Housework calories, really?

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rundgrenfan
rundgrenfan Posts: 211
in Fitness and Exercise
I volunteered at our church today to iron tablecloths and ended up ironing for three hours! I looked it up online and it says that is about 250 calories.

But, I am not sure about counting housework calories at all. I mean, is my daily calorie allowance calculated on just sitting on the couch all day, or going about normal daily activities and chores?

I thought about maybe just counting the chores that I don't do every day and that feel like real work. What do you do?

Replies

  • Aeriel
    Aeriel Posts: 864 Member
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    It really depends on what you have your base activity level set to. If you have it at the lowest setting, where you sit around all day at work or home and do very little movement, then it might be worth counting. If you have a higher base activity level, it probably isn't any more strenuous than the base level you have set.

    I usually try to not count activities that are part of daily life, but I am set to the second level of activity. My mom counts housework every day, but that is her job and she cleans seniors houses for a living for 4-8 hours a day. She left her base activity level lower, because she doesn't do it every day. Hope that helps. :wink:
  • Amarillo_NDN
    Amarillo_NDN Posts: 1,018 Member
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    it depends on what you set it at when you created it.
  • hopeandj
    hopeandj Posts: 42 Member
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    Yes! There is a reason why it's called house-work! I wouldn't if it was daily/easy cleaning, but if you break out in a sweat and need a break then totally!
  • tulaniq
    tulaniq Posts: 46 Member
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    I have seen a lot of people counting their housework calories - mowing the lawn, doing dishes, cooking, etc. I personally only count exercise calories from activities that I do intentioanlly as exercise (ie. jogging, yoga, elliptical, etc). Your calorie allotment is calculated based on the information you gave when you first sign up (how active you are, etc) so I would think that if you're going above and beyond that activity level your calories are calculated from, you could count that activity...
  • kiekokay
    kiekokay Posts: 101 Member
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    Im glad you asked this question because I have been wondering the same thing! I have my base set at the lowest activity level because I basically sit at my computer doing work all day :grumble: But I also don't want to count a bunch of extra stuff and then eat more because I vacuumed or something! I agree with everyone though that if it is out of the norm and particularly strenuous (as I would say 4 hours of ironing would be!!) then it should be counted!
    Aeriel ~ your answer was very helpful, thanks a bunch!!
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    I volunteered at our church today to iron tablecloths and ended up ironing for three hours! I looked it up online and it says that is about 250 calories.

    But, I am not sure about counting housework calories at all. I mean, is my daily calorie allowance calculated on just sitting on the couch all day, or going about normal daily activities and chores?

    I thought about maybe just counting the chores that I don't do every day and that feel like real work. What do you do?


    Does anybody really spend 3 hours ironing anymore? In my book it will count for some calories burned. Maybe we should wear a HRM for house work and chores. I could be a nice experiment...

    I do count gardening for calories burned because it is an activity that I don't do daily. When I do, it is between 2 and 3 hours and I really sweat a lot considering that I live in a very warm area.
  • janiebabes
    janiebabes Posts: 6 Member
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    I won't count just normal stuff like picking up and tidying, doing dishes, etc. But I would definitely count a heavy clean up day, mopping floors, scrubbing walls, etc. I think I end up more puffed after that than a brisk walk! And it's not like it's part of my normal day. (I get to go out to work and then complain when I come home and dh hasn't tidied up LOL.)
  • LilynEdensmom
    LilynEdensmom Posts: 612 Member
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    lol I suck at housekeeping so I log it b/c I only really clean like once or twice a week and I work up a sweat and all so I count it when I do it...normal stuff like picking up some trash and all I don't count though. I also don't count the full time I do it, I put down like half the time and try to not eat all the calories back
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
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    if it's above and beyond what you would normally do and your setting is sedentary then ???

    I add workouts. If I moved for over 30 min doing something that got my heart rate up. Like today I unloaded a truck full of produce for a co-op. I moved over 50 boxes and walked with them uphill. So I counted that b/c at the end of the half hour I was so sweaty.

    but if I'm doing stuff at my house that I normally do including mopping etc, I don't count it as I've always done that. I don't count mowing the lawn or any of that either as it's not new to me so I figure my body is used to it.
  • Dafrog
    Dafrog Posts: 353
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    i myself dont log house cleaning, i also have my activity level set low, if i ironed for 3 hour i probablly would log it, i normally just log gym stuff except i logged 90 mins of cooking today because i was making holiday candy and it is a once a year thing. pretty much whatever u choose or dont choose.

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