Logging 'food preparation?' /rant

i log food prep sometimes but only if i am catering a party, on a normal average day i spend probably 60-90 mins on food prep but on days when i am catering it's anywhere between 5-9 hours of running round like a blue arsed fly and is exhausting
same with cleaning my everyday cleaning gets ignored but if im doing top to bottom deep cleaning it takes hours and involves moving lots of furniture so i log it
typically i dont believe the calorie burn that mfp sets for these activities and usually eat about a quarter of the calories back and only then if i'm hungry, i log it more for the activity minutes than the calories burned

I see your point. For instance....I walk four to five miles a day while at work. I have done this for almost 12 years now. No way can I include that as it is just a normal part of my day.

When I first came out of major surgery last year I would use my HRM and log cleaning. It was a huge effort for me. I didn't eat those calories though. I no longer log cleaning. I did a major spring clean recently, cleared out rooms, everything. Didn't count it. Was curious after though as bagging up and tipping 30 bin bags worth of stuff must have been a good amount of calories. I wouldn't blame someone for using a HRM for that x

@XXXminnieXXX...I can see where if cleaning was fairly new to you (and that would be true in your case due to having surgery), so I would have included those calories burned. But, and I am repeating myself, if it is something that you do everyday then your body is accustom to it and you are really not burning any extra calories.

Fair enough, I have no major traumatic/illness/injury based reason to log things like housework - so I don't.
BUT
I walk up 150 steps to get to my office in the morning, then I do it again after my coffee break, then at the end of my lunch.
My reasons for logging it are thus
1. It's new. I took the lift/elevator until Jan so it's still an exception to my normal day.
2. It get's me out of breath. I'm 236 lb and 5ft8. I used to die a little by the 3rd floor. Then the 4th, now it's as I reach the 5th floor. I'm seeing progress and as it's something I've specifically chosen to do, rather than something I have to do I think I'm OK to class it.
3. Logging it keeps me doing it. If I wasn't logging it and seeing it written down, I'd be more tempted to skip it and take the lift.

Is there really anything wrong with that?

I have logged cleaning once or twice in the past as it was a proper cleaning where I was sweating and all. I don't make a habit out of logging it though. I don't quite understanding the logging of food preparation, ironing etc but to each their own. My way of dealing with it is to ignore those updates in my news feed. For sure I wont be saying "well done", "wtg" etc

I didn't realise how much "normal" activities added up until I injured my knee. Not only was I not exercising at least an hour a day I wasn't able to hardly do anything around the house anymore (unless you count limping/hopping from one half of the house to the other only to sit down again). I gained 7kg in about 7 weeks now. I knew I had a very active lifestyle before as I rarely liked to sit still but didn't realise how active I was until this injury happened. And I did/do clean my house a lot - I now just sit on a chair as I'm doing my tidying of my pantry, etc

Really at this point of my life with the injury I have walking to the mailbox (we live in townhouses and its downhill and back up to the box) would be exercise. Whereas before I could cycle 45km in a day and then went and did zumba only a few months back.

Exercise is now 5 minutes on the exercise bike because that's all I'm "allowed" - its depressing !! I'll probably be an annoying maniac logging everything I can do once I can do it again - I'm so excited can't wait until I'm better again.

And yes I know I should probably adjust my eating if that's how much weight I gained in such a short amount of time...working on it. Well some days anyway.

Overall, I'm a "only log actual exercise as exercise" type of person, BUT I'd rather see someone log food prep and cleaning than eat 1200 when 1200 isn't appropriate for them.

If one doesn't own a fitbit or nike fuel band, and they have a sedentary lifestyle, logging all those individiual activities is used for more than just "eating back calories".

I would log all my 10 minute walks if I didn't have a nike fuel band. I set my lifestyle to sendentary (because it is, I have desk job) and then I try to stand or walk 10 minutes out of every waking hour. I do some light yoga or barre3, but it's busy season so I am pretty much office bound 10-12 hours a day.

I look to see if I am getting my minimum goal in on my device throughout the day. People without a device have to monitor it by logging.

My company's wellness program has pedometers and fitbits and other monitoring programs as gifts or low costs to help us all get into our own wellness - our own way!

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

As someone who logs "life", I'll tell you my reason. It motivates me to get my fat *kitten* up off the couch. Before I started MFP, I would park on the couch for 12+ hours. Now that I know all the little things can help, I move more. If you don't like it, then don't "friend" people who log them. It's not exactly any of your business anyway.