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    Do you log cooking and cleaning...

    Posts: 36 Member
    edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
    Do you log housework (cooking, cleaning, etc.) as cardio? I have a desk job so i set my activity level at sedentary. I would generally not considered logging that type of stuff on a work day. But on the weekend, like today, I've been on my feet cooking and cleaning a good part of the day. So, can i count that? And then can i allow myself to eat a little more on days like that? What do you do? Do you eat your workout calories back/go by that right-most number on your diary screen? Do you count life-maintenance activities as exercise?

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    • Posts: 4,535 Member
      I do not. When I did log exercise, it was only ever intentional exercise.

      If I'm more active than usual one day, I figure it's a bonus and I'll lose a little bit faster than usual.
    • Posts: 8,171 Member
      I have an activity tracker so my steps used for things like cleaning get counted in my general step total. I do not log them separately because there isn't a lot of energy expended while cooking, and a little more while cleaning but not enough to count.

      The only things I log separately are my water aerobics class (I only count the first 40 minutes. The remainder is strengthening and stretching so there isn't a lot of energy expended) and my lap swimming.
    • Posts: 401 Member
      Nope, the sedentary setting adds anywhere between 250-500 calories/day as a buffer for every day chores just like these. Don't log things like that :smile: As for actual exersize calories: if you use the MFP generated calories for a set time of performing a certain activity, only eat back around 50% as most are heavily inflated.
    • Posts: 90 Member
      I don't log that type of thing either.
    • Posts: 12,942 Member
      katepace1 wrote: »
      Do you log housework (cooking, cleaning, etc.) as cardio? I have a desk job so i set my activity level at sedentary. I would generally not considered logging that type of stuff on a work day. But on the weekend, like today, I've been on my feet cooking and cleaning a good part of the day. So, can i count that? And then can i allow myself to eat a little more on days like that? What do you do? Do you eat your workout calories back/go by that right-most number on your diary screen? Do you count life-maintenance activities as exercise?

      Never. I also have a desk job, but my activity setting is at active because otherwise I lose weight. The only calories I count and eat back are cardio--running and elliptical. So I have a record of my weight lifting, I log it but only put one calorie.

      Anything other than steady state cardio is included in your activity level. If you are losing weight faster than you set your goals for, I'd suggest raising your activity level a notch.
    • Posts: 1,137 Member
      I do not. I also have my profile set at sedentary. I think chores, cleaning, walking around etc is just incidental, even if I've worked a bit of a sweat. I only log purposeful exercise where I've worn my hrm and then I may eat back half on average. It varies - sometimes I eat them all back, sometimes I'm not hungry so I don't. I've seen people log huge calorie burns (500+) for cleaning. It would take me 90+ minutes of running to burn that much....so yeah...
    • Posts: 797 Member
      Nope, I also don't count my cleaning job which literally has me on my feet some nights for 4 to 5.5 hours of cleaning floors, taking stairs and getting lots of steps. I just consider it a bonus and aim for the daily goal mfp gave me. I also have a fitbit that syncs so it does give me a bit extra for the activity but I don't eat back all my exercise calories.
    • Posts: 1,090 Member
      Yep. I don't log daily washing up but I do a big clean once a week which I do log. I tend to get sweaty doing that cuz I'm rather vigorous about it. The boyf cooks normally so I log if I cook, since it's out of the ordinary activity for me.
    • Posts: 4,195 Member
      We had a lengthy debate on this on a recent thread.

      Standing up and doing stuff is normal.

      I never log cooking and only log cleaning if it is very deep cleaning. For me, cleaning involves a lot of walking and going up/down stairs. If I am moving furniture, shampooing carpets, etc. I will log it--otherwise, no.
    • Posts: 303 Member
      Nope. You aren't going to burn anywhere near what MFP tells you when if you do work up a light sweat. If you then eat back those calories you didn't actually burn then you'll just be disappointed at your weigh in and wonder where it all went wrong.
    • Posts: 2,430 Member
      I find that the "cooking and cleaning" option in cardiovascular section severely over exaggerates calorie burns so I never log it.
    • Posts: 282 Member
      No, I never log anything like that. And I try not to eat back calories that I purposely burn with exercise unless there's more than a 600 cal deficit, and I almost always try to have at least a 100 calorie deficit because I realize that labels have a 20% margin of error and I'm sure a lot of the cardio stuff on here is exaggerated.
    • Posts: 457 Member
      I lump those activities into normal daily movement and don't log them.
    • Posts: 14,580 Member
      If you have already achieved more than 3500-5000 steps/ 35+ minutes of activities in the day AND you are setup as sedentary (as opposed to lightly active or more) in MFP, then maybe you should log and eat back half of them.

      However, a better way to address that would be to only log purposeful exercise and to adjust your base activity level and/or exercise eat back if you are losing too fast.

      If you are not losing too fast, then by logging and eating back activities like this you will be slowing your weight loss.

      If you find yourself in need of logging activities like this in order to eat sufficient calories to not be extremely hungry you should re-examine the following:

      a) your weight loss goal. maybe 2lbs a week is not realistic. maybe it should be 1lb or 0.5lbs.
      In fact, looking at your pic you should be setup to 0.5lbs to 1lb at the most if you want to minimize lean mass loss.

      b) you should look at the mix of foods your eat. Are you eating stuff that is satiating?
      similarly you should probably eat about 0.8g of protein per lb of bodyweight during weight loss, assuming no kidney issues, and you should probably ensure you're eating at least 0.35 to 0.45 (this is a floor, not ceiling) of fat a day (feel free to minimize saturated fats within that).
    • Posts: 781 Member
      I do when I am creating a custom cake, Lots of standing, cleaning, etc..
    • Posts: 15,151 Member
      They are already accounted for in your activity level. To count them would be double dipping.
    • Posts: 625 Member
      No. I figure that I did those daily acyivities when I was morbidly obese, and it didn't help make me smaller. I only count intentional exercise
    • Posts: 16,049 Member
      edited July 2015
      Liftng4Lis wrote: »
      They are already accounted for in your activity level. To count them would be double dipping.

      That's what I thought.

      The only exercise I log is purposeful exercise, and NOT everyday normal activity.

      I think people who log their everyday cleaning/cooking are really, truly clutching at straws :huh:

    • Posts: 27,167 Member
      TheVirgoddess wrote: »
      I do not. When I did log exercise, it was only ever intentional exercise.

      If I'm more active than usual one day, I figure it's a bonus and I'll lose a little bit faster than usual.

      this.
      Or I consider it a balance to those days I am less active or less accurate with logging.
    • Posts: 1,771 Member
      Double dipping. I log only intentional exercise. -65 pounds, sedentary setting.

      I don't log yardwork, either, unless it's digging a new flowerbed or something. I did log the day I spent cleaning my aunt's house as she was moving out, but that was several hours of constant movement.

      If you have a day where you're more active, it's a bonus. Maybe you'll lose and extra 1/12 of a pound that week.
    • Posts: 6 Member
      I do. I log heavy cleaning because I work up a sweat and I also log gardening.
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      I don't see why you would do that. I just cleaned my bathroom. Even if for some magical reason I burned 200 calories-your TDEE is just an estimate and it fluctuates. Perhaps I was less active than normal on another day during the week.
    • Posts: 31 Member
      I never thought you can burn while cooking...anyway I put sedentary lifestyle and I dont do any exercise whatsoever but in general I m working alot in my house and its quite big house. I clean, cook, wash etc for 3 other people. this house was quite a run down so it needs working all the time, that includes heavy cleaning, paiting scrubbing. work in garden etc
      but I never include thrm as an exercise. as I don't do them for exercise
    • Posts: 403 Member
      I don't log cooking or cleaning. The only time I've logged 'cleaning' is when we were moving and I was hauling boxes, scrubbing everything, etc. Even then I only logged about half the time, if that.
    • Posts: 9,603 Member
      Nope. I only log exercise done just to do it. It's my way of keeping track of when I've gone out of my way to exercise.

      Some people log every move they make, just to see how many calories they're using and compare it to what they're burning. Someone on my FL used to track her sleep as exercise.

      It's up to you. Your diary, your rules. :)
    • Posts: 75 Member
      I personally don't log general house cleaning or a little light gardening. However, if I make an extra special effort and really turn a room or two upside down to clean them or do a fairly prolonged strenuous stint of gardening then I will usually log something down. I tend to estimate my time for doing anything like that lower than the actual time spent to be on the safe side.
    • Posts: 1,858 Member
      no
    • Posts: 89 Member
      Ooohh I did log cleaning the other day simply because there was a bit of moving around/breaking a little bit of a sweat, so I just sorta assumed I should. I guess from now I won't log and just count it as a bonus. :p
    • Posts: 55 Member
      No. How many calories do you think you burn cleaning?
    • Posts: 538 Member
      Nope. My fitbit links to myfitnesspal, so if I do a lot of walking as part of cleaning that shows up. Otherwise, nah.
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