Calculating calories for activities not in database

LoupGarouTFTs
LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am moderately active several times a week, when I take care of a neighbor's goats.Oddly enough, "goat tending" is not in the database! LOL I spend three hours feeding and milking the goats (by hand), as well as lifting hay bales and cleaning goat poo from the concrete areas of the paddock. I'd say it's mostly aerobic exercise and it usually leaves me a bit sweaty when I'm done. How would I calculate calories for that?

In addition, I am starting to train my dogs for agility again. There's some running, mostly sprinting, typically for no more than 30 seconds at a time, but repeatedly during a training session. Again, it can leave me a bit sweaty, but I wouldn't consider it a huge workout. How would I calculate that activity?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Replies

  • Gardengail
    Gardengail Posts: 596 Member
    Try this website -- I don't know about the accuracy, but they have a number of farm chores listed.

    http://www.prohealth.com/weightloss/tools/exercise/calculator1_2.cfm
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Work goes into your activity level, rather than being logged as exercise. That includes a job, housework, yard work, child care and yes, even goat tending.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Work goes into your activity level, rather than being logged as exercise. That includes a job, housework, yard work, child care and yes, even goat tending.

    This.

    I'd bump up activity level rather than trying to log those things separately.

    If you're only doing them some days then take the average (if you're active 3 days and sedentary 4, choose lightly active)
  • smanning1982
    smanning1982 Posts: 210 Member
    Get a Heart Rate monitor and wear it while you are goat tending :)
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Get a Heart Rate monitor and wear it while you are goat tending :)

    :laugh:
  • jacobhyatt91
    jacobhyatt91 Posts: 120 Member
    still waiting for them to put "sex" in the database...not with goats tho..that's not my thing lol
  • RangedLunatic
    RangedLunatic Posts: 49 Member
    I ran into a similar problem... I have a very erratic work schedule and widely varying type of work. Some days, maybe 2-3 times a week, I'm on my feet all day. I legitimately burn a lot more calories those days than when I sit at the desk, so I didn't want to simply adjust my baseline activity level from Sedentary to Active.

    I found a partial solution, though. I used this website before finding MFP: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php
    It has a more extensive activity database, because it's meant to be used all day: 8 hours sleeping, 2 hours driving, 9 hours working, 30 minutes cleaning, etc.

    I pulled a few light activities out of there, found an average, subtracted my baseline, and constructed a MFP activity to fit. For example, if this other site says that I burn 100C/hour at rest, and 160C/hour while driving, I make an 60C/hour activity called "Light Work - Sitting".

    Then I did the same for "Moderate Work - Standing", and "Heavy Work - Sweating".

    It's not ideal but it's a lot better than changing my baseline activity rate on days I get overtime.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I wouldn't get the HRM just for this. They are meant for steady rate cardio (i.e. running, swimming)...not for things like yoga, strength/resistance training, or goat tending.

    As others said, instead of trying to figure out calorie burns for this, just change your activity level.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    Thanks, everyone, for the helpful suggestions! If things change a bit and I can't estimate my activity level, I'll look into getting a heart rate monitor, but right now that's out of reach financially (although, RangedLunatic, your suggestion strikes me as a bit too much in way of maths to make my numerically-challenged self comfortable). I'm actually very excited about starting here, since I've wanted to lose weight for a long time and this seems a good place to start.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I'm actually very excited about starting here, since I've wanted to lose weight for a long time and this seems a good place to start.
    Weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you.

    Take before photos & measurements, and read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • jennygillott
    jennygillott Posts: 19 Member
    I've been wondering about this too. I sit still in front of a computer Monday to Friday, then putter round the house and garden, shop, cook, chase kids all weekend. Hardly sit down at all. The calories burn must be significantly different. My strategy has been just not to worry too much if I have gone SLIGHTLY over my calorie goal on the weekends, but it does make everything very approximate.....
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    joey-friends-how-you-doin.gif
  • the_raptor
    the_raptor Posts: 24 Member
    lmao:smile:
  • the_raptor
    the_raptor Posts: 24 Member
    Tried the website, didnt work. Maybe its got interference from my; ad blockers and such. i cant work out why it wont work

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