I'd like to see "Activity" and "Exercise" separately

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AJinBirmingham
AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
in Fitness and Exercise
I know that cooking and cleaning aren't in the same family of "exercise" as hitting the gym, but they do burn calories - and I like to eat those calories, so log my time spent doing those things.

I still feel silly entering the time I spent cooking breakfast under "exercise," where I've put in my time on the weights.

Replies

  • harley1968
    harley1968 Posts: 218 Member
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    Sounds like a good idea to me to have them separate...I know I never log any activity that involves cleaning the house even though I must burn a few calories.....
  • rachaelgifford
    rachaelgifford Posts: 320 Member
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    I personally think that I gained the weight whilst cleaning the house - so I wont log it during my weight loss. That said - I have a friend who has lost over 70lb and she logs hers - so it can't do too much harm :-)
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    Things like cooking breakfast are part of your daily activity level which should really not be counted. Is your activity level set at Sedentary? If it is, but you feel you are active throughout the course of the day I suggest going with Lightly Active and only logging your exercise. Every day activity is a gray area and you don't want to end up overeating because you think you burned 100 calories frying up an egg.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    I still feel silly entering the time I spent cooking breakfast under "exercise," where I've put in my time on the weights.

    Yes, I would too. Because it's not exercise.

    Also, regular daily activity IS separate from exercise. It's your TDEE. If you are not sedentary, change your MFP settings to lightly active or above. You will get a higher calorie goal without having to resort to logging your basic daily activities, which is both time-consuming and, as you put it, silly.
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
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    cooking and cleaning should be built into your activity level, NOT logged as extra calories to eat, IMO. I gained weight while cooking and cleaning, so it isn't something that will help me lose weight. I only log intentional exercise - not stuff that I do anyway.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Things like cooking breakfast are part of your daily activity level which should really not be counted. Is your activity level set at Sedentary? If it is, but you feel you are active throughout the course of the day I suggest going with Lightly Active and only logging your exercise. Every day activity is a gray area and you don't want to end up overeating because you think you burned 100 calories frying up an egg.
    [/quote


    Agree!
  • AJinBirmingham
    AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
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    Things like cooking breakfast are part of your daily activity level which should really not be counted. Is your activity level set at Sedentary? If it is, but you feel you are active throughout the course of the day I suggest going with Lightly Active and only logging your exercise. Every day activity is a gray area and you don't want to end up overeating because you think you burned 100 calories frying up an egg.

    I keep my activity level set at "sedentary" because on some days, I AM sedentary. On some days, I don't sit down much at all. I don't usually plan in advance which days are which - I do what I feel like getting done - and no two days, no two weeks are the same - so it works better for me to keep my activity level set at sedentary and log my activity than try to recalculate my TDEE every day.

    I'm getting my intake/output right, because I've been maintaining for years, so my equations are fine. I'm just being picky in that I'd like to be able to calculate them in way that doesn't look silly to me. I can't be the only one.
  • ahclay
    ahclay Posts: 36 Member
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    To me, cleaning IS exercise because I USUALLY don't do it. You should see my house. If I spend an hour cleaning stairs AND I'm sweating, I count it as exercise. If I walk across the room to answer the phone, I don't. It bothers me that other people get on my case for counting mopping the floor as exercise when I have sweated through it. Mopping may be part of your routine but it's not part of mine.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    Things like cooking breakfast are part of your daily activity level which should really not be counted. Is your activity level set at Sedentary? If it is, but you feel you are active throughout the course of the day I suggest going with Lightly Active and only logging your exercise. Every day activity is a gray area and you don't want to end up overeating because you think you burned 100 calories frying up an egg.

    I keep my activity level set at "sedentary" because on some days, I AM sedentary. On some days, I don't sit down much at all. I don't usually plan in advance which days are which - I do what I feel like getting done - and no two days, no two weeks are the same - so it works better for me to keep my activity level set at sedentary and log my activity than try to recalculate my TDEE every day.

    I'm getting my intake/output right, because I've been maintaining for years, so my equations are fine. I'm just being picky in that I'd like to be able to calculate them in way that doesn't look silly to me. I can't be the only one.

    Got it. The only other suggestion I have for you would be to still reconsider your activity level based on averages over the course of a week instead of looking at it as some days you are sedentary and others you are not. Our body doesn't know what day it is.
  • AJinBirmingham
    AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
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    To me, cleaning IS exercise because I USUALLY don't do it. You should see my house. If I spend an hour cleaning stairs AND I'm sweating, I count it as exercise. If I walk across the room to answer the phone, I don't. It bothers me that other people get on my case for counting mopping the floor as exercise when I have sweated through it. Mopping may be part of your routine but it's not part of mine.

    I feel that! (My housekeeper quit recently, so I'm doing a lot more than usual. I like the extra food and savings though, so I might not replace her.)
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
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    This is why doing TDEE-?% is much easier than changing your eating habits on a daily basis.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I know that cooking and cleaning aren't in the same family of "exercise" as hitting the gym, but they do burn calories - and I like to eat those calories, so log my time spent doing those things.

    I still feel silly entering the time I spent cooking breakfast under "exercise," where I've put in my time on the weights.

    cooking and cleaning (not vigorous) is already included in your daily caloric intake based on activity level, as sedentary it is 1.2 x BMR which accounts for sitting, standing, eating, cooking etc.
  • Cinflo58
    Cinflo58 Posts: 326 Member
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    My activity level is sedentary and I have a fit bit that I wear every day. Since it logs all my steps, it adds the "exercise" calories when I'm cooking, cleaning or walking as part of my daily activity. If you don't want to spend $100 (which I think is def wort every penny), increase your activity level

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