Should we log all "exercises"?

woahitsangie
woahitsangie Posts: 139 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What i mean by this is, if im taking a 10 minute brisk walk to the mailbox I should count that as exercise right? If I do 2 hours of constant house cleaning, I should count that time as well. What are your thoughts on this? Am I just hurting myself logging all of these small exercise calories?
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Replies

  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    Those little things are certainly better than sitting on your bum all day. I say log them if you find that more motivating. But personally, I don't bother logging non-strenuous activities. For example, 1 hour of snow shoveling might get logged, but 1 hour of vacuuming wouldn't. I may ask myself: am I breathing hard? am I breaking a sweat? Could I do this allllll day and repeat the next day, or is it too strenuous for that?
  • trickettmomma
    trickettmomma Posts: 14
    I usually log the ones where I break a sweat, or at least feel my heart rate rise a bit. Esp if it's not something normal for me. HTH
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
    Unless you were completely bedridden before there is really no need to log everyday activities. If its something that takes an extra effort and makes you sweat log it and see what works for your weight lose goal
  • JeanneJeanne
    JeanneJeanne Posts: 11 Member
    I have an idea. It's very satisfying to log exercise and seeing it on the screen really is a positive reinforcement. Perhaps keep logging the little things, but don't eat the calories gained...this would ensure that you continue to give yourself the positive reinforcement of eating under your calorie allotment until your deliberate exercise level increases to the point that you don't 'need' to log the little things to feel good.
  • natalovesmusic
    natalovesmusic Posts: 49 Member
    I only log my cardio. I don't even record my strength training or core exercises. If I do anything besides my cardio in the day I think of it as icing on the cake but I've seen others log when they clean the house. If you want to, you can; a benefit can be to see how many calories you're really burning with these little activities.
  • stines72
    stines72 Posts: 853 Member
    why is your mailbox 10 minutes away?!

    I only log my cardio. I don't even record my strength training or core exercises. If I do anything besides my cardio in the day I think of it as icing on the cake but I've seen others log when they clean the house. If you want to, you can; a benefit can be to see how many calories you're really burning with these little activities.
    i only record my strength training so i know which days ive done them so i dont overdo it
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Were you losing weight by doing these things before? If it motivates you to log them then do so but I certainly wouldn't be eating those calories.
  • ChristineMarie89
    ChristineMarie89 Posts: 1,079 Member
    up your activity level to lightly active. . .i clean AT LEAST 2 hours a day but instead of logging it i just upped my activity level and if i burn more than that than woo lol
  • woahitsangie
    woahitsangie Posts: 139 Member
    why is your mailbox 10 minutes away?!


    I live in apartment complex, and its on the other side of the facility! Big apartment complex...lol
  • woahitsangie
    woahitsangie Posts: 139 Member
    I never eat back my exercise calories, and I have seen a loss lately with what Ive been doing. But, wanted to see everyones thoughts on it.

    8 weeks in and down 17 lbs.
  • Jayme34
    Jayme34 Posts: 160 Member
    I log only the exercises i do.I dont understand why people log shopping, painting, bathing the dog , sweeping the floor as exercise!!! I do those as part of my everyday life not as exercise.
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
    I only log "intentional" exercise.
    So, even if I'm cleaning house for an hour and I break a sweat I don't consider that exercise.
  • woahitsangie
    woahitsangie Posts: 139 Member
    I log only the exercises i do.I dont understand why people log shopping, painting, bathing the dog , sweeping the floor as exercise!!! I do those as part of my everyday life not as exercise.

    But, youre burning calories doing those things. Why not log them? I understand what youre saying. Just seeing what people had to say on the subject. FOR ME, its very motivational. But, wanted to hear other oppinions as well :)
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Did you walk to the mailbox briskly before you started exercising? If the answer is yes, then don't log it.

    Did you clean house before you started exercising? If the answer is yes, don't log it.

    Stuff that you did before you started on this journey, is part of your lifestyle.. and not exercise.

    Exercise is something purposeful, that you do on top of your daily routine. To me, walking to the mailbox and cleaning are things I'd be doing anyway, so why log them?
  • margojr4
    margojr4 Posts: 259 Member
    I log only the exercises i do.I dont understand why people log shopping, painting, bathing the dog , sweeping the floor as exercise!!! I do those as part of my everyday life not as exercise.

    exactly, these are daily activities. even walking my dog is included.

    now when I schedule an hour in the gym? then I will log calories burned
  • GlutesthatSalute
    GlutesthatSalute Posts: 460 Member
    I don't log anything that I don't put on exercise clothes to do.. I figure some days I do more erroneous tasks than other so it all evens out.. Now if u wanted to do a few sets of wind sprint intervals on your 10 min walk I would count those:flowerforyou:
  • courtleemens
    courtleemens Posts: 14
    I used to log all my cleaning because until after I had a baby I never really had a weight issue. But now if I am mopping the floors and break a sweat I will log that in , but other than that I wont. I do log my walks if I am pushing my stroller ( i have a hilly road to walk on so that helps burn more) or I take my dog because he may be little but he runs the whole time lol

    I love this WII game and I dont know if you can find it as its almost 4 yrs old now but its call Your Shape with Jenny McCarty as the host, it has a camera that helps to log your movements with a workout so you know if you are performing correctly ect. and it helps keep track of your effort by scoring you 1-100% and in turn gives you an estimate of how many calories you burn durning a workout. most of them only take 15-30 minutes and its alot of cardio which has helped me a lot!
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    I use a BodyMedia, so I just log all the calories I burn beyond the base MFP sets for me to get my TDEE for the day. (I'm on maintenance) I used to do it manually, but now MFP and BodyMedia sync automatically.

