How Strict are You??

Options
♥jewelchristian♥
♥jewelchristian♥ Posts: 3,666 Member
in Chit-Chat
Do you count EVERY SINGLE calorie you consume? Do you count the calories you would normally burn just going about your business? Or do you just count your exercise calories? I have seen a lot of folks on here who count calories for absolutely everything they do. It just seems a bit obsessive to me. I actually was one of those people when I first joined MFP, counting my walk to the bus stop (less than 3 minutes), daily housework (emptying the dishwasher). What about you?
«1

Replies

  • ♥Faerie♥
    ♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
    Options
    I obsess over the calories I consume, but not the ones I burn. The only ones I count as burned are when I am actually exercising, like on the treadmill. Counting normal things I do day to day, nope, that's just living!
  • bellanean
    bellanean Posts: 220
    Options
    I don't count housework or cleaning, I dont even count taking my dogs for a walk, I feel like thats just everyday life. The only time I count my calories is when I work out and go off of my HRM.
  • clahut
    clahut Posts: 211 Member
    Options
    I'm the same. I log everything that I eat as accurately as I can, but I only log 'extra' exercise. That is, anything that I do out of the ordinary - so gym visits or long walks at weekends. I did start off logging my 10 min walk to the train station in the morning - but I've gotten over that! :smile:
  • Amandac6772
    Amandac6772 Posts: 1,311 Member
    Options
    I count every calorie I eat but only the calories I burn doing regular exercise and HEAVY household cleaning...not the just picking up all the millions of toys everywhere.
  • Tammyblack
    Tammyblack Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    now you mention it it does sound a bit obsessive - yes I count everything - I find it motivating and keeps me aware that every little bit of movement helps!
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Options
    I count meals/snacks, I dont log everything (taking a bite tasting while making dinner) etc and yes samples at the store are calorie free :laugh:

    I dont think it should be logged unless its an exercise, logging 300 cals for scrap booking it not exactly exercise and its going to cause them to have problems becuase they arent getting an accurate calories burned for exercising
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Options
    now you mention it it does sound a bit obsessive - yes I count everything - I find it motivating and keeps me aware that every little bit of movement helps!

    You have to be careful because a lot of those things are already included in your daily activity and I think a lot of people double count calories in this way
  • carrieberrie
    carrieberrie Posts: 356 Member
    Options
    I do add every single thing I eat. I only add my exercise calories because that is something I wouldnt normally do. Cooking, cleaning, shopping....etc ....... are things I do everyday anyway so I do not add them.
  • sigmastar
    sigmastar Posts: 3
    Options
    I've found that being strict with counting calories is important because it keeps you honest. If you aren't strict, it is easy to consume a few hundred calories every day simply by ignoring a handful of M&Ms or those five french fries you stole from your friend. By forcing yourself to count every one, you are giving yourself the incentive to say no to the candy and fries, and you'll be surprised how much snacking it prevents. That being said, 'obsessing' can become unhealthy. Make sure that the calorie counting doesn't interfere with HEALTHY weight loss, and allow yourself every now and then (maybe once or twice a week) to cheat on something fun!

    Also, with regards to exercise, I personally like to only count actual gym time and other "fitness" activities. That way, I end up loosing more than I expect to, which I find exciting!
  • ArchyJill
    ArchyJill Posts: 548 Member
    Options
    I don't think it's a bad idea to track every little thing when you first start (keeping in mind jrich1's note about double counting), it gets you used to thinking about what things "cost".

    These days I just count what is above and beyond normal activity for exercise, but I log every last little thing. If I can't log it (serving size? contents?), I don't eat it...makes passing up those samples easy.
  • jeffreyhansencarlson
    jeffreyhansencarlson Posts: 17
    Options
    Don't forget to consider your fitness profile settings....
  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
    Options
    Strict about intake calories (the teaspoon of mustard, the oil on the bottom of the pan filled with spinach and garlic, the two tootsie roll pieces.... just every bit going IN.) I didn't get this weight doing less activity than I'm doing now: I did it by eating poorly and moving less.

