How much 'exercise' do you count daily?

Seragilowechanged
Seragilowechanged Posts: 9 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Good Morning Folks!

I have been using MFP now for a week (LOVE IT) and have found something truly interesting.

While Hubby and I have always ate quite healthy I have found that my activity level is what really keeps the weight (coming) off. So with that said I was wondering how much of your *daily* exercise do you count out there? The MFP allows one to track everything from occupational exercise like carpentry or housekeeping duties as in laundry. Heck, it even factors in hobbies like gardening or dancing.

For myself I hold a very active job and a busy lifestyle, so if I factor in many of the daily 'exercises' I stand to gain over 1000 calories a day to my calorie intake and still lose weight. On occasion I find myself eating shy of my calorie 'limit' because I have added extra due to the added exercise calculated.

Whew...make sense? *snicker*

So again, how many folks out there add as much 'exercise' to their MFP as they can?

Seragilo

Added thought: For myself I will add daily:

Moving household items, carrying boxes - minimum 45mins (work related)
Walking, 2.0mph, slow pace - minimum 30mins (work related)
Cooking or food prep - minimum 30mins (prepare most dinners & lunches)
mild stretching - minimum 15mins

That alone gives me an extra 552 calories a day! Throw in a 30min jog and 30mins in the garden and poof, 960calories added to my daily 1200 goal and I am still losing weight.

***most of those calories stem from healthy fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains (wheat free - Gluten intolerance) I do not believe in equal "calorie" intake. A calorie from a Mickey D's Quarter Pounder is NOT the same as one of my extra lean BBQ hamburgers. If ya get my drift.*** :)

Replies

  • JillyCornwall
    JillyCornwall Posts: 376 Member
    If you have your lifestyle setting at moderately active or active then the only exercise you should put in is structured exercise that raises your heart rate, such as running, zumba, gym.....or exercise which you would not do i a normal day..such as going for a walk or heavy digging in the garden. Your body will be used to the things you do everyday..and the calories for these activities accounted for by the lifestyle setting. If you had set lifestyle to sedentary..you could log everything.
  • missy1970eb
    missy1970eb Posts: 1,209 Member
    i just log walking, cycling and jogging not everyday things:smile:
  • KidP
    KidP Posts: 247 Member
    For stuff that you do as part of your daily routines i.e. your job, etc, there's a section in goals titled "How would you describe your normal daily activities?". You're given 4 choices there for how active you are. I picked "lightly active" because as a teacher, i'm not lifting heavy stuff but am on my feet for much of the day at school. Those settings will make quite a bit of difference to the amount of calories that MFP calculates for you to eat daily.

    For anything else that you're doing specifically as exercise, i'd enter that using the MFP exercise database, or better yet by using a Heart Rate Monitor to determine calories burned.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I only log cleaning and housework type of stuff if it is above and beyone what I do in a normal day or week, something like cleaning the garage. If I gained all this weight while doing all of that stuff, clearly it wasn't helping me!
  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
    I only log specific exercise routines and have my profile set to lightly active. My day consists of housecleaning and child care all day and I am on my feet most of the day. But when I go for a walk, dance, or do some other aerobic or strength training work out I log it.
  • inskydiamonds
    inskydiamonds Posts: 2,519 Member
    I only log things that I am doing FOR exercise and aren't things I do normally in the day.
    Cooking for instance, I would never log. Going to the gym or for a walk, I would.
  • W0zzie
    W0zzie Posts: 262 Member
    "I only log cleaning and housework type of stuff if it is above and beyone what I do in a normal day or week" <= yup that's me too. For example I've logged constructing a garden shed and other out of the ordinary things.
  • Seragilowechanged
    Seragilowechanged Posts: 9 Member
    Hi There

    Thanks for the speedy response. I looked under the settings tab to make sure I mark myself in the proper category. I believe it is set properly at 'active'. While I hold a somewhat physical job, I do not believe I qualify for the 'very active' setting as of yet.

    What I am concerned about is if folks did *not* add the many things they did throughout the day. If I did not add the few things for work or walking I would probably starve myself trying to keep within the calorie suggestions. Those extra calories added allow me to add extra nutrients needed for the day.

    Maybe in a couple of weeks I will up my lifestyle setting and see what happens....

    Thanks again and have a good day!
    Seragilo
  • Tiffy11011
    Tiffy11011 Posts: 81 Member
    I only log "structured" exercises. My daily activity level is set to "active" because I clean houses for a living so all day long I'm bending and squatting walking climbing stairs scrubbing floors etc. I don't count this as "exercise" because it's things I do everyday and part of how generally "active" I am.
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531 Member
    I only log when I am actually consciously exercising. I have a very physical job and eating all the calories I earn from exercise is a challenge......but I do my best. I do jazzercise 5-6 times a week + walk a few hrs on days I don't go to jazzercise. If I need extra calories for the remainder of the day I may do more.....I always log everything I do outside of work :)not cooking or cleaning but any walks I may take or strength exercises I do
  • ebgbjo
    ebgbjo Posts: 821 Member
    If it is truly exercise, I count it. I do not count cleaning and household chores or lugging around my child. If I am not putting on workout gear to do it, then basically it doesn't count for me
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