Cleaning Calories?!?

13

Replies

  • I only log an actual workout session.

    That said, hard cleaning is one of those things that I don't log but if I'm still hungry at the end of the day, I don't feel guilty having an extra sandwich or snack. Like a casual walk through the park or playing with the kids outside.

    Your profile pic makes me want bacon.... :S
  • If you can log cleaning, why can't you log sex?
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Am I the only one who gets totally annoyed with people logging cleaning as an exercise? I'm turning into a bit of a cowbag about it and deleted people off my friends list because seeing it genuinely miffs me off.

    I mean seriously - logging over 600 calories for light cleaning? Seriously? Come on - tell me i am not being unreasonable thinking it's a cop out?

    No, you're not the only one who gets annoyed seeing cleaning and I'm not the one who gets annoyed at reading the same topic posted several times a week, obviously it would take too much energy for you to use the search function?

    I don't log cleaning as exercise but if I did WTF would it have to do with you?
  • As a stay at home mom, I do log cleaning, not for the extra calories. I stay under calories all the time. The point is, a stay at mom is hard work. I don't just sit on my butt, you are constantly on the go when you have a little kid. I may make 4 trips up and down the stairs carring laundry, picking up toy, vacuuming, picking up the kids ect.

    Do I think some people abuse it yes, but to each their own. Who are they really hurting but themselves. But not all people abuse adding cleaning to their exercise.

    If someone is way over weight, cleaning can be a VERY big chore for them. When you are obese, you have a lot more weight to move around, to do every day cleaning. So if someone is that over weight and they are getting off the couch or chair and bending, going up and down stairs, and walking in general. I am happy for them. Every bit counts. As long as they are not abusing it to get more calories so they can eat me.

    And no I am not over weight.

    Even though it may bug you that your friends are adding cleaning for their exerices. Before you judge someone else get to know them first or walk a mile in their shoes.
  • helengetshealthy
    helengetshealthy Posts: 171 Member
    Some people do... they log it as "Walking the dog, 3.0mph" hahah!
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Maybe they log it to make themselves feel better since they actually didn't work out like at a gym. Those people won't last long if that's the case.

    I've been here 435 days, lost 88lb and don't go to the gym. Obviously I won't last long here :noway: :angry:
  • MBNagel74
    MBNagel74 Posts: 444 Member
    Maybe they log it to make themselves feel better since they actually didn't work out like at a gym. Those people won't last long if that's the case.

    I disagree.

    Those who were completely sedentary benefit from any kind of activity; they just need to learn to increase that activity if wanting to be successful.

    Now, just because some of us cannot get to the gym (or cannot do so financially) or have exercise equipment in our homes does not mean we won't last. It means we need to find other ways to get our activity in.

    And just because I log my house cleaning does not mean I'm eating back those calories. I'm doing it to see what I've done, and it does motivate me to do more. It's a tool - just as this site is. Make of it as you will...

    Edit to add: Being aware of what I do or don't do has helped me lose 19 LBS thus far...
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    Well sorry, but my baseline is sedentary, so if I do anything that keeps my whole body moving for more than 15 minutes, I log it. (I don't log doing dishes, though, since I basically stand in one place.)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    If you can log cleaning, why can't you log sex?

    If you could my friends' list would hate me, and probably be a little uncomfortable. :laugh: Plus I doubt my husband would appreciate my timing the festivities so I'd know how to log it.
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I don't get annoyed at all, nor do I feel any less supportive of someone for doing so. Everyone has their own way of managing their individual plan. How activities are tracked is part of that. Why should it be subjected to my, or anyone else's, judgement?
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    I'm not sure why you care so much. It's my diary, not yours, and I can log it if I want to.

    This! I'm only able to clean-clean (like scrubbing the bathrooms and the floors and all that kind of clean) on Saturdays. When I'm doing serious cleaning and know I won't be able to get a workout in because we have other plans, I wear my HRM and I *gasp* log it, because you know what, it IS exercise! Did the peeps out on the prairie have a treadmill? NO! Those women cleaned!
  • mondesa
    mondesa Posts: 61 Member
    I don't normally log cleaning. However about 3-4 times a year i completely rip my whole house apart. Baseboards windows scrub floor clean out closets and everything else. That i will log because its hard work.

