sedentary then everything they do above and beyond sitting IS exercise.

Yup. Since BMR is calories for survival, anything above that is spent energy and could be logged for anyone interested.

I generally only log movement like walking or exercise that takes time.

Just peronsal preference.

Deep breath and let it go.

stumblinthrulife

Some people have vastly variable activity levels from day to day. To account for that, they set MFP at 'sedentary', and then log everything they do. It's just another way of figuring out your TDEE, and learning how much you can eat based on how much you do. That's why I did it when I first started, and it taught me a lot. Now I don't need to anymore.

Everyone starts at different levels of self-awareness, and not everyone can hit the right calories for their activity straight away without having them laid out for them.

DeeVanderbles

I don't think general, every day food prep should be logged, but to each their own. Unless you're not the one in your home who usually cooks, in which case it would be a bit abnormal and may be okay to log. However, when I was standing on my feet for 12 hours over the course of two days baking Christmas cookies...I did log that as food prep. Talk about sore.

Trilby16

Hey, so as I warned this is a rant... I want your opinions on this.

I have seen people logging food preparation, washing dishes, even 2mins walking up stairs. Is this getting a bit ridiculous? I see those everyday actions as being part of my net personally.

Should I log it every time I use the bathroom? And add extra calories if it's a little more difficult than usual? Like seriously people, be realistic... unless you are doing a strenuous amount of housework I don't see why this should be logged. But do prove me wrong, please, I'd like to giggle at the reasoning.

Cheers,

A grumpy Aussie

My, you are grumpy. Why so grumpy? Live and let live. It's easier on your psyche.

dowesney

Not sure why it bothers you. But it is people like you that keep me convinced to keep my diary private. As far as WHY some do it....

I log food preparation if it is something out of the ordinary that takes extra time. For instance, in preparing for a big meal may involve me pacing around the kitchen for 20 minutes, lifting heavy pans, squatting to put things away. I am in constant motion. These types of big meals are not my 'norm' and they do burn extra calories to prepare.

I log cleaning if it is a non-stop session of 30 minutes or more. This again involves me being in constant motion and usually with dozens of trips up and down stairs to put things away. It is a workout in itself. Again, this is not a regular occurrence in my sedentary desk-job life, so I log the calories burned.

Since I struggle with getting enough calories each day, it's important to log anything that is above the norm so I can up my intake. Since it is working for me, I am not going to change my habits just because it annoys some posters here.

bookworm_847

I've logged food prep a couple of times when I didn't know WTH I was doing so I was running back and forth in the kitchen and between various pots because I didn't have the sense to plan before I got started with a new and somewhat complicated recipe.

Generally though I don't log normal daily activities. However, if I do super heavy cleaning, or if I go do a lot of hard work in the yard I will sometimes log that.

DaveHuby

Haven't seen that - pretty funny...

Maybe it was something super intense, like butchering a camel.

Or grinding sausage meat by hand.

Or squeezing a tonne of oranges by hand.

Or pulping grapes for wine by stamping on them.

Or kneading a massive amount of dough for one hour.

Or...ok, I'm just getting carried away now. I don't actually think it was any of those things, but it was fun to think about what would be worth logging.

you eat camel?

I would eat camel

Chances are you have if you live in UK and eat processed meals!

Mokey41

If they have their activity levels set at sedentary then everything they do above and beyond sitting IS exercise.

Yup. Since BMR is calories for survival, anything above that is spent energy and could be logged for anyone interested.

Once again, no. Sedentary and BMR are two different things.