What is counted at exercise?

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  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
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    well, don't count getting frisky as exercise... I tried to find it in the database... wasn't there!

    "aerobics" hehe :blushing:

    edit cuz apparently I can't spel wurth a durn
  • brittanyabanks
    brittanyabanks Posts: 66 Member
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    Stuff where you're stood around not moving that much eg food prep I personally don't count, but if it gets people up and moving then go for it - if you're not eating them back.

    I would count food prep because 1) at work your not suppose to be eating (or for my self we get a 20 min break were I'll eat an apple or small salad and juice) 2) You walk back and forth and gathering items, carrying weighted boxes (20-50 pounds). 3) if you work around a grill, large oven, or fryer you sweat and that's what a lot of people have been counting as necessary requirements.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
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    Stuff where you're stood around not moving that much eg food prep I personally don't count, but if it gets people up and moving then go for it - if you're not eating them back.

    I would count food prep because 1) at work your not suppose to be eating (or for my self we get a 20 min break were I'll eat an apple or small salad and juice) 2) You walk back and forth and gathering items, carrying weighted boxes (20-50 pounds). 3) if you work around a grill, large oven, or fryer you sweat and that's what a lot of people have been counting as necessary requirements.

    food preparation as a job, for hours at a time, can absolutely be excercise. Making your own dinner is not.....
  • brittanyabanks
    brittanyabanks Posts: 66 Member
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    id like to add, that some people sweat when using the bathroom... pooping is still not exercise!

    I like to think of exercise as intentional activity outside of your normal daily activities... working, cleaning, getting frisky, using the bathroom, walking around the store, cooking... I don't think these things are exercise, I think logging these things ae justifying an excuse to eat extra calories, which in the end, is only cheating yourself!

    purposeful walks, running, elliptical, yoga, weight lifting... these are examples of exercise!

    just my opinion tho, im not the exercise GOD


    I'd like to say I never use the excuse of my working to eat extra calories. The only time I have been over 1200 calories was today, and yesterday but yesterday was my cheat day.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    If I don't sweat, I don't count it.

    Sweat has nothing to do with burning calories more or less.

    ETA: change wording
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    Stuff where you're stood around not moving that much eg food prep I personally don't count, but if it gets people up and moving then go for it - if you're not eating them back.

    I would count food prep because 1) at work your not suppose to be eating (or for my self we get a 20 min break were I'll eat an apple or small salad and juice) 2) You walk back and forth and gathering items, carrying weighted boxes (20-50 pounds). 3) if you work around a grill, large oven, or fryer you sweat and that's what a lot of people have been counting as necessary requirements.

    food preparation as a job, for hours at a time, can absolutely be excercise. Making your own dinner is not.....

    still, the type of job you work is calculated in your daily activity level, which gives you credit for that activity. can we all agree that most of us were cooking, sitting at a desk, and working daily, when we were actively fat and getting fat? I mean, exercise is exercise, life is life, and working, cooking, cleaning, is all part of life...
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
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    Stuff where you're stood around not moving that much eg food prep I personally don't count, but if it gets people up and moving then go for it - if you're not eating them back.

    I would count food prep because 1) at work your not suppose to be eating (or for my self we get a 20 min break were I'll eat an apple or small salad and juice) 2) You walk back and forth and gathering items, carrying weighted boxes (20-50 pounds). 3) if you work around a grill, large oven, or fryer you sweat and that's what a lot of people have been counting as necessary requirements.

    food preparation as a job, for hours at a time, can absolutely be excercise. Making your own dinner is not.....

    still, the type of job you work is calculated in your daily activity level, which gives you credit for that activity. can we all agree that most of us were cooking, sitting at a desk, and working daily, when we were actively fat and getting fat? I mean, exercise is exercise, life is life, and working, cooking, cleaning, is all part of life...

    Great point. Like I said, my way only works if you don't eat 'em back :)
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    id like to add, that some people sweat when using the bathroom... pooping is still not exercise!

    I like to think of exercise as intentional activity outside of your normal daily activities... working, cleaning, getting frisky, using the bathroom, walking around the store, cooking... I don't think these things are exercise, I think logging these things ae justifying an excuse to eat extra calories, which in the end, is only cheating yourself!

    purposeful walks, running, elliptical, yoga, weight lifting... these are examples of exercise!

    just my opinion tho, im not the exercise GOD


    I'd like to say I never use the excuse of my working to eat extra calories. The only time I have been over 1200 calories was today, and yesterday but yesterday was my cheat day.

