Logging housework?

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Shellz206
Shellz206 Posts: 97 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
EDIT: I guess the topic should technically say "Logging home improvement projects?"

My husband and I are currently in the process of doing a couple home improvement projects, beginning with painting several rooms. We're doing the typical cut in with a brush, then do the bulk of the work using rollers. Our next two projects will be re-doing our kitchen floor and completely renovating our bathroom.

Since my daily level of activity is sedentary, I would think I could log these things.

Thoughts?

And any advice on how?

Replies

  • kittyinaz
    kittyinaz Posts: 300 Member
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    When I first started logging exercise, I used to count housework as well. But I stopped now, and I only log actual exercise. I figure that there may be times when you don't count your calories COMPLETELY right and the little "extra" burns during the day make up for that if you are on sedentary.
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
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    Well, if you can log housework, you should be able to log painting. I'd skim through the list for what seems to be the closest.
  • shellgib
    shellgib Posts: 196 Member
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    yes you can log that stuff if you are set to a sedentary lifestyle.
    i sometimes refer to this website/list and then create my own exercise on here based on this....
    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    Yes, any activity outside your sedentary life/the norm will burn calories. Log it!

    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • Nanadena
    Nanadena Posts: 739 Member
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    Seeings how I have not done much around the house for a couple of years, due to extreme depression, when I do it, I really dig in and sweat. I wear a HRM and log it in. When it is just dishes and not heavy work, I do not. :flowerforyou:
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
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    I think it depends on how vigorously you're working, and if it is really above and beyond the normal household chores you do. If you're working up a sweat, I'd count it. I use that same principle with housework, which I don't usually count - but if I'm spring cleaning and sweating my tail off, I'm counting it :-)
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
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    I log gardening when I do hours of hard work...like today.....if you are sore the following day I would log it...mfp has general gardening as an option...I was outside busting it for 3 hours but I logged 45 mintes to account for all the ridiculous inturptions from my kids and to account for the fact that mfp can overestimate burns......check and see what might be listed...if your activities aren't listed go with gardening....
  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
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    I think you should log the painting. I've done some Habitat for Humanity volunteer days and I know from experience that painting all day is above and beyond "normal" activity I always wake up the next day much more sore than after my toughest gym workout.

    I do, however, agree w/ kittyinaz about using typical daily activity as a "cushion" in case you underestimate calories--I do the same thing.
  • Shellz206
    Shellz206 Posts: 97 Member
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    I wish I could edit the title. I definitely didn't mean housework as in cleaning, etc. Unless I'm busting my butt moving furniture, scrubbing and working up a sweat, I wouldn't log that!



    I meant down and dirty home improvement projects!
  • aeckels616
    aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
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    Yes, you can log these. However be aware of the caveat that MFP is already assuming you're burning calories during this time (which I assume is several hours). So you need to subtract the amount of calories you would normally burn sitting or whatever from the amount MFP tells you that you burn doing home improvement, or you'll be double-logging those calories.
  • treadingpurple
    treadingpurple Posts: 53
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    I did a lot of cleaning and organizing in my apartment today. When I logged it for my exercise, i just put "cleaning" in the box. It came back with low/simple cleaning and hard/excessive cleaning.

    Depending on what you did, you can put either one it and it will calculate how many calories you burned. Hope this helps!
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
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    if youre working up a sweat, then log it.
    If youre not really expending more energy than usual then all thats going to happen is youll eat over what you probably should.
  • legacysh
    legacysh Posts: 464
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    I use an HRM now because I was having a problem deciding on some of these topics. Personally I feel that if it isn't part of your normal day to day routine, then you should log it. I power clean my house every other week. So this week I did it with the HRM and burned 400 calories. I definately worked my heart rate up above my normal Hear Rate, so I logged it.

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