    So, yes... I suppose I do log every single activity I do as 'exercise'.

    It works for me. I lost the weight I wanted to lose easily (and then some) and have been successfully maintaining since June. :smile:
  • ShaniWulffe
    ShaniWulffe Posts: 458 Member
    I log things like walking around from class to class on campus because my bag weighs a good 30lbs (on an easy day!) and I walk around 20 minutes per day carrying that... But I think it's mostly a personal thing. Log what *you* think you should
  • MrDelts
    MrDelts Posts: 209 Member
    You should never log basic things like cleaning and walking.. Those things are not exercise.. If it were, everyone with a cleaning job would be super fit.. lol.. you get the point.

    I understand logging these activities might seem motivating, but it is a bit of false motivation. Going for a run, strength training, jumping rope, playing basketball.. Logging those activities would probably motivate you more.
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member
    I walk 5-6 miles a day at work and don't log it. I'm with the intentional exercise group on this. Now if you take a detour and take a 20 minute walk while you're picking up mail then I would count it.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    I log anything cardio wise over 20 minutes Im usually dripping in sweat by then :)
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    You should never log basic things like cleaning and walking.. Those things are not exercise.. If it were, everyone with a cleaning job would be super fit.. lol.. you get the point.

    I understand logging these activities might seem motivating, but it is a bit of false motivation. Going for a run, strength training, jumping rope, playing basketball.. Logging those activities would probably motivate you more.

    Walking? So if I walked an hour it's not classed as exercise? Please!
  • chubbygirl253
    chubbygirl253 Posts: 1,309 Member
    I think you should log anything that is above or beyond your regular activity level. MFP assigned your calorie goal based on whether you are active or sedentary, etc. So a workout would be beyond that. I would think trips to the mailbox, walking across a parking lot, or regular housekeeping are included in your daily activity. 3 hour shopping trips, deep cleaning (not just doing the dishes), etc would be above that so I think its fine to log that. Everyone is different but that's how I roll.
  • Michellerawrrr
    Michellerawrrr Posts: 310 Member
    Think of it this way ~ what activities raise your heart rate for a solid 20 + minutes?? Walking to the mailbox probably doesn't fit into that category! It's common sense!
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    You should never log basic things like cleaning and walking.. Those things are not exercise..

    Soooo... you're saying I should not count the 6-9 miles of walking I do every day? :laugh:
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Think of it this way ~ what activities raise your heart rate for a solid 20 + minutes?? Walking to the mailbox probably doesn't fit into that category! It's common sense!

    This. If you didn't do something that kept your heart rate significantly elevated for 20 minutes you probably didn't burn an amount of calories that will make any difference. It always amazes me because people with a weight issue always seem to be searching for justification for their eating habits. Do you think those people that we think of as "naturally thin" spend all day wondering if they should eat an extra 100 calories because they made it to the mailbox?
  • miriamwithcats
    miriamwithcats Posts: 1,120 Member
    I have a depressive disorder. Some days, when the depression is really bad, I sit all day (reading). Other days, when I am doing better, I can be extremely active (like painting all day) so it is very hard to set an activity level to take that in to account. So I set my activity level as sedentary, and then on the good days I log what I do. You are burning calories with ANY activity. And the most recent research shows that it helps your heart even if it is in small increments and not making you break a sweat. It is reinforcing to see how making myself do little things can improve my health. So I log it all. BUT MY ACTIVITY LEVEL IS SET AT SEDENTARY. That makes all the difference. IF I set it at active, I would be cheating myself, since the activity level already accounts for those calories burned.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    If you find yourself wondering about this often, maybe you should change your activity level (I'm assuming you're at sedentary). I was "sedentary" for a while but kept wondering if I should log walking across campus for class, etc. I eventually upped my activity level to "lightly active" and I feel great about it. I don't think anyone is TRULY sedentary - it would mean sitting on your butt all day, every day, which hardly any of us do. We clean, run errands, walk to class or work, etc.

    Otherwise my advice would be that you've obviously lost weight so far, so just keep doing whatever has been working for you!
  • fanakar
    fanakar Posts: 23
    I only log that stuff if it is an out of the ordinary thing for me to do. For example say you are a nurse and you are walking the floors of a hospital all day. Even though you walked alot, you should have set your baseline activity level in the log to reflect that you did this everyday. Now say you just got hired somewhere and you had to walk a couple city blocks to go through the security processing and paperwork and that is not something you are going to do everyday. Then that counts as calories burned above your baseline activity level, so I would count them.

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