Tracking regular daily activities as exercise?

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  • InspiredByStreisand42
    InspiredByStreisand42 Posts: 29 Member
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    I log all of my excercise, but I don't track things like cleaning, folding laundry, rushing up 3 sets of stairs to my room because I've forgotten something etc, but I do add walking to and from places (I used to go by car a lot), especially if I'm going quickly or going the long way (not taking the short cut like I used too!). I also log my choir rehearsals and singing lessons (under "Music playing" because I'm doing more of them than normal nowadays, and, man, am I working hard during them!
  • amylynn96
    amylynn96 Posts: 114 Member
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    I only log the hardcore like 4 hour cleaning, scrubbing bathtubs, vaccuming stairs.....vigorous cleaning...everything else is every day stuff and to some ppl it may just make them feel like they werent lazy, if your cleaning and doing laundry your obviously not lazy but its still not an "actual workout".
  • Barelmy
    Barelmy Posts: 590 Member
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    I don't log them, and think of them as a 'buffer' in case I measure something inaccurately, and underestimate my calories. I'll avoid logging the odd walk for the same reason.
  • Shell521
    Shell521 Posts: 30 Member
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    I'm sorry, I hope I did not offend anyone. It was just a general question of curiosity. If logging these activities works for some people, then that's terrific. Everyone is here for the same reason & my intent was not to be unsupportive or anything, just curious as to who logs them & if it makes a difference for them, I know personally for me, it would not. I WISH it would though lol!
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you're having success not logging, don't log it. I DO log it, and I also have success (except this week, but that's because I've been lazy on the food front). It also depends on your activity level that you chose when you joined MFP. I chose sedentary, because I am. So when I spend 2 hours cleaning the house, that's extra. When I strip the beds and vacuum the carpet and wash the kitchen floor by hand because I hate my mop, that's extra. I don't typically eat all the calories MFP gives me from those activities because I think they're a little high, but darn straight I count it and log it. It's good motivation to get it done and to push myself to try to do it quickly and work harder because I know it's going toward my health as well as a clean house.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    I don't log them, and think of them as a 'buffer' in case I measure something inaccurately, and underestimate my calories. I'll avoid logging the odd walk for the same reason.
    I really like this idea.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    I don't log them, and think of them as a 'buffer' in case I measure something inaccurately, and underestimate my calories. I'll avoid logging the odd walk for the same reason.

    See, and that works for a lot of people. For me, I was losing weight too fast, and that was WITH eating back a lot of the calories burned through housework. I would have been in trouble if I hadn't been tracking and eating those calories.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
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    I do not log normal daily activities like light cleaning or cooking. I do however, log it when I am doing heavy duty cleaning (ie spring and fall cleaning, bathing all 3 of my dogs at the same time.) I must work up a sweat before I log. Otherwise, it is normal daily life to me.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    The only chore I actually log is mowing the lawn. I burn over 1000 calories mowing the lawn for 2 hours. Otherwise I log acutal workouts.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    If you are routinely doing these things, then it should be factored into your baseline daily caloric requirement when you establish your goals. There should be no reason to log them.
  • mandylynn79
    mandylynn79 Posts: 6
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    I do not log daily activity, I do all the same daily stuff I did before MFP so I don't see how it would benefit me. BUT, I am going to log yard work when it gets warmer because I only do that once a week and I know I burn a ton of calories when I'm out doing that.
  • jenniferkennedy89
    jenniferkennedy89 Posts: 1 Member
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    I do only b/c the fact that I don't always do the same cleaning each day or the same amount of cleaning. Like certain days I do laundry & take the trash out & scrub the kitchen floors & scrub the bathroom tub & toilet & sinks & such but that stuff doesn't always happen everyday so that's the only reason I like to log those types of activities.
  • Shell521
    Shell521 Posts: 30 Member
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    Oh yeah scrubbing floors and stuff is a total workout! I have a friend who got a job as a maid in a hotel & she lost 15lbs in the first month she worked there, just by vaccinating, scrubbing bathrooms, washing linens etc. She had like 20 rooms a day! Maybe I need a job like that LOL!

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