    I only count exercise I have to change shoes/clothes to do, not my normal activities. I clean normally, but don't normally herd students through a two hour maze while picking stuff up and lugging it around....which I entered as "cleaning." I also don't normally move households, so I counted that activity.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    Options
    I'm not 100% strict with either one. I'll enter activity that is above and beyond my normal work day of sitting at a desk for 8 1/2 hours, light/short walking, and a bit of activity at night like cleaning. I'll log long shopping trips as light walking (like 2.0 or 2.5 mph according to the database on here, or wear my HRM) and any actual exercise like the gym or a workout DVD. I never eat all my exercise calories anyway, so whether I log more than actual exercise isn't necessarily crucial.

    For food, I log ALMOST everything that I eat. I never log the small piece of chocolate that I allow myself every few days (it's the single wrapped Dove caramel chocolate, maybe 40 calories for one), or what I put into my tea (one small scoop of creamer and some rock sugar). For the most part, I log everything else that I can find information for. And when there isn't the exact info that I can log (like a restaurant with no nutrition info), I make my best guess. It helps me to make sure I don't have lots of extra calories coming in that I'm not counting. The tea never adds up to more than 50 calories.
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    Options
    I log just about everything in my food diary.... I don't always log spices, though I am just now starting to at least log in spice mixes (homemade taco seasoning, spaghetti sauce spice mix, etc.) I don't log an extra bite here and there while making supper (and I do mean, one or two bites, not constant grazing). I don't always log calorie free drinks (tea, black coffee, random diet drinks) but I try to do that too.

    In the exercise log, I mostly record anything that is meant as exercise. If I spend a day walking around (at the zoo or similar) I will log 1/4 - 1/2 of that. If I am moving heavy furniture or boxes around or doing heavy duty cleaning or yardwork, I would log that as well (yardwork is not a usual activity for me... and if I did it, my allergies would declare I couldn't do anything else I'd planned for exercise that day!)
  • immacookie
    immacookie Posts: 7,424 Member
    Options
    I try to count everything I put in my mouth... try being the operative word. I don't have access to MFP on my phone and I refuse to use a computer at night so I'm sure there are things that slide through, but I try to be as accurate as possible.

    That said, I do not log my exercise. I used to, but it was too difficult remembering the EXACT number from my HRM from the night before (again, refuse to use a computer at night), so I just keep that calculation in my head.

    ETA - no I don't count my normal daily things as "exercise" - like Saturday we went to a garden show and walked around for 3 hours, I don't count that as exercise.
  • egbkid
    egbkid Posts: 164 Member
    Options
    I log everything food wise, most times in the morning before i leave for work i fill in what i am taking for lunch and snacks. I try my absolute best every day not to eat anything more than what is in my lunch bag.
    Excercising, i count the 20 minutes it takes me to get to and from work walking. But my office building is connected to a mall. I usually take a spin around there on my lunch and breaks. I do not count that because it is usually just a stroll. If I am have to run to the library; it is a rush walk as it is about 7 minutes each way...pushing it on a 15 minute break!
    I also log all my walking as the slowest, 2 or 2.5 MPH; only because i do walk slow, i have short legs! I know i walk faster than that, but not quite as fast as the next level up, so i would rather round down than up.
  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
    Options
    I don't have it in me to log everything all the time so I have decided to skip the things I don't struggle with as much which is water and exercise. Since I do struggle constantly with my eating habits I am diligent to record everything I eat, even if I don't get to finishing my diary until the next day or even 2 days later (once in a great while). If it goes in my mouth and contains calories, I will log it.
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
    Options
    I religiously log my food and intentional exercise, meaning a workout. If I am doing serious cleaning I put my HRM on to make sure it is high enough to be a real workout. This helps me get more done and I burn more calories than normal. If I don't put on my HRM for house work, then I don't count it. I stop, talk, sit, clean, etc unless I have the HRM on......:-)

    I always get in more than enough water but I usually log it also. I also under value my calories burned on purpose because this site really exaggerates actual calorie burned.

Categories