What Constitutes As Exercise?

you can call it whatever you want if it makes you feel good of course you be lying to your self by calling it exercise.
Exercise could be consider any effort you make out of the norm.
example:
Scratching my butt is an effort I can count 1 calorie
Walk to pick up the mail is an effort 4 to 5 calories
Moving from my bed to the refrigerator is an effort 5 calories
Taking a cold shower a super effort 40 to 60 calories your body needs to work extra hard to maintain your body temp.
Walking is light to no effort - light running better - running is an effort
Point is if you want to define anything is exercise you can. But exercise = stay out of your comfort zone the other solution is to consume less and less calories..

you can call it whatever you want if it makes you feel good of course you be lying to your self by calling it exercise.
Exercise could be consider any effort you make out of the norm.
example:
Scratching my butt is an effort I can count 1 calorie
Walk to pick up the mail is an effort 4 to 5 calories
Moving from my bed to the refrigerator is an effort 5 calories
Taking a cold shower a super effort 40 to 60 calories your body needs to work extra hard to maintain your body temp.
Walking is light to no effort - light running better - running is an effort
Point is if you want to define anything is exercise you can. But exercise = stay out of your comfort zone the other solution is to consume less and less calories..

How exactly is walking light to no effort? Please explain the many people on MFP/the web who have lost and are losing weight by walking for exercise?

I would say if the activity noticeably gets your heart rate going, then log it. I have a list of 100 ways to get more exercise and there are some pretty common 'everyday' activities on there, but I doubt I would ever log prepping a meal as exercise. Although I have worked up a minor sweat and feel exhausted sometimes after making a big meal for my family of three, but not to where I feel like I just worked out....

you can call it whatever you want if it makes you feel good of course you be lying to your self by calling it exercise.
Exercise could be consider any effort you make out of the norm.
example:
Scratching my butt is an effort I can count 1 calorie
Walk to pick up the mail is an effort 4 to 5 calories
Moving from my bed to the refrigerator is an effort 5 calories
Taking a cold shower a super effort 40 to 60 calories your body needs to work extra hard to maintain your body temp.
Walking is light to no effort - light running better - running is an effort
Point is if you want to define anything is exercise you can. But exercise = stay out of your comfort zone the other solution is to consume less and less calories..

How exactly is walking light to no effort? Please explain the many people on MFP/the web who have lost and are losing weight by walking for exercise?

Yeah I would like to know as well. I walk over 20km a day. No effort? I will walk to grab a light globe, I walked 17km to get one. I took the long way, to the furthest supermarket. I walked 12km to get my haircut, in the rain. I walk to get the shopping, will carry 3kg dog food, as well as a backpack full of food. I'll do that on a daily basis. I'll go down the beach & walk till I hit 20,000 steps. It will take me 2 hours. I'll walk everywhere, in fact next week I'm picking up 4 mascara I got off a deal for $4, I'm walking 22km to go get them.

How is that a light to no effort? I can eat more, but I can't eat it all. I burn off over 1000 cals a day just through walking. Add my gym sessions on top of that.... cause I'll walk the 2.5km there & the 2.5km back...but I will pop into the supermarket next to it, grab some shopping (remember the backpack full) an walk back with it. I do Walk at Home...I'll do 5 miles no problem....then STILL go to the supermarket..... 5km round trip.

I don't understand how people do NOT class walking as exercise. Doing nothing is not exercise. Walking is.

How do you find the time to walk 22km to go pick up mascara??

I feel that if it's part of my daily routine, which I already factored in to my settings, I don't count it.

So for people who go to the gym everyday? They shouldn't count their workout, after all, it's part of their daily routine..

I would count anything that gets your heart rate up and keeps your heart rate up for a prolonged period of time.

I was referring to the walking as being part of the daily routine. Obviously going to the gym would be logged.

Edited to say: For the record.... if, during your set up, you select: Very active as your activity level it DOES factor in exercise

BMR x 1.725-hard exercise/sports 6 - 7 days/week

I feel that if it's part of my daily routine, which I already factored in to my settings, I don't count it.

So for people who go to the gym everyday? They shouldn't count their workout, after all, it's part of their daily routine..

I would count anything that gets your heart rate up and keeps your heart rate up for a prolonged period of time.

It all comes down to what you select in the set up (as I said in my post) exercise IS factored in.

Sedentary = Little or no exercise

Somewhat Active = Light exercise 1 - 3 days a week

Moderately Active = Moderate exercise or sports 3 - 5 days a week

Very Active = Hard exercise or sports 6 - 7 days a week

Extremely Active = Hard daily exercise or sports plus physical job or exercise two times a day

I have a very sedentary job so that's what I put my setting to.

I log my walk between work and the station because sometimes it's 40 minutes walk a day which is not built into my week-ends and I don't always walk it (if I've left the office too late to catch my train I'll take the bus instead). That way I am reminded that I need to do some exercise at the week-end or adjust the food I eat down.

I find logging the calories for it means if the weather is a bit off and I am tempted to take the bus instead I have a bit more motivation to take the less comfortable option.

Also my commute can vary. I have the following options a) short walk, train, bus; b) short walk, train, 20 min walk (at a brisk pace, 25 if I take my time) my preferred option when the weather is nice c) just under 8 miles cycle - my preferred option on Summer mornings, not an option in winter as the path I use is not lit and it's still dark when I leave home and a lot less pleasant coming home than it is in the morning (the path is almost deserted in the morning so it feels like you have the whole of the world to yourself and you see a few animals - in the evening there are a lot more people there so it's not as nice). If I didn't log it then picking one or the other would make not difference to the calorie allowance when there is a difference in the activity for that day.

I don't log carrying 13.5 kg of toddler for half of the walk from the childminder to the bus and half the walk from the bus stop to home because I have to do that regardless so I don't need the carrot of the exercise calories. If anything want to discourage him to ask for up

On the other hand I log instances when I carry more than a few items of shopping home (2 bags full of tins and produce for example) because I made the effort not to take the car and it's generally heavier than some of the dumbells I have seen people use at the gym.

I log anything that doubles my heart rate. or takes me over 100bpm. but that's me, anyone who says don't log it unless you change into gym gear is an idiot.
Log what you want, In the end if you log a single square of chocolate "27 calories" why not log a 10 minute walk to the shops at 3mph "42".
What is the difference whether you ate it or you burnt it...
if you have a problem with logging minor burns then don't, but don't try to "guilt out" people who want to log each victory.

People are telling OP what they do. Doesn't justify being called idiots.

You think?