    I know, but some do, and then wonder why they are not losing... well... they are logging an additional 500 calories a day, for things like, preparing and cooking a meal, dusting, vacuuming, etc... I have a 2 story house and 5 kids... im up and down those stairs ALL DAY... could you imagine how many extra calories id get credit for if I logged 30 flights of stairs daily? but I don't, because its part of my daily life...
  • webneb
    webneb Posts: 41 Member
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    Unless your heartrate is getting over 120bpm its not exercise its just counted as Daily energy expenditure
  • clairekeogh42
    clairekeogh42 Posts: 127 Member
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    Get a fitbit, that will figure it out for you!
  • brittanyabanks
    brittanyabanks Posts: 66 Member
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    Stuff where you're stood around not moving that much eg food prep I personally don't count, but if it gets people up and moving then go for it - if you're not eating them back.

    I would count food prep because 1) at work your not suppose to be eating (or for my self we get a 20 min break were I'll eat an apple or small salad and juice) 2) You walk back and forth and gathering items, carrying weighted boxes (20-50 pounds). 3) if you work around a grill, large oven, or fryer you sweat and that's what a lot of people have been counting as necessary requirements.

    food preparation as a job, for hours at a time, can absolutely be excercise. Making your own dinner is not.....

    still, the type of job you work is calculated in your daily activity level, which gives you credit for that activity. can we all agree that most of us were cooking, sitting at a desk, and working daily, when we were actively fat and getting fat? I mean, exercise is exercise, life is life, and working, cooking, cleaning, is all part of life...
    Actually it wasn't calculated in mines cause I didn't have a job at the time...And when I had a constant weight of 180 I was working 8-12 hour shifts or on the track/field team, or soccer, or marching band but at that moment I wasn't trying to lose weight so eating unhealthy is what I did. Now that I'm eating healthy and have a job I am losing weight. Basically it's literally (well not really) falling off. In my first week in a half I lost 6 pounds. 5 days later 2 more pounds were gone.

    And don't look at my counter it is wrong because when I first started MFP I was 5 pounds lighter then I was this time on my diet. so it's off by 5 pounds (Also if anyone knows how to fix that problem it would be greatly appreciated!)
  • glades250
    glades250 Posts: 10
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    pfft!!!... Tell my wife or my mother (RIP) house cleaning is not exercise. As a matter of fact I cleaned the house today for my wife while she worked. I was sweatin' my *kitten* off with the A/C cranked down to 71 degrees!!! I did it for two hrs strait and I count it!!
  • Nephy07
    Nephy07 Posts: 76 Member
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    Stupid question (and sorry if someone mentioned it, I might have missed it), do you count calories burned during Yoga? (let's say for example morning yoga that lasts max 10 minutes)
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Stupid question (and sorry if someone mentioned it, I might have missed it), do you count calories burned during Yoga? (let's say for example morning yoga that lasts max 10 minutes)

    If it's just light, stretching type yoga, I wouldn't. It doesn't burn many calories at all.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I assume you're fairly new at all this? Start simple. Set your activity level to lightly active and only log actual workouts as exercise. Things like walking the dog, playing with kids, raking leaves, etc will be covered by the lightly active setting. It makes things a little less tedious and takes away a bit of the margin for error when it comes to exercise calories.

    .

    ^This.

    Then adjust calories from there, based on actual results.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    pfft!!!... Tell my wife or my mother (RIP) house cleaning is not exercise. As a matter of fact I cleaned the house today for my wife while she worked. I was sweatin' my *kitten* off with the A/C cranked down to 71 degrees!!! I did it for two hrs strait and I count it!!

    ok, well ive seen my husband exit the bathroom after an hour looking like he just fought a battle... ive cleaned for 4-5 hours straight when helping my mom with her 5000 square foot nightmare home, and ive also spent more than 8 hours doing yard work... in my opinion... regardless of sweat or whatever, I don't count these as exercise, I consider these normal parts of life. I was doing yard work when I got fat. I was cleaning my house when I got fat... and my husband... well... hes another story... just my opinion, but I consider exercise, actual intentional exercise!
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    It's what you commonly think of exercise: Vigorous, sustained activity that raises the heart rate, burns a significant amount of calories and probably causes you to break a sweat.
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 593 Member
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    According to my fitbit (and some other sources) I burn 16 calories every 15 minutes by simply being alive. Which is 64 an hour so in 8 hours that would be 512, so I'm guessing that 480 is just your being alive calories burned. That is why MFP asks if you are sedentary or active. It already includes those in your base calories.
  • janer4jc
    janer4jc Posts: 238 Member
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    I didn't want to feel like a loser on days I didn't work out except now I feel like a cheater for counting working at my desk. lol

    We all need rest days and it doesn't make us losers. Count the time that you are intentionally exercising and not just going about your day.
  • Nephy07
    Nephy07 Posts: 76 Member
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    If it's just light, stretching type yoga, I wouldn't. It doesn't burn many calories at all.

    allright, thanks :D

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