Thoughts on logging "exercise"

artanis50 · August 2017

I've seen some people logging things such as vacuuming, doing laundry, making the bed, etc as "exercise" and I don't see the point. I mean I do all those things too. Always have. But I still got fat doing them so I don't think they should count as exercise calories.

What do you think?

TavistockToad · August 2017

i don't count my normal daily activity as exercise, no.

sarahseeto · August 2017

Haha, it's funny how you put that "you still got fat" girl you crack me up! I only put down actual exercise such as running or riding the bike ect.

StarvingDiva · August 2017

I only put down actual exercise as well, but I don't judge anyone who chooses to put down other activities, maybe they were someone who never did those things before and now as they are losing weight actually have the energy to do those things and it is "exercise" to them because they were completely sedentary, maybe it gives them the motivation to then as they get more mobile, to go out for a walk etc. and so forth. We all start somewhere.

artanis50 · August 2017

StarvingDiva wrote: »

I only put down actual exercise as well, but I don't judge anyone who chooses to put down other activities, maybe they were someone who never did those things before and now as they are losing weight actually have the energy to do those things and it is "exercise" to them because they were completely sedentary, maybe it gives them the motivation to then as they get more mobile, to go out for a walk etc. and so forth. We all start somewhere.

Oh, I'm not judging. Well, ok I guess I am. But I see your point and never really thought about it that way. Thank you.

SezxyStef · August 2017

artanis50 wrote: »

StarvingDiva wrote: »

I only put down actual exercise as well, but I don't judge anyone who chooses to put down other activities, maybe they were someone who never did those things before and now as they are losing weight actually have the energy to do those things and it is "exercise" to them because they were completely sedentary, maybe it gives them the motivation to then as they get more mobile, to go out for a walk etc. and so forth. We all start somewhere.

Oh, I'm not judging. Well, ok I guess I am. But I see your point and never really thought about it that way. Thank you.

except that stuff is accounted for in your sedentary level of activity on profile setup.

If people were actually too big to do their own laundry aka bed ridden then chances are they still aren't burning more calories than when they were bigger and just laying there...

I am in the camp where you log intentional exercise only and the "rare" instance where a life activity is very taxing for example cutting down trees and chopping for fire wood.

artanis50 · August 2017

@SezxyStef That was my original thought as well.

JadeQuetzal · August 2017

I will if it's something I don't do very regularly, like mowing. I have a reel mower and an uneven inclined back yard, so if that's not exercise then nothing is. Or I'll log if I go on a cleaning frenzy as that's rare for me and I go all out. I do understand some people logging little things though. It might seem silly to you, but I was bedridden a while back with health issues. Something like vacuuming or doing laundry was very strenuous to me at that point. Those little things are big steps towards improvement for some people, so I completely get it.

SezxyStef · August 2017

JadeQuetzal wrote: »

I will if it's something I don't do very regularly, like mowing. I have a reel mower and an uneven inclined back yard, so if that's not exercise then nothing is. Or I'll log if I go on a cleaning frenzy as that's rare for me and I go all out. I do understand some people logging little things though. It might seem silly to you, but I was bedridden a while back with health issues. Something like vacuuming or doing laundry was very strenuous to me at that point. Those little things are big steps towards improvement for some people, so I completely get it.

I still don't.

precieved effort is not a good indicator of anything...other than how you are feeling. Even sweating is not a good indicator of how hard you are working...

I mean there are sometimes my runs are so easy that I feel like it was too easy...but the next time I do 3miles I might feel it was hard...but they are both 3 mile runs on a treadmill a couple days apart...doesn't mean the one that "felt" hard was any more strenuous than the one that "felt" easy.

