Logging EVERY bit of exercise?

suzitkd
suzitkd Posts: 110
edited September 27 in Fitness and Exercise
I've noticed that some people seem to log just about everything they do as exercise - housework, pushing a trolley around Sainsbury's etc. etc. so this lead me to thinking about how these 'exercise' calories are calculated..

My train of thought was, well, an average woman might burn 2000 calories a day doing her average things (BMR I think it's called). Divide 2000 calories over 24 hours = 83.4 calories per hour. Now let's assume that we burn more calories during the day than asleep at night (I know, I could be wrong, please don't shoot me down in flames just yet!) so let's say 8 hours of sleep at 50 calories per hour, then 16 hours at 100 calories per hour = 2000 calories.

Do the exercise calories listed on MFP take these basic numbers into account? So you do an hour of cleaning, you log it as 250 calories burned (that's a guess OK, I don't actually know what it would be) and bam, you've got an extra 250 you can eat today! Wahay! But actually, if you'd just been sat down doing not a lot or pootling around getting the occasional drink, visiting the photocopier, whatever, you would have burned 100 calories... so is the 250 calculated over and above the 100 you would have burned just exising, or is it everything you burned during that time - in which case you should only log 150? I do hope I've made sense!

Replies

  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
    I know what you're getting at and I want to know too! I have a Polar FT4 HRM (chest strap) - does the number it gives me for my calories burnt during my hour's workout include the calories I would have burnt at rest for that hour, or does the HRM take that into account?
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    I'm interested to hear about MFP. I do know that HRM's do NOT back out the resting calories.
  • CardiacNP
    CardiacNP Posts: 554 Member
    I just log what i get during exercise with my HRM. The other thing i consider as part of everyday expediture. I figure it give me a cushion and helps offset potential errors on the food side.
    It is all math burn more than you take = lose weight

    I am also one of those guys who do not always eat back all my burned calories
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
    I'm interested to hear about MFP. I do know that HRM's do NOT back out the resting calories.

    Thanks for this. I figured that some brands might, given that the Timex HRMs for example, gives a much higher number for exercise than the Polar brand ones.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I only log things I do specifically for exercise or walks over half an hour.
  • wheelieblade
    wheelieblade Posts: 323
    I logged my trip today as it's not something I do everyday, I log my kinect boxing as it's my main form of exercise. Had I decided to see how much I burnt going to the doctor's this morning, again it's not something I do everyday, I go once every 4 weeks. If it's above what I normally do then yes I log it. I also don't eat all of my calories back
  • melanielea47
    melanielea47 Posts: 2
    I think this is somewhat related - my trainer/nutritionist says that you should just assume that you burn 500 calories a day by "just living." ie) housework, walking from room to room, digesting, etc. He said this should not really be counted when counting calories, and exercise logging should be reserved for intentional workouts such as extended walks/cardio/strength training. Logging the minor activities, I think, does more harm and distraction than good in some cases.
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,849 Member
    No, HRM do not back out what you would have burned resting. You can do that if you want. It depends on you and how you have all your info set up.

    For example, I have my activity set to sedentary. That is accurate for me during the day at work. However, once I get home, I am moving much, much more. I don't log things like cleaning (unless I'm doing it hardcore), playing with my kids, moving furniture, playing outside - things like that. I do log my actual workouts, but I don't back out resting cals. I figure in the end they should wash. I burn more "normal" calories than what MFP would say I do, but I am adding too many for exercise calories.

    Also, the resting cals that MFP says you burn is an estimate. It will be different for each person so there's no way to tailor it specifically to you unless you get something like a bodybugg. Keep that in mind when you are looking at what calories MFP says you burn for anything. Another thing is the discrepencies in food. Unless you weigh all your food and know exactly what and how much of each ingredient you are using - there will likely be some miscalculations in how many calories you are eating.
  • gr8birdie
    gr8birdie Posts: 42 Member
    I log my workouts and only log cleaning, gardeningbif I am doing heavy-duty stuff like scrubbing a floorbby hand or trenching a garden. Other then that. Only log workouts
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