Would you and HOW?

I've been running around work all day, bending over to tag material, going up and down the stairs, leaning down, picking my big old self up, walking from one side to another... I'm exhausted but IDK how to or if I should input that into my Cardio workout for today. Any tips?

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    No.
  • rlotze
    rlotze Posts: 29 Member
    Nope. Research (search the online new england journal of medicine) has shown that people habitually overestimate calories burned and underestimate calories eaten.

    Therefore, I try to underestimate calories burned and overestimate calories eaten - to compensate for that.
  • d6melanie
    d6melanie Posts: 84 Member
    I wouldn't either.
  • babyluthi
    babyluthi Posts: 285 Member
    I've been running around work all day, bending over to tag material, going up and down the stairs, leaning down, picking my big old self up, walking from one side to another... I'm exhausted but IDK how to or if I should input that into my Cardio workout for today. Any tips?

    I use a fitbit one. It records all of that kind of thing. I wear it all day and it talks to mfp. I don't have to worry anymore. I usually walk for exercise too.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    If you're hungry eat a bit extra but don't stress too much about it
  • stacyhaddenham
    stacyhaddenham Posts: 211 Member
    I too have a very active job. I simply set my activity level for moderately active. I wear a pedometer and have a good idea of what an average day looks like so I do log some of the calories burned on excessively busy days. Ie. I normally walk 6 miles a day in an average shift but on days I do 10 miles I log an extra 100 calories burned. Largely because those extra mileage days are also extra heavy lifting days usually. So that extra 4 miles was probably done carrying 25-50 lb. boxes.
  • lacaro1
    lacaro1 Posts: 81 Member
    I do;) My settings are at sedentery, so when I have an unusually active day with a lot of running around, I log it as fast walking (about 200 cals) and I think I need it!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I've been running around work all day, bending over to tag material, going up and down the stairs, leaning down, picking my big old self up, walking from one side to another... I'm exhausted but IDK how to or if I should input that into my Cardio workout for today. Any tips?

    if its a normal day then just make sure you have your activity setting right, and dont log it extra if you were more active than normal, maybe add a small amount of extra cals.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    I logged some of my spring cleaning, because I was starving and needed the extra cals.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    I logged some of my spring cleaning, because I was starving and needed the extra cals.

    That's borderline cheating. "Oh I'm hungry, but I walked 27 extra feet and since I dropped a can of tomatoes I bent over to pick it up so I'll count that as exerise so I can eat some more." How ridiculous that sounds.
    ETA: If you want more calories to eat do some legitimate exercise - take a walk. Don't count cleaning.
  • LarryDUk
    LarryDUk Posts: 279 Member
    Count whatever the hell you want. I generally only count walks or runs or lifting weight, but your body doesn't burn calories because MFP told it they were left over.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Don't count it as exercise, but if you have a job where you're on your feet all day, and doing lifting and carrying and stuff like that, you should set your activity level to moderately active, rather than sedentary. This better accounts for the additional calories burned in an active job compared to a desk job, than logging your work as exercise.
  • I do;) My settings are at sedentery, so when I have an unusually active day with a lot of running around, I log it as fast walking (about 200 cals) and I think I need it!

    Same here. I'm set to sedentary and log everything. That's more accurate IMO.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    I logged some of my spring cleaning, because I was starving and needed the extra cals.

    That's borderline cheating. "Oh I'm hungry, but I walked 27 extra feet and since I dropped a can of tomatoes I bent over to pick it up so I'll count that as exerise so I can eat some more." How ridiculous that sounds.
    ETA: If you want more calories to eat do some legitimate exercise - take a walk. Don't count cleaning.

    no it's not. Notice I said spring cleaning not normal cleaning i.e a concentrated effort I do once a year. If I spring clean for 9 hours up and down, washing windows and walls, whereas normally I am lightly active and I add an extra 200 calories, because I am starving after all this, I am adapting my schedule to my life. This is not a diet for me, but a life style and depriving myself of food when I am starving isn't going to work in the long run. Since I managed to lose a pound instead of half as scheduled that week, I assume that it wasn't an issue, legitimate exercise or not.
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
    I logged some of my spring cleaning, because I was starving and needed the extra cals.

    That's borderline cheating. "Oh I'm hungry, but I walked 27 extra feet and since I dropped a can of tomatoes I bent over to pick it up so I'll count that as exerise so I can eat some more." How ridiculous that sounds.
    ETA: If you want more calories to eat do some legitimate exercise - take a walk. Don't count cleaning.

    Obviously you've never done appropriate spring cleaning. Its not walking 27 feet and picking up a can of tomatoes (how condescending btw). In my case, spring cleaning lasts 8 hours a day for 7 days and involves lots of moving, cleaning, climbing, lifting, bending, etc.

    OP, if you feel hungry, just eat. Doing that kind of work does burn calories. Dont try to figure out how many. Just have an extra sandwich or bowl of yoghurt with honey, or a boiled egg or something.
  • I also have my settings to sedentary and log if necessary. If I've had a really active day, like the other day when some of my stuff arrived from Ireland and I carried 160kg of boxes up the stairs I logged it as 20 minutes of cardio.

    And spring cleaning the way you guys are describing it seems like a real workout, so I wouldn't hesitate to log it. I agree with sunsetzen that there is no need to be condescending. We are all here in one boat pretty much, let's just support each other.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    Funny I just read a study that said extra movement during leisure time shows a decrease in heart disease but if it is part of your job it does not. So just don't forget to get some extra movement done during leisure time too.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    No.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    If this is a departure from a normal sedentary workday, your body doesn't care that you're not in a gym or wearing clothing with logos on the outside. What I do for moderately increased activity over a long duration is pick something conservative like light cleaning or slow walking, then only take the DIFFERENCE between that and my base rate for the same time period.