Washing a car (calories burned)
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Nm0
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Some one private messaged me with another site to go to, because it has the number of calories I would have burned and number of minutes washing my car. I'm not really obese; 1% of losing fat, I will then be considered 'over-weight', been steadily going down by about 2 or 3 pounds a week. I'm on a serious diet; and my MD has told me to keep up with calories burned. But, I don't eat the calories back [don't count them] and I count only the calories I actually eat. I am on a track for losing weight, to help get my cholesterol and BP down. Losing weight slowly like I am makes me realize how long it took me to get here in the first place.Sad to see people piling on to @GRITSandSLUTS.
Yes, her reply to the early answers provided was off base, no doubt due to being misinformed, but it seems pretty clear that hers was an honest question just the same.
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@GRITSandSLUTS Congrats on following a plan and making progress. Losing 2 or 3 pounds a week isn't slow by any means. Few of us put on weight that fast! It took me 14 years to add 105 pounds but only 10 months to lose 80, so what's fast or slow is... relative.
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Did you bench the car for reps?0
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mwyvr - Thanks for the 'kind' words; some have not been so kind in taking up for me or have been quite negative in their postings. Yes, it will get easier for me the more fit I become. I am a lot older than most that responded on my thread; but, some of the comments did not hurt any less or more. I'm sure that some have not had to lose as much as I am told to; and it is for health reasons. I'd say that I got a good cardio exercise out of it, no matter what others might think; but, I probably need to go to the site that someone who privately messaged me - and will adjust it accordingly. No I was not offended by your comments - you made it easy to understand and you did it politely; some others have not. I really did not think this myfitnesspal community was like Facebook - another way to vent negativity for someone else; but, apparently it is. Some sites/threads I don't go to because it is sexual in nature. There may be a time and a place for it; just not on this site. My belief is 'if you can't say some nice (or constructive) probably better to let it be and say nothing'.
Apparently they are already 'fitness' buffs and a lot younger than I am. I think my initial question was a honest question - I really did not appreciate being called a troll; but, maybe someday in their lives, if not already, they are (or will be) considered or be called a troll themselves. I unshared several threads that I had been on; because it was a thread started by someone young for being able to get their expressive sexually comments posted and replied to. I was warned because this person who I could be friends with gave me another site to go to because there I could find 'washing a car' and how many calories are burned.
PAtinCo - I am following the things my MD has told me to. To make sure I am burning the calories and still eating the caloric intake set for me. Also told me to drink a lot of liquids (water & coffee) no tea or soft drinks. I'm sure that some of you use "Red Bull" or some other stimulate drink to get through your workouts. I'm watching my caloric intake by portion control and reading labels; and following them. Out of 14 days between weigh-ins - I might be off 3 or 4 of them; but, not by much.
oilpins - one reason I am exercising and believing that washing a car burns calories (at least for me); I'll count it; but, I'm NOT doing it so that I can take in more calories, just keeping it up for my MD. I try to stay within my daily caloric intake and I do very well on it. The exercise is just that - a bonus; not a way to have more calorie I can eat because of the calories burned during the day. It's like keeping up with the amount of water I drink daily,
ohmscheeks - Troll? Why do you have so little time so as to feel like you have to just make a comment or are you someone who has FB or cellphone up yours all the time? Maybe they should put a 'like' and 'dislike' button on the site. Then maybe people like you would not feel so strongly about making a comment (albeit one word) that is so derogatory? I can say this . . . because of the obvious age difference - CHILDISH!
jemmhh - I did not detail my car inside and out; I would not count cleaning it 'out' as calories burned, because I would be sitting down inside the car while doing it. Standard car - Honda Accord
BrainSharp - yes - it was a wake-up call; 25+ lbs ago I would not even to have washed it; so yes, my health is my concern. HBP and High Cholesterol (for which there isn't a medication I can take because I have had allergic reactions to two of the most well-known ones).
JoRocker - obviously you are another young kid; I am 64-years old - when I check out the site that I was given in a private message; then I will go in and adjust it whichever way it should go. You started the comment 'troll'; I don't get mad; I get even - sometimes - you are not worth it.
Michael160lbs. Yes, I do it to help lose weight - I've been given a site to go to that will tell me how many calories I burned. I'm losing weight because of health issues and hopefully to try to go off several of my medications (all that have side effects of weight gain) and with 'no exercise' . . . I was putting on weight. I'll count my calories burned, so that my MD knows I am really working at it. I've even gone on 2 vacations this summer and ate a lot of good seafood and Cajun food and still lost weight.