AS I said I feel that there are certain life activities that given the actual burn that yes log them but most no.

lauracups · August 2017

I only logged anything up and above my norm, raking, shoveling, heavy spring cleaning. I saw on 600lb Life a person who was very happy to start being able to stand and do laundry, for them that was an activity that wasn't in their norm, so maybe very very sedentary persons are logging housework.

vivelajackie · August 2017

I personally do not log my exercise. My work schedule is on 4, off 3. When I work, I walk, a lot. I also go to the gym three times a week. Currently, I'm set as "Lightly active" and I'm not losing at a devastatingly fast pace (recommended 2-3lbs a week on average). Now... if I were down to my goal weight where maintenance was lower and I had to balance the calories on a more precise level, I may. I still wouldn't log my daily chores as exercise though since that's factored in to my activity levels.

laurenebargar · August 2017

I only log things like walking the dog, (its normally 2+ hours not just taking her outside to use the bathroom) hiking, tennis and swimming. But I also have my fitbit linked to MFP, so days where I am extra busy (I'm set as sedentary) I get more "exercise" calories, I dont typically eat those, maybe 25% but if its purposeful exercise I eat 50%-75%

The only thing I can imagine every logging is maybe when we eventually move, I have ALOT of stuff, alot of lifting and walking back and forth. But thats not an every day activity

snickerscharlie · August 2017

I have my activity level on MFP set to sedentary, and therefore log my 'purposeful' exercise separately.

I will also occasionally log 'non-purposeful' exercise because it does burn calories and is outside of the scope of my normal activity.

For example, I never think, "Oh, why don't I clean the garage or go chop some wood to up my calories burned today?" That is the definition of purposeful exercise. I clean the garage or chop the wood simply because it needs to be done. And since it's certainly not something that I do every day, I will enter it as additional exercise.

Bottom line?

All food eaten and exercise calories burned are - if you're doing it right - fairly accurate estimates of CI and CO. They aren't exacting or precise, but are definitely close enough if you know what you're doing. Keeping track of my food and activity as best I can gives me the data I need with which to tweak things a bit if my expectations of what should be happening with my weight management doesn't synch up with the reality of it.

VeronicaA76 · August 2017

I log all my dedication cardio. (The 2 minutes to and from the mailbox is not cardio). I also log cleaning when it's outside of my normal day to day activities, such as spending an hour cleaning out the garage once every few months. When I pull out my fridge and stove to clean under and behind them. Because they are not my usual activities, I log them.

MegaMooseEsq · August 2017

When it comes down to it, this is all a lot of educated guesswork, so I figure that so long as someone is being internally consistent and actually adjusting based on their results, good on them for doing whatever works for them. Of course, if someone posts a "I'm eating a deficit and not losing/gaining weight!" that's another thing entirely.

For me, I didn't track exercise at all until a couple of months ago, but my calorie goals have been high enough and my exercise light enough that it really just served to counter any under-logging I might have been doing. I've more recently started logging anything my Fitbit registers as "active minutes" at the moderate walking speed, but will likely adjust at the end of the month as I think I'm definitely underestimating my burns.

laurabadams · August 2017

I try not to make assumptions about the way people log. Maybe they don't eat back their exercise calories. Maybe they use MFP as a general habit log, where they're just trying to track all their daily habits & activities. Or, as others have suggested, maybe that's all the exercise they can muster due to illness, injury, etc. If that motivates them, all the better. The only time it's a problem is if they are eating back those calories & stop losing weight because they've diminished their deficit.

JadeQuetzal · August 2017

SezxyStef wrote: »

precieved effort is not a good indicator of anything...other than how you are feeling. Even sweating is not a good indicator of how hard you are working...

Other than how you are feeling... makes a HUGE difference. Feeling good about making that effort, tracking it and seeing it in writing, that can make a difference. Putting in writing what you are doing helps keep yourself accountable and see improvement. I'm talking about people with real issues, not people just trying to make themselves feel more active than they are. Yes, it's primarily psychological, but who cares if it helps someone get where they need to be? A large part of this journey is psychological, and as long as someone isnt going "yay, I earned 15 calories washing dishes, I can eat 15 calories more", then there's no cause for concern.

SezxyStef · August 2017

JadeQuetzal wrote: »

SezxyStef wrote: »

precieved effort is not a good indicator of anything...other than how you are feeling. Even sweating is not a good indicator of how hard you are working...