    If someone deleted me for that i say see ya! Because you dont know my life story but i don't care what other people log. For some its an effort to get out of bed so that may legitimately be there exercise
  • I'm sorry but I have to agree with most on here. Really, how we log our exercise is our own business, and frankly, if you don't like what someone else does on THEIR journey to succeed in weight loss and fitness, then feel free to get out of their space. I give kudos to all of us out here that are doing what we need to do to get healthy...:flowerforyou:
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    If i could estimate my calorie usage for picking my nose i would put it on there :P

    :laugh:

    For me, I log it if I do it for more than an hour or so, or if it's particularly intense (heavy lifting/carrying large amounts back and forth, etc). If it's just dusting, casual vacuuming, wiping/mopping, etc, I don't count that.

    Yeah, second poster, I totally thought while starting to read your comment that you were being sarcastic about logging nose-picking calories if you picked your nose for an hour or more...... It was quite entertaining LOL
  • b_stroke
    b_stroke Posts: 14 Member
    Must say, quite a few different views. And to the ones saying 'don't post on it' THATS WHAT A FORUM IS FOR...is it not?

    I was genuinely curious what other peoples views were, so thanks for answering. I don't actually get proper worked up over this, I use MFP for support and give support to people and expect it back. So I'm not gonna sit there chanting Way to Go on someones activity if it's cleaning. therefore I am not being supportive. Hence the delete.

    Honestly It dose bother me I think it is a cop out, cleaning to me is something that is done daily and should be part of a routine.
    If people want to log it then fine. but I personally think its just a way to get extra calories to eat more.
    My rule is if I didn't break a decent sweat I didn't exercise.
  • ravengirl1611
    ravengirl1611 Posts: 285 Member
    regular day to day tidying up I dont count or log or anything that is a normal part of my daily routine - anything outside of that yep I log it - when I put up all the christmas decorations - it got logged - I spent the better part of 12 hours digging all the boxes and totes out of the attic (18 trips up and down the stairs to get it all together downstairs), getting everything sorted and then staked down, hung up and so on - up and down ladders all day - however I didnt actually log 12 hours - what I do is take the actual real time I spent (12 hours) and cut it in half if it was a lot of carrying / ladder type stuff or cut it in 1/4 for lighter stuff (inside christmas decorating for example) so when I did the whole outside of the house that I logged as 3 hours - when I did the inside that was an hour - total 4 hours - same process for taking it all down.
  • missferoux
    missferoux Posts: 118 Member
    A bit surprised that a general question can get peoples backs up so hard - eeeeee by gum. People do get quite irate...however, had a few supportive emails, and friends requests, Seems I'm not the only one who thinks this.

    Still, I do agree with those who also say 'Whats it to do with me'. I never proclaimed it to be my business. Just can't help it annoying me. Just like the people who get rude because they have seen this posted before and tell you to use the search function then complain if you comment on an old thread....
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Am I the only one who gets totally annoyed with people logging cleaning as an exercise? I'm turning into a bit of a cowbag about it and deleted people off my friends list because seeing it genuinely miffs me off.

    I mean seriously - logging over 600 calories for light cleaning? Seriously? Come on - tell me i am not being unreasonable thinking it's a cop out?

    You're not the only one, as this subject comes up often. Consider yourself in a nice, cozy environment of other busybodies who worry way too much about how other people live their lives. :flowerforyou:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Exercise is anything a person does that is not a part of your regular routine. My own philosophy is to only count what i am actually doing to purposely exercise and not things i do for other purposes. I personally do not believe that cleaning should be considered an exercise. Unless of course it someone that never cleans. (I can see someone logging real deep, move the furniture around, kind of cleaning though.)

    The definition of exercise is "physical activity." If you run a mile every day, isn't that daily activity? But it's still exercise, right? THink about it.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I'm with you OP.

    You did this type of cleaning while you were fat and not trying to lose weight, right? If so, then it's a part of your routine/lifestyle, and should be counted as such.