_Waffle_ - I live on a 'dirt' road; sometimes it is dry and dusty and other times it is muddy and I live on a road with the other vehicles on the road are trucks and my wheelbase is not as wide; therefore it gets red clay all over it. This was the first time since I bought it last month, I'm no Spring Chicken and some things take me longer to do or are more difficult to accomplish.
Davpul - I also thought it was a site for encouragement - but some just have to be negative. I'm here to lose weight and keep up with the calories I burn - and I intend of counting them all. If I go to this other site I was given and find out that I over-estimated - I will surely correct my numbers.
Yeah, I'm nosey and wanted to see what had been posted to my thread; I thought my question was something that myfitnesspal would have had how many calories washing a car burned. I don't eat the extra calories I'm given for exercise; I stay within the caloric intake that was given to me by my MD. When I check out the other site; I will adjust accordingly. When my actual caloric intake goes over what I have been given in order to lose weight because of my health - I mark it and MD and I discuss it.
Cheers everybody who put their 2-cents worth in to my question (good - or even bad).0 -
I suppose it would be heavy cleaning if it was covered in mud and full of crap on the inside which meant having to scrub and vaccuum and all that stuff.
A normal car with normal amount of dirt I'd consider light/moderate effort cleaning.
My husband will easily spend an hour cleaning his baby but he sits there with the wax and polish and detail and blah blah that hold no interest to me whatsoever - so I drive mine through the drive-thru.
The 50 cals sounds like a reasonable estimate.0 -
GRITSandSLUTS wrote: »mwyvr - Thanks for the 'kind' words; some have not been so kind in taking up for me or have been quite negative in their postings. Yes, it will get easier for me the more fit I become. I am a lot older than most that responded on my thread; but, some of the comments did not hurt any less or more. I'm sure that some have not had to lose as much as I am told to; and it is for health reasons. I'd say that I got a good cardio exercise out of it, no matter what others might think; but, I probably need to go to the site that someone who privately messaged me - and will adjust it accordingly. No I was not offended by your comments - you made it easy to understand and you did it politely; some others have not. I really did not think this myfitnesspal community was like Facebook - another way to vent negativity for someone else; but, apparently it is. Some sites/threads I don't go to because it is sexual in nature. There may be a time and a place for it; just not on this site. My belief is 'if you can't say some nice (or constructive) probably better to let it be and say nothing'.
Apparently they are already 'fitness' buffs and a lot younger than I am. I think my initial question was a honest question - I really did not appreciate being called a troll; but, maybe someday in their lives, if not already, they are (or will be) considered or be called a troll themselves. I unshared several threads that I had been on; because it was a thread started by someone young for being able to get their expressive sexually comments posted and replied to. I was warned because this person who I could be friends with gave me another site to go to because there I could find 'washing a car' and how many calories are burned.
PAtinCo - I am following the things my MD has told me to. To make sure I am burning the calories and still eating the caloric intake set for me. Also told me to drink a lot of liquids (water & coffee) no tea or soft drinks. I'm sure that some of you use "Red Bull" or some other stimulate drink to get through your workouts. I'm watching my caloric intake by portion control and reading labels; and following them. Out of 14 days between weigh-ins - I might be off 3 or 4 of them; but, not by much.
oilpins - one reason I am exercising and believing that washing a car burns calories (at least for me); I'll count it; but, I'm NOT doing it so that I can take in more calories, just keeping it up for my MD. I try to stay within my daily caloric intake and I do very well on it. The exercise is just that - a bonus; not a way to have more calorie I can eat because of the calories burned during the day. It's like keeping up with the amount of water I drink daily,
ohmscheeks - Troll? Why do you have so little time so as to feel like you have to just make a comment or are you someone who has FB or cellphone up yours all the time? Maybe they should put a 'like' and 'dislike' button on the site. Then maybe people like you would not feel so strongly about making a comment (albeit one word) that is so derogatory? I can say this . . . because of the obvious age difference - CHILDISH!
jemmhh - I did not detail my car inside and out; I would not count cleaning it 'out' as calories burned, because I would be sitting down inside the car while doing it. Standard car - Honda Accord
BrainSharp - yes - it was a wake-up call; 25+ lbs ago I would not even to have washed it; so yes, my health is my concern. HBP and High Cholesterol (for which there isn't a medication I can take because I have had allergic reactions to two of the most well-known ones).