Other than how you are feeling... makes a HUGE difference. Feeling good about making that effort, tracking it and seeing it in writing, that can make a difference. Putting in writing what you are doing helps keep yourself accountable and see improvement. I'm talking about people with real issues, not people just trying to make themselves feel more active than they are. Yes, it's primarily psychological, but who cares if it helps someone get where they need to be? A large part of this journey is psychological, and as long as someone isnt going "yay, I earned 15 calories washing dishes, I can eat 15 calories more", then there's no cause for concern.

and that's great ...but those are the outliers really..not the general population.

Most people here who are logging cleaning etc are not outliers and are doing themselves a disservice by logging their cleaning....or "life activities"

again I did say however that there are exceptions and perhaps what you are talking about is an exception but generally it's the last part of your post...they are looking for reasons to eat more...for one reason or another and it won't end well...but

to each their own.

PS not sure who flagged my post as abuse but it's not and people flagging for no reason can be flagged themselves and warned by the moderators.

collectingblues · August 2017

artanis50 wrote: »

I've seen some people logging things such as vacuuming, doing laundry, making the bed, etc as "exercise" and I don't see the point. I mean I do all those things too. Always have. But I still got fat doing them so I don't think they should count as exercise calories.

What do you think?

I use Runkeeper to track it all. I wouldn't enter vacuuming into Runkeeper, so ...

The exceptions I make are for mowing the lawn and gardening.

I have an electric push lawn mower that isn't self propelled, so my Watch may track the steps -- and that's hit or miss, since it's also like tracking when you push a stroller -- but it's not actually tracking the exertion involved.

Ditto with gardening. I have a 160 square foot garden. Certain times of the year ... it is very work intensive. But if I'm just going out to do a basic harvest, and I'm not actually tilling or prepping anything, I don't count it.

dragon_girl26 · August 2017

No, if it's things like that, I account for it in my daily activity setting. Even climbing the stairs at work are all part of that daily activity. The only thing I count is when I deliberately hit 'record' on my HRM and do a purposeful workout. Recording daily activities as exercise is double dipping to me.

CaptainJoy · August 2017

When I first started, I logged everything to see how many calories I burned in a day. Vacuuming, raking leaves, sweeping, shivering. I discovered that raking leaves on a cold day was a great way to burn calories. Since I was on a 1200 calorie diet, this activity allowed me to splurge on a dinner out or additional 500 calories for the day and still lose weight. This was before getting an activity tracker/pedometer. It gave me great insight into how many calories I was burning in an average day. I no longer log or use a tracker. I have been maintaining my 100+ pound loss because I have learned how to balance my calories in and out by staying active.

cwolfman13 · August 2017

artanis50 wrote: »

I've seen some people logging things such as vacuuming, doing laundry, making the bed, etc as "exercise" and I don't see the point. I mean I do all those things too. Always have. But I still got fat doing them so I don't think they should count as exercise calories.

What do you think?

It's one of the reasons there are so many threads about "it's not working" and "why am I not losing"

Even a sedentary activity level setting is going to account for some general house work and whatnot...

The only time I ever considered logging anything like that was when I was doing way more than normal...like spending the day working on the landscaping or the semi annual deep clean of the house...stuff that was well beyond the ordinary...but even then, I just chalked it up to deserving a couple of beers and some pizza...

toxikon · August 2017

I only log intentional exercise, not chores and the like. I do log my daily lunchtime walks as long as they're longer than 20 minutes. The extra calories give me a bit more wiggle room for dinner.

JadeQuetzal · August 2017

SezxyStef wrote: »

PS not sure who flagged my post as abuse

Not it.

Anyway, that's the whole thing. To each their own. If they are using it as an excuse to eat more, they're only hurting themselves. So unless someone is reaching out for advice, there is no reason to go critiquing logging choices

SezxyStef · August 2017

JadeQuetzal wrote: »

SezxyStef wrote: »

PS not sure who flagged my post as abuse

Not it.

Anyway, that's the whole thing. To each their own. If they are using it as an excuse to eat more, they're only hurting themselves. So unless someone is reaching out for