Stay at home mom activities burn calories?

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baronmel
baronmel Posts: 15 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was just looking over the excercise database and was surprised to see that every day activities like cleaning, cooking, and food shopping are listed I do these things almost every day, should I be logging them in? Does anyone else?

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  • jennmodugno
    jennmodugno Posts: 363 Member
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    Well, that depends. Did you set yourself as "sedentary"? If you did, then yes. If you set yourself as "lightly active" then probably no, unless it was unusually hard. Honestly, if you're eating your BMR + a small amount, usually 50-100, you're probably fine as long as chores are normal for you. If you know your TDEE, and had calculated chores into it, then no, you definitely wouldn't add them in as extra.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    I wouldn't. If you do these things daily I would just change yourself to be 'lightly active'. If you workout say another 3-5 times a week I'd change yourself to 'moderately active'.
  • mammacoty
    mammacoty Posts: 45 Member
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    i have myself down as moderately active, since I'm almost always on my feet doing something. I only log cleaning when I'm doing something big, cleaning out the basement, or mopping all the floors. Dishes, dusting, sweeping I just don't feel as if they should count as a workout
  • ValerieMomof2
    ValerieMomof2 Posts: 530 Member
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    Ditto what they have said. It's everyday activities that you should include in your activity setting. The only time I log cleaning is when it's hours and hours of cleaning when the kids are out of the house
  • SallyAnnNorton
    SallyAnnNorton Posts: 30 Member
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    I am very inactive, i do not log everyday cleaning as exercise, i do however log if i really work hard like cleaning windows or heavy gardening, anything that works up a sweat. I only count food prep if i am on my feet for more than half an hour.
  • makieo
    makieo Posts: 16
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    My wife ran into this problem and started think she had "extra calories" so ate more which in turn made her start to miss her goals. It took a little work to find what to count as exercise and whats already being counted. My suggestion is if in doubt don't count it. It would be better to have done the exercise and not count it than to give yourself false hope. Any besides think of it as bonus points.
  • wanttolose40lbs
    wanttolose40lbs Posts: 239 Member
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    I only count aerobics or weight lifting, I never count anything else.

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