Do you log non-typical workouts?

kjerome101 · September 2016

I have only been logging workouts that are at the gym or running, etc. Does anyone log housework, yard work, or other things like that??

SueInAz · September 2016

I don't log things that I do as a matter of course, no. If you're active during the day doing housework, etc. you should indicate that in your activity level, not as exercise. The problem with a lot of those types of activities is that they are usually not done in short spurts.

Here's the problem if you were going to log, say, 3 hours of yard work. What, exactly, is the level of exertion that MFP is expecting you to have worked at? On your knees planting or hoeing or raking or hauling rocks? The calorie burn of each of those is very different. Are you going at the same level of exertion the entire time?

You also need to subtract out the calories you would have burned if you'd stayed on the sofa those three hours. If your BMR is 1200 calories per day (I'm sure it's higher but it's an easier number for me to work with without a calculator!) then you burn 50 calories per hour just breathing and your heart pumping blood. You need to factor those calories out of what you're entering in as "exercise". It's not such a big deal if you're doing a 30 minutes aerobic workout but "double dipping" for 3 hours of the day can have a big impact on your weight loss.

CincyNeid · September 2016

I do not. No. Those are factored into my caloric burn/intake when I set my activity level when I signed up.

The only time will log workouts like that is when I'm doing something above and beyond the normal. For example my father in law wants me to help him split wood.... an Ash Tree..... That I'll log because it's above and beyond what I would normally do in my day to day life.

bfanny · September 2016

Nope! simply because those didn't stop me from gaining weight in the first place

malibu927 · September 2016

Those aren't workouts, so no

jdhcm2006 · September 2016

I only log when I intend to workout. Even though my fitbit logs when I walk around my office building for 10 minutes, I don't think of it as exercise, just a way to get moving and get to my steps goal. However, if I tell myself that today my workout is 60-90 minutes of nonstop walking outside or on the treadmill, I will log that as exercise.

Now, if for some reason I would end up cutting my grandpa's grass for him and I was out there pushing the mower around for a good 30 minutes (or however long it takes to cut grass) I would b/c that is something that is out of the ordinary for me. It's something that I don't do regularly or really at all.

I do understand when people log shoveling snow when it's winter time; especially, if they're out there for 20-40 minutes b/c at least where I'm living, snow only pops up for 2-4 months out of the year. And maybe 2 of those months will require 2+ weeks of shoveling.

I think it depends on what your normal daily activity is, and what is extra. I personally don't count housework, but that's just me.

sunnybeaches105 · September 2016

If I ever did housework I would definitely log that under "non-typical."

tomorrowistoday0000 · September 2016

Nope, only those I do above HR 140 and for at least 30 minutes.

dn0pes · September 2016

No. I only log my runs nothing else. Everything else is hard to calculate accurate calorie burn.

pebble4321 · September 2016

I don't unless I'm doing something for quite some time... like four hours cleaning when helping a family member move house, which is significantly more than I would do any other time.
Usually though, my apple watch tracks my movement and automatically adds extra when I'm more active so I don't have to think about it.

If you aren't using a fitness tracker, then I think it depends on what your MFP settings are. If you are set at sedentary and usually don't have much activity day to day, then a solid burst of gardening or working outside or spring cleaning (hooray for spring, I love this weather, and it has inspired me to clean more!) is going to use a fair few more calories so it makes sense to log it.
If you are set at lightly active or active, then I wouldn't log any of those things.

MoveitlikeManda · September 2016

I only log work outs that are work outs, so yesterday i cycled just over 3 miles to the gym, did 45mins there and then cycled just over 3 miles back <<< this is a work out.
or when i go out for a long walk (anything over 3 miles) i track with map my walk and log it.

i do not log a quick walk to the shop, picking up the kids from school or house work as thats just normal activity NOT a work out

Machka9 · September 2016

kjerome101 wrote: »

I have only been logging workouts that are at the gym or running, etc. Does anyone log housework, yard work, or other things like that??