JoRocker - obviously you are another young kid; I am 64-years old - when I check out the site that I was given in a private message; then I will go in and adjust it whichever way it should go. You started the comment 'troll'; I don't get mad; I get even - sometimes - you are not worth it.
Michael160lbs. Yes, I do it to help lose weight - I've been given a site to go to that will tell me how many calories I burned. I'm losing weight because of health issues and hopefully to try to go off several of my medications (all that have side effects of weight gain) and with 'no exercise' . . . I was putting on weight. I'll count my calories burned, so that my MD knows I am really working at it. I've even gone on 2 vacations this summer and ate a lot of good seafood and Cajun food and still lost weight.
_Waffle_ - I live on a 'dirt' road; sometimes it is dry and dusty and other times it is muddy and I live on a road with the other vehicles on the road are trucks and my wheelbase is not as wide; therefore it gets red clay all over it. This was the first time since I bought it last month, I'm no Spring Chicken and some things take me longer to do or are more difficult to accomplish.
Davpul - I also thought it was a site for encouragement - but some just have to be negative. I'm here to lose weight and keep up with the calories I burn - and I intend of counting them all. If I go to this other site I was given and find out that I over-estimated - I will surely correct my numbers.
Yeah, I'm nosey and wanted to see what had been posted to my thread; I thought my question was something that myfitnesspal would have had how many calories washing a car burned. I don't eat the extra calories I'm given for exercise; I stay within the caloric intake that was given to me by my MD. When I check out the other site; I will adjust accordingly. When my actual caloric intake goes over what I have been given in order to lose weight because of my health - I mark it and MD and I discuss it.
Cheers everybody who put their 2-cents worth in to my question (good - or even bad).
Do you have to give your doctor a calorie estimate, or for some things can you just list your activities and how long you did it?
Aside from your question about washing your car: One rule of thumb that I use, is that if I did it before I was dieting, then 'it doesn't count'. So let's say I've always vacuumed once a week. I start my diet and I continue to vacuum once a week. In this case, that energy expenditure was already worked into my body's weekly TDEE and is already accounted for.
Also, we actually do get the occasional troll believe it or not; some people just like to amuse themselves. I don't think you are one, just saying that someone who hadn't seen you post before might be confused.0 -
sunparakeet wrote: »I'd probably put something small like 50 calories. I go to the gym at lunch and do yoga, have no idea how many calories that burns so I just put 50.
It's better than over-estimating then wondering why you can't just seem to lose weight.
That's not even sleeping calorie burn at BMR for 1 hr.
Being awake sitting you'd burn more than that.
Just because you can't figure out a perfectly accurate figure doesn't mean you toss it out the window.
Almost hate to mention it with that method of dealing with it - but did you know that nutrition labels in US are allowed to round and can be upwards of 10% off?
Hope you don't throw out logging food - or only logging 50 calories now for what you eat with a label.0 -
I checked another site that was given to me in a private message (hoping I would not come back to this thread); washing a car, for an hour, is really a few more points that the same as heavy cleaning ... so there! I did not over-estimate it,0
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METS database that MFP, Fitbit, and many other sites use as base.
MFP sadly converts it to weight based, instead of original BMR x METS given. Fitbit uses the original format - but they've removed a bunch of items too.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjb21wZW5kaXVtb2ZwaHlzaWNhbGFjdGl2aXRpZXN8Z3g6N2M0OGFiMThiMDcxMDQ4OQ
05022 - Cleaning windows, washing windows general - 3.2 METS - average of 14 studies
Anyone caring to look at the studies knock yourself out. Google search will bring them up.
So 3.2 times BMR per hour.
Considerably more than 50-100 calories per hr.0 -
blankiefinder - My MD wants to see what type of activities/exercise I am doing daily; because he might decide to change my caloric intake; but, I don't think that is his plan. She just wants to see that I am doing something strenuous for at least 20 minutes 3x or more a week. This summer my exercise was in my pool; it is the time of the year that I will be spending my time on a treadmill.0
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haybales - I use portion control and smaller plates. Putting a piece of meat and 2 one-half cups of 2 difference sized plates; you will be surprised at how different it looks; and how quickly you feel full. I'm trying not to wolf my food down and chewing it at least 40 times before swallowing it; and putting my silverware down on the plate when I am chewing. It's going to take a lot of control to do this because when I worked I ate on the 'fly' often and at fast food places a lot. I don't eat hamburgers if I can help it will a full bun. My son's family uses venison for all their meat, with maybe an except of a regular steak every now-and-then. When we go out to eat; I cut my entrée in half and only eat one half of it; then take the rest home for a meal the next day.
