Counting job towards exercise?

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nbeth901
nbeth901 Posts: 35 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone! I have been wondering if I can count what I do towards exercise. I clean houses 40 hours a week, LOTS of bending, moving things, walking up and down stairs.

I want to get more fit than I am, but was wondering if I can count this towards my overall finess plan.

THANKS!!:smile:

Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    No. You can up your activity level if you think it's nessecary, but logging work will have you eating 1500-3000 calories over every day.
  • gooiyw
    gooiyw Posts: 114 Member
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    I don't see why not. Some people even log their walks to and from lunch from their offices. Haha. :blushing:
  • Anyaaaa11
    Anyaaaa11 Posts: 242 Member
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    I'm going to have to say the opposite of the above poster.

    Only because I just started working a normal 8 hour day last week where I am constantly standing and moving around. The 2 previous weeks my weight was at a standstill which is fine cause I'm trying to lose slowly. ^no more than a pound a week. Well I listened to the people on here that said don't log and include it in activity level.. But the activity level has always been inaccurate for me. The point is... I lost too much and risked lowering my intake/metabolism because I had not eaten back my "work" calories. Over a 2+ pound loss (in 6 days) on an already healthy frame is not good in mind.

    Even you should eat back some or majority of what you log. Unless of course you have a lot to lose, then your probably fine(:
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I personally find the MFP "cleaning" calories to be a joke. Wear a HRM and use that to check how many calories you're actually burning.

    Plus, I assume if you're on MFP to lose weight, something wasn't working before (and you were still doing the job, I'm guessing). Underestimate your burned calories, try to do actual strength training/cardio outside of work (if you can), and extra monitor the food.

    I can't tell you how many people I've seen complain about the struggle it is to lose weight, but they'll eat 1800-2500 calories while burning an exorbitant amount from 60 minutes of "light cleaning" or "packing boxes."
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    There are two possible approaches here:

    1. Set your activity level to what you commonly do and do not count regular activities toward your exercise total... it is already factored in. I would do this if your activity level is relatively consistent from day to day; saves a lot of daily logging... Then you would add your EXTRA exercise.

    2. Set your activity level to SEDENTARY and log everything you do beyond eating and breathing. I would only do this if your activity level varies greatly from day to day.. IE, sometimes in the field doing manual labor and other days sitting at a desk all day doing paperwork.

    3. Actually there is a third possibility and that is assume you are SEDENTARY (even when you are moderately active) and don't log that as activity either... Then that is a bonus deficit that lets you lose at a little faster rate (as long as your deficit is not too high)... -- there are those who would absolutely cringe at this suggestion but it could be an option

    BOTTOM LINE: If what you are doing is getting the results you want, continue to do it; otherwise, change something.

    Hope this helps; best wishes on your fitness goals.
  • nbeth901
    nbeth901 Posts: 35 Member
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    No. You can up your activity level if you think it's nessecary, but logging work will have you eating 1500-3000 calories over every day.


    Oh I see. Thank you..
  • nbeth901
    nbeth901 Posts: 35 Member
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    There are two possible approaches here:

    1. Set your activity level to what you commonly do and do not count regular activities toward your exercise total... it is already factored in. I would do this if your activity level is relatively consistent from day to day; saves a lot of daily logging... Then you would add your EXTRA exercise.

    2. Set your activity level to SEDENTARY and log everything you do beyond eating and breathing. I would only do this if your activity level varies greatly from day to day.. IE, sometimes in the field doing manual labor and other days sitting at a desk all day doing paperwork.

    3. Actually there is a third possibility and that is assume you are SEDENTARY (even when you are moderately active) and don't log that as activity either... Then that is a bonus deficit that lets you lose at a little faster rate (as long as your deficit is not too high)... -- there are those who would absolutely cringe at this suggestion but it could be an option

    BOTTOM LINE: If what you are doing is getting the results you want, continue to do it; otherwise, change something.

    Hope this helps; best wishes on your fitness goals.

    Very detailed! Just the info I needed! Thanks
  • seximami79
    seximami79 Posts: 156 Member
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    I only track what I actively pursue as exercise because otherwise, everything we do would count...do I clean, have sex, play with my kids, etc? Yes, but I figure that that is an added bonus. To each his own though!
  • melissaw78
    melissaw78 Posts: 214 Member
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    I only track what I actively pursue as exercise because otherwise, everything we do would count...do I clean, have sex, play with my kids, etc? Yes, but I figure that that is an added bonus. To each his own though!

    Agree!
    I also only track my true workouts, not any daily activity.
  • p0kers0ph
    p0kers0ph Posts: 251 Member
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    I've just changed to just tracking 'proper' intentional workouts, not my daily walk to work, shopping etc... I think I was probably eating too much. I use a hrm, but these activities are day to day kinda stuff, like someone said earlier, you were doing these things before the weight loss.
  • donna_glasgow
    donna_glasgow Posts: 869 Member
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    I would say it depends on how you log your lifestyle, if you log it as very active then it means your active day is already taken into account ... so if you want to log your work time then set your lifestyle as sedentary.
  • Nikid1926
    Nikid1926 Posts: 17 Member
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    My job can vary day to day, either sat behind a desk all day or walking up and down a 50 metre swimming pool for the day, so I have my activity set a sedintary and only log actual exercise done eg going for a walk at night, going the gym or using my exercise bike.

    :)
  • Off10h8ed
    Off10h8ed Posts: 282 Member
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    I have my lifestyle set at "sedentary". I work 2-3 days a week generally in which time I spend 8 hours packing/lifting/stacking boxes that range anywhere from 6-15 pounds. On my work days, I enter one hour of light aerobics for my eight hours worked. I am sure I am burning over that but I don't want to eat more than what I should be so I low ball it. When I was working and not eating the extra calories I felt nauseous and just plain off. This has seemed to help me feel better on the days I do work.
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
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    I normally log things that are out of my daily routine...I probably wouldn't log the calories burned at work because your body is probably already used to the energy that it takes to do your job. But anytime you do anything physical that is not in your normal routine (extra walk, weightlifting, etc) I would log that.

    I guess my point is that if you do something to further your health and such, log it. If its something you have already been doing, its not going to make a difference logging it, chances are it will just skew your numbers, resulting in you thinking you can eat more calories and setting you back.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    No. You can up your activity level if you think it's nessecary, but logging work will have you eating 1500-3000 calories over every day.

    this. only exercise should be counted as exercise.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
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    I don't count calories burned during regular activities. I am very active on my job but my body is used to it. I only count the calorie burned while doing actual exercising.

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