Nope.

No housework
No walking back and forth to the photocopier
No grocery shopping
No hanging my laundry out on the line

I do, however, count all my commute walking + walking at lunch + walking after work.

KANGOOJUMPS · September 2016

yes, gardening and cutting grass burns big calories!!

narak_lol · September 2016

I don't even log my exercise calories so to each their own.

teetertatertango · September 2016

Mowing the lawn with a push mower is at least as vigorous as walking (more so when doing hills and lifting around obstacles), and it is done on a continuous basis.

Other yardwork, it depends. Picking some veggies, no. Digging, hauling, prepping, yes. Potting up plants, no. In general, if I just did a quick something for 10 minutes, probably not. I may only put in 25-50% of the calories MFP wants to give me if it was a long but not particularly intense session.

Housework, no, unless it is some crazy marathon that involves a gazillion trips on the stairs, moving couches, etc.

Based on my actual results vs. expected results, I have found that I can easily burn an extra 300 calories a day running around doing things that are not intentional exercise. That could be 1/2 pound a week, it needs to be accounted for somehow. Other ways of accounting for it: increase activity level in MFP and get the extra calories there (best if the activity is consistent), let it counterbalance some sloppy food logging, lose a little more than intended.

I don't understand the "I did it when I was fat so I don't count it" mindset, because to me that would also include intentional exercise done when fat and at that point why not just use a TDEE approach?

If you find with actual results that you are not losing as you expect, then looking at the accuracy of your food logging AND exercise numbers is a good idea. I know how many calories walking for an hour and running for an hour would burn for me, and I can judge the intensity of everything else I am doing based on that. If MFP tries to give me more calories than I would burn running for an hour on something that felt more like walking for an hour, I adjust.

S2tupidAss · September 2016

No, and at times I record less of my workouts so as to feel like am less exaggerating. With this being said, I personally believe it's important to always do more than what we just write, however writing it all also gives one better chances understanding specific exercises.

Machka9 · September 2016

I look at a bit of additional exercise in the form of some housework or yard work or whatever as compensation for times when I might have miscalculated the number of calories I consumed. That cookie might have been 250 calories instead of 200 or whatever. And so, if I happened to do an extra 50 calorie's worth of something ... great, it all works out in the end.

fredericktambunan · September 2016

I try to log my walking and running around at work but only account for half because there are times that Id be at my desk for a minute

JeromeBarry1 · September 2016

I do not log housework. I do not any longer log shopping. I do still log yard work, automobile repair, long walks outdoors and bicycle rides. My activity level is "sedentary". I log "standing at desk, working" because it is a MET 2 exercise. It increases my heart rate about 10 beats per minute above what I'd do sitting. I don't have a gym membership. I have 3 cardio machines in my house. I use and log 2 of them.

I keep track of my net calories to see if my food and exercise logging is accurate, and it is usually within 1% of accurate at predicting my actual weight loss each day. Today, for instance, the Error value was -0.01%. If I was wrong to be logging the things I do, my Error value in my spreadsheet would increasingly grow, with my net calorie deficit not correlated in any way with my weight loss. Since I see that my net calories with my 'things like that' logging is accurate, I'll keep logging things like that.

Asher_Ethan · September 2016

I don't log housework and cleaning as I have my activity level to, "active," and I feel housework is not active.
I did help my sister move 2 blocks away so it was constant movement for 10 hours and I gave myself 700 extra for that. That's about it.

Rururiri · September 2016

I don't log non-typical workouts. The activity level already includes those things so no. I only log if I intentionally did cardio (if I ever did one lol). I'm not trying to be mean or intentionally hurt anyone or whoever reads this. I could be wrong and it is just an assumption (maybe some people just want to be very specific with their calorie burn). I always think people log the non-workout ones to have an excuse to eat more. It is something to justify themselves that it is okay to eat extra.

Do you log non-typical workouts?

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