Washing the car is something I never did when I weighed 25.5 more than I do at the moment; I'm more steady on my feet and I can reach further over things because my tummy is going down.0 -
@heybales perhaps the corrected METS formula might be used:
https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/corrected-mets
Car Washing is defined as uncorrected METS 3.5; the adjusted/corrected value for an overweight female 55 years old weighing 77kg is 4.7.
Using my BMR with the adjusted value means 323 calories for 1 hour of car washing, but I'm not an overweight female. MFP calls heavy cleaning = 245 calories.
That's a bunch of apples.
But... only if you believe the activity of car washing for an hour is equivalent to one hour of recreational trampolining. There's no way I'd expend that much energy even washing my truck for an hour. Maybe if I waxed it...
At any rate I can accept that the activity consumers more than 50-100 calories. The true value is likely still a small burn relatively speaking but big progress can be made on small steps taken consistently.
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Not trying to pile on you at all here, but I do think it's important to point out that activities like cleaning house, washing cars, etc. are simply part of our daily activities of living and usually shouldn't be logged as exercise. I'm saying this for the benefit of others/newcomers who may be reading this thread as well.
To the OP: You might want to clarify with your MD whether he/she is already assuming you burn a baseline number of calories in normal everyday activities so that you'll know how they want you to handle logging or reporting stuff like this in future.
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This is very true. Washing your car, cleaning your windows, vacuuming etc, is all part of a daily routine for most of us. We all burn calories by the second with everything we do. Now had you asked how many calories say going for a 10-15 minute walk, that's different which by the way probably burns more calories than washing a car. Do you see why some people are finding this question a little ridiculous? Try going for a daily walk instead and that will just burn your extra calories your concerned about. Good luck to you and hope you get to where you want to be.0 -
GRITSandSLUTS wrote: »I checked another site that was given to me in a private message (hoping I would not come back to this thread); washing a car, for an hour, is really a few more points that the same as heavy cleaning ... so there! I did not over-estimate it,
well when you don't lose weight and come back complaining about why you aren't losing weight- you should already know the answer to your question.
You're age has nothing to do with it- neither does mine- but for what it's worth I'm also not a young kid- I'm a grown *kitten* woman. Being said- even my parents who are about your age wouldn't consider washing their vehicles heavy cleaning- they would probably consider mucking the horse stalls and moving the barrels of manuere and chucking hay bales heavy cleaning- but honestly- washing a car shouldn't be that strenuous. As some one else said- if it is- perhaps you need to up your fitness level with something beyond car washing.
But washing you're car isn't heavy cleaning. I'm glad you seem vindicated and validated in your opinion- so I wish you the best of luck on your journey.
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So, despite all the naysayers I would ask yourself this...was I driping with sweat during and after the activity? If you truly worked up a sweat, no matter if it was washing a car or mowing the grass cleaning the gutters there is no reason not to count it. ESPECIALLY if you are trying to change from a sedentary lifestyle to being more active. But be very wary of overestimating the calories burned. It is a sad, pitiful, unfair reality that it only takes a nanosecond to consume 100 calories but it take a long sustained sweaty effort to burn 100 . One of the many unjustices of the Universe if you ask me.0
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juliebowling1 wrote: »So, despite all the naysayers I would ask yourself this...was I driping with sweat during and after the activity?
Right. Because sweat is the determining factor for whether or not a person burns calories.
Wrong.
Want to know a great way to work off 100 calories? Don't eat it in the first place. DONE. Mission accomplished. Didn't even have to break a sweat.
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I really don't see the point in all this stressing over figuring out what you're burning. You're watching your calories/portions, and you're losing weight, right? If so then you're in the deficit you need which is great.
Can't you just log what physical activity you did for the doc (regardless of what it was and how significant it may seem), and leave it to them to sort how many calories burnt they think it's adding up to so they can tweak your daily intake?
That seems so much more simple to me rather than looking at numbers, which many people get wrong when calculating anyway.0
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