Cheating?

mrsieve
mrsieve Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I don't always have a lot of time for exercise, but I do practice babywearing almost daily. I count this time as my exercising because I am up moving around with my daughter (the whole 20 lbs of her) strapped to me. I know I should be doing more, but at this point, any movement is good movement. Anybody else feel like I'm cheating? Just wanting some thoughts, advice, etc...no bashing please.

Replies

  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    For how long do you wear her? I would think it's only a negligible amount of extra cals so I wouldn't count it.
  • Dunkirk
    Dunkirk Posts: 465 Member
    Wear a pedometer as well, to see how active you are.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    As long as you're weren't counting this activity when you selected your activity level (e.g., sedentary, lightly active, etc.) and as long as you're not overestimating the amount of additional calories burned, why would it be cheating? (Anyway, if you're "cheating," you're only cheating yourself. The harm is that you won't have the results you expect. It's not a moral failing.)
  • mrsieve
    mrsieve Posts: 36 Member
    Typically up to 30 minutes at a time, sometime more, sometimes less and usually more than one time a day. The only way I can clean is if I strap her on :/
    I may have to invest in a pedometer...I never thought of that lol
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    How do you log this? How many cals does it come out to?
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    How are figuring your burn? There is nothing wrong with it and like you said any movement is better than none. Remember that Weight loss happens in the Kitchen. fitness happens through exercise.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    MFP has an entry for "walking, carrying infant or 15 lb load" which I've used when walking back from the grocery store or farmer's market. I think you might need to create an entry for baby wearing that would reflect the difference between doing stuff around the house like cleaning without the baby (which presumably you took into account when you set your activity level initially) and doing it with the baby. The difference between the entry for "walking, carrying infant or 15 lb load" and "walking, 2.0 mph" is 86 calories an hour, which seems reasonable, so you might try that. I don't know if you can assume that carrying a 20 lb baby burns 33% more calories than carrying a 15 lb load, although it seems like it ought to. That would push it up to 114 calories an hour. It's not much, but it's something.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    It is cheating. It's normal daily activity for you and doesn't raise your heart rate for a sustained period. It's not exercise.
  • RebeccaBecca26
    RebeccaBecca26 Posts: 45
    Can you maybe wear her while taking a walk? Even if it's just from the drive way to the stop sign, or around the block. It would be great bonding time, and time for you two to get some fresh air. If you have a sling, you can even add some hand weights to your walk- or if you can't maybe some weights around the ankle....
  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
    I wouldn't count/log it.

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