Do I log every activity in my fitness diary?

phechan3 · July 2013

Hi everyone. I'm 5'2 and live a pretty sedentary lifestyle. I try to eat about 1,300 calories a day (net) and MFP lists my base metabolic rate at 1,720 calories. I don't want to accidentally eat too few calories but I also don't want to eat too many either. So what sort of activities should I include in my exercise diary? Some examples are:

*Going from one part of my school campus to another a couple of times a day (about a five minute walk each time)?
*A couple of hours shopping in the mall?
*Taking out the trash, mopping, and other cleaning duties of various intensity levels?
*Or like last week, if I spent five-six hours (mostly) sitting and going through random boxes of junk in my house?

I also carry a heavy bag on me 95% of the time I'm out. Should I factor this in?

Thank you for your help!

*Bonus question: When I eat back my calories does this have to be after I have worked out or just net? Example: Ate 1,500 calories and then burned 300- can I just eat a small snack afterwards or do I actually have to eat back half (or all) of what I burned after my workout?

Quinn_Baker · July 2013

My rule of thumb is that is I can feel it working me out (breathing hard, sore, etc.) Then I will count it!

ladynocturne · July 2013

I count what I do at the gym and very intense house cleaning. I don't count the walking I do on Saturday at the grocery store, since I walk slowly and pause a lot. I have counted walking around at the mall for hours, since it's not typically something I normally do.

When you do eat your exercise calories back, you can plan them throughout the day, no need to wait until after exercise... UNLESS you frequently don't end up committing to go to the gym.

If you're worried about not eating enough, I'd recommend calculating your BMR on sedentary and netting closer to that. Since you're more petite, 1300 might be fine.

watfordjc · July 2013

I count everything because Bodymedia sends the data over. Before I got my Ki Fit I only logged planned exercise. As for exercise calories, you don't have to eat them back straight after exercising, although I usually try to eat something not long afterwards (and if I'm on a 12+ mile walk, I typically eat half my exercise calories during the walk: chocolate/McDonalds/sandwich/cookies).

phechan3 · July 2013

Thanks everyone! I always love hearing about how other people do their different weight loss routines.

I've been going to the gym at night so I've always felt like I had to eat half of what I burned afterwards which usually sent me over 1,300.

My calculations were based on sedentary. It's scary to think of how little calories I am actually supposed to consume. o.O

Thanks for reminding me about Bodymedia. I have one of those but they gave me some crazy calorie burns during kickboxing so I got a little skeptical of its accuracy and stuffed it in a drawer a while back ago. I think I'll have to give it another go.

Edit: I can't seem to edit my first post..

I made a mistake 1,720 is my maintenance weight. My BMR is 1,378 according to MFP and 1,480 according to a different calculator.... Another post here said that you shouldn't go below your BMR, but how can I lose weight if I can't go below 1,480 (or 1,378)?

digyan · July 2013

The calculators are good for reference but typically not super accurate. Pick an reasonable deficit, looks like 1400-1500 calories for you, stick with that as accurately as you can for a few weeks to see if it's working and adjust in 100-200 calorie increments from there. The only activities you should consider and track are the ones that create a significant, reliable deficit (i.e. running for 300 calories). With things like kickboxing, and shopping you can't really gauge accurately, just take the extra deficit for granted and save it for small scale surprises. The only real useful tool apart from regular workout is probably a pedometer and you try to move a consistent amount of steps every week (i.e. 70000). It's not necessary to get obsessed and bogged down in the details and tedious tracking. At the end of the day you're either eating too much or moving too little.

Factory_Reset · July 2013

I log everything.

Only trouble I have, is I'm not sure if I should log being bent over the sofa.

My clown says yes, but he likes me to log everything

mahanaibu · July 2013

What I was taught was that all the physical activity ABOVE what first got us into trouble is counted.

In other words, if you used to walk a half-mile each day just doing your normal routine before you began a weight-loss program, you wouldn't count that as physical activity. But everything above that, you would.

A lot of people on MFP get very technical with heart rate monitors and fitbits, and it all sounds pretty fun, but so far I keep it simple. I wear a good pedometer that cost me about $22, the Omron hj-113. Just do your normal, pre-weight-loss activity level for a couple of days and check the pedometer. Now try to increase from there.

Calorie burn is 100 calories a mile for a 150-pound person. It goes up or down proportionately from there. A 200-pound person weighs 33% more than a 150-pound person, so burns 133 calories a mile. That way you can pretty accurately count your calories based on your pedoemeter count at the end of the day.The Omron resets itself to zero at midnight each night.

ParrosFan · July 2013

I log anything I don't normally do. So when i'm out doing errands (walking around grocery store, Target, mall, whatever) I dont log that.

I went to the fair this weekend and logged that few hours of (slow) walking because it isn't something I normally do.

Fozzi43 · July 2013

I only log stuff that makes me breathless.

Aerosam · July 2013

Only trouble I have, is I'm not sure if I should log being bent over the sofa.

Oh aye? :laugh:

Aerosam · July 2013

I only log stuff that makes me breathless.

Ladies do behave yourselves!

Or dont, lifes too short. :happy:

ladynocturne · July 2013

Thanks everyone! I always love hearing about how other people do their different weight loss routines. I've been going to the gym at night so I've always felt like I had to eat half of what I burned afterwards which usually sent me over 1,300.

My calculations were based on sedentary. It's scary to think of how little calories I am actually supposed to consume. o.O

Thanks for reminding me about Bodymedia. I have one of those but they gave me some crazy calorie burns during kickboxing so I got a little skeptical of its accuracy and stuffed it in a drawer a while back ago. I think I'll have to give it another go.

Edit: I can't seem to edit my first post..

I made a mistake 1,720 is my maintenance weight. My BMR is 1,378 according to MFP and 1,480 according to a different calculator.... Another post here said that you shouldn't go below your BMR, but how can I lose weight if I can't go below 1,480 (or 1,378)?

1378 sounds right.

Your deficit is going to be smaller if you are close to your goal weight or petite, it sucks but that's the way it is.

So if your maintenance is 1720-1378 = 342 calorie deficit or 1lb every 10 days. It's slow but it's better than losing a ton of your muscle mass just to get the scale to say you lost weight.

kidtachyon · July 2013

I don't log any exercise. I only log my food.

gobonas99 · July 2013

I only log exercise that I plan to do, works up a sweat (and not just because it is hot outside), increases my heartrate and makes me breathless - swimming, biking, running, weightlifting, workout videos, hiking, etc. For me, I want to be literally dripping with sweat and pleasantly exhausted after a workout.

I do NOT log cleaning, shopping, gardening, yard work, chasing after the cats, organizing, snow shoveling, or any other mundane activity. I consider those to be "bonus" calories burned. heck...I usually walk around the building during lunch at least 3 times a week (anywhere from one lap at .6 miles to three laps for 1.8 miles, depending on how much time I have), but I don't log that, either.

phechan3 · July 2013

Thanks everyone for your feedback!

A quick question for those of you who don't log in certain activities: Do you guys try to eat at a deficit or to maintain? I was just wondering if there was any concern about going under your BMR?

I think I'll stick to MFP's numbers then. I definitely don't want to lose muscle mass. Thank you everyone once again!

Do I log every activity in my fitness diary?

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