Counting work as exercize?

yes its cheating..since its something you do everyday your body as adapted to it..that is why we add an activity level multiplier to our BMR calculations. it already accounts for this work.

If you are at the base calorie level of 1200 you are just accounting for being sedentary. If it is higher you have already accounted for this activity. However, if you are at the base level you are absolutely not cheating!

I have a full time and a part time job. Both are totally different activity levels. Since my PT job has irregular hours/shifts and it is far more active, I do log it (it involves climbing lifting etc while my ft job is an office job). I think however if it's your ft job, you need to simply change your activity level as (like the other poster noted) you're doing it everyday

No. I don't count work as my exercise. I have my activity level set as active but I suspect it should be set as heavily active.

I work 4-5 days a week and right now I am averaging 7-9 hr work days. Other than my break (15 mins) and lunch (30 mins to an hour depending on the length of my shift) I am on my feet the entire day. I am in constant motion.

Since my body is used to doing this job - been doing it for 5 years - I don't consider it my exercise. Had it been enough to make me lose weight, I wouldn't have needed the gym. I would have already lost weight at work. But, it didn't. So, I don't add it as exercise.

When i went to my doctor to get on a healthy diet, I asked the same question. she said "no" it doesn't count. You have to get your heart rate up to a certain level for a certain period of time and cleaning is something you do everyday, so your body is used it. I wish it did count because I am a stay home mom/wife.

I don't buy this "you do it everyday so your body is used to it" idea. I mean, by that logic: I excercise everyday so why should I log that...isn't my body used to it?

I would suggest as another user did to change your settings to active or very active. Then when you run count that. I walk all night long at my job and lift heavy boxes, and squat and stand, and push and pull items. I sweat my @ss off and I have mine set as active, it seems to be working for me. Good luck

I work in a hospital and mostly sit behind a desk. Every now and then (maybe once a week) I work on the floor with patient care. I am on my feet for 12 hours, walking, turning, and lifting patients. My activity is set to sedentary so on those days that I do extra, I do log 2 hours of walking at a 2.0 pace and use it as my excercise. I think if I worked the floor everyday though, I would not count it.

well, I don't know if it's cheating. I've been a spin instructor for 7.5 years, but I still count my classes as calories burned. Granted, I don't burn as much as a larger, less fit person, but I still think it counts. hmmmmm.

Maybe you should put "active" as your lifestyle choice, but maybe determine your average per day and count anything over the average, then anything less than the average, cut back some calories -- if you clean for 8 hours, that sure is a lot longer than just 2.

blessings.

I don't buy this "you do it everyday so your body is used to it" idea. I mean, by that logic: I excercise everyday so why should I log that...isn't my body used to it?

That's a very sound point.

Hopefully your exercise isn't the same every day and you are using different muscles and different intensity levels. Also, those calories are above and beyond your daily activity level setting. If you put the weight on while doing the job, counting it as calories burned isn't going to help you take it off.

I didn't lose weight doing the job that I am doing, so I sure as heck don't want to count on it to maintain my weight now. I lost weight because I work out at the gym - not because I walk around and am moving at work. Had THAT been the case, I wouldn't need the gym - right?

I clean houses for a living and it's long hard work. It takes 2-5 hours a house (1-2 houses a day) of sweating, scrubbing and carrying a 30 lbs vacuum up and down stairs. I've been counting this towards exercise (under the light to moderate cleaning) mostly because I am too tired to run on days I work and I feel like I need the extra calories. Do you guys think I am cheating? Anybody else count their job as exercise?

i think you can count it

Change your setting from sedentary to moderately or very active, this will increase your daily calorie allowance without you having to input it.

If you told MFP you were sedentary, it would be appropriate to log this as exercise. I don't recommend this, because MFP estimates for calories burned can very significantly from what your body actually burns. It is better just to tell MFP that you are active or very active, and it will give you the calories you need.

I count my work activity as part of my lifestyle. If I were you I'd change my lifestyle to active or very active and then count running when you get to it as exercise. That's just me though. If what you've been doing is working go with it.

This ^^^ The MFP (and BMR/TDEE in general) calculations are based on your activity level, sometimes exclusive of exercise, others not. I would set your activity level to active (same as it would be for anyone who is on their feet working all day). Then add exercise on top of that when you do get a chance to run. One of the reasons I am here is that I switched from a very active job to a sedentary one about 15 years ago but my eating habits did not change with the times :embarassed:

Ps. Took a second look at MFP's settings, which provides:

Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)

Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

Seems that the now gone Anna would be active or potentially very active if using the guided settings.