    I believe that only purposeful exercise(IE workout DVD's, going to the gym, going on a run outside etc) should be counted.

    What about the people that got fat because they were too lazy to clean and are now making a conscious effort? That would count as "purposeful exercise."
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Maybe they log it to make themselves feel better since they actually didn't work out like at a gym. Those people won't last long if that's the case.

    I've been here 435 days, lost 88lb and don't go to the gym. Obviously I won't last long here :noway: :angry:

    :laugh:
  • spm2010
    spm2010 Posts: 197 Member
    As a stay at home mom, I do log cleaning, not for the extra calories. I stay under calories all the time. The point is, a stay at mom is hard work. I don't just sit on my butt, you are constantly on the go when you have a little kid. I may make 4 trips up and down the stairs carring laundry, picking up toy, vacuuming, picking up the kids ect.

    Do I think some people abuse it yes, but to each their own. Who are they really hurting but themselves. But not all people abuse adding cleaning to their exercise.

    If someone is way over weight, cleaning can be a VERY big chore for them. When you are obese, you have a lot more weight to move around, to do every day cleaning. So if someone is that over weight and they are getting off the couch or chair and bending, going up and down stairs, and walking in general. I am happy for them. Every bit counts. As long as they are not abusing it to get more calories so they can eat me.

    And no I am not over weight.

    Even though it may bug you that your friends are adding cleaning for their exerices. Before you judge someone else get to know them first or walk a mile in their shoes.

    I watch 5 toddlers during the day, so I am with you 100%
  • spm2010
    spm2010 Posts: 197 Member
    A bit surprised that a general question can get peoples backs up so hard - eeeeee by gum. People do get quite irate...however, had a few supportive emails, and friends requests, Seems I'm not the only one who thinks this.

    Still, I do agree with those who also say 'Whats it to do with me'. I never proclaimed it to be my business. Just can't help it annoying me. Just like the people who get rude because they have seen this posted before and tell you to use the search function then complain if you comment on an old thread....

    Well I cant help but be annoyed by people sitting behind their computers judging other lives, you got friend request good for you. Make sure they don't clean though, or you just wasted your time accepting. This kind of judgemental crap is on here weekly and people still don't learn to just leave it be. People aren't being rude because its an old post, they're being rude because their being judged by someone who does not know them, that would get you made too right?
  • When I log it as light cleaning I'm really really working at it. I have fibromygia, so sometimes it's alot of work me for do some of that "light" cleaning. I'm sweating and hot and my heart rate is up. Do we really have the right to judge other people for what they do for exercise? Shouldn't we be glad they are up and doing something? No matter how mundane?
  • Dourpussdora
    Dourpussdora Posts: 48 Member
    well i have over 150lbs to lose and when im cleaning i work up a sweat!, if i put serious effort into it then i think i do burn calories especially srubbing floors etc.
  • AddieOverhaul
    AddieOverhaul Posts: 734 Member
    Personally, I will add it when I do a significant cleaning spree - because I turn up the music and clean, dance, and do moves like squats, plies, lunges etc while doing it so i keep my heart rate up the whole time. And it takes muscle to really scrub!

    I don't log if I just tidied up the kitchen or something like that.
  • srpm
    srpm Posts: 275 Member
    I log mine when I do real cleaning, I don't log it if I'm just doing that nights dishes or a light surface pickup before someone comes over with short notice.
  • MAV9855
    MAV9855 Posts: 32 Member
    I'm feeling guilty..I'm taking off my cooking activity LOL!
  • serenapitala
    serenapitala Posts: 441 Member
    I have a bodymedia armband now, so it counts everything. However, before I had it I set my activity level as low as possible and I logged everything. It was my way of being as accurate as possible. I was learning what each day looked like as far as calorie burn and everything you do in a day counts. Until I got to a point where I knew what an average day was for me, I didn't really know which activity level fit me. Years of bad habits take a lot of effort to overcome.
  • well that just was not very nice. Some folks, unlike yourself, can not afford to go to a gym. ( your picture is discussing by the way. Very unattractive)