To log.. or not to log

MedeaKay
MedeaKay Posts: 17 Member
in Getting Started
Hello. I am fairly new to this, and am having trouble figuring out which daily activities to log as exercise. Of course I always log my time at the gym, and the cardio training that I do at home. But what about the things I do throughout the day, like housework, and the walking that gets done while running errands, etc. I never thought to log any of that, but I've been told by a couple of people that it does all count. And I did notice that housework is even listed as an exercise on here. It seems like it would be hard to draw the line once you start calculating calories burned for every little thing. I mean, how much is already calculated into our TEE? I would be very appreciative of any advice, or just to know how other people go about this. Thanks,
Medea

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    that daily stuff is accounted for in your activity level. Don't log that. Only log your actual exercise, like walks, gym time, swimming, etc.
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
    It kind of depends on the activity level you chose for yourself when you set up your account. I chose sedentary, because most days I sit on my backside for hours at a time. So when I get a cleaning bug up said backside and scrub everything in my house for 8 hours, you can be sure I log it!

    Or when we went to the kids museum and I was walking around all day, I logged it. But I don't log walking around the grocery store, or hauling loads of laundry up and down the stairs. I figure those (very few) calories help balance out any mistakes or errors in logging food I may make.

    You will see people who log none of it, some of it, and all of it. None of those choices are wrong, if it is working for them.
  • rosammr
    rosammr Posts: 43 Member
    Like you I wasn't logging any of that but, like you, I was told that we should. I feel that my daily routine does not count as exercise, I've been doing the same thing before and I still gained weight. So I'm sticking to actual extra exercise I get.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I wouldn't log it - that's all part of your daily life and accounted for when you picked your activity level. Also - that's all stuff you were doing while gaining weight. Those same people that log every little movement they make so they can eat back the calories are the same ones that post about why they aren't losing any weight....
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    I wouldn't log it - that's all part of your daily life and accounted for when you picked your activity level. Also - that's all stuff you were doing while gaining weight. Those same people that log every little movement they make so they can eat back the calories are the same ones that post about why they aren't losing any weight....

    ^^^ This.

  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,271 Member
    I log any additional exercise I do,even 10 minutes walking dog around the block.

    I do not log walking as part of my normal day - walking around the house or my workplace, for example.
    I picked lightly active as my activity level and I think that is just part of being lightly active.

    Bottom line though - it is all a estimate. Try logging for a month and see how you go - if you don't lose weight, either stop logging as much exercise or eating back as many exercise calories or reduce your calorie allowance.

    Either way you will create a deficit where you didn't have one before and end result is the same, whichever numbers you play with.
  • MedeaKay
    MedeaKay Posts: 17 Member
    Thank you everyone for your replies. This really helps a lot. I will not be logging every little thing I do. But like paperpudding and MissJay75 said, only what is above and beyond my normal activity level.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    I wouldn't log it - that's all part of your daily life and accounted for when you picked your activity level. Also - that's all stuff you were doing while gaining weight. Those same people that log every little movement they make so they can eat back the calories are the same ones that post about why they aren't losing any weight....

    ^^^ This.

    Yep.

    Don't log it OP.
  • kevinanderson520562
    kevinanderson520562 Posts: 31 Member
    edited September 2015
    I don't log my 2 hours of physical therapy every week even though I am dripping in sweat within the first 5 mins and I don't stop until I leave. I figure I cannot weigh every little thing I eat so I am going to be off on some of them even though I have gotten better about guessing weights. I log my gym time though. I don't eat more on those days though. I am going about my weight loss aggressively though. Not even needs to hit it that hard.

    It is always safer to start without logging the exercise so you do not think you can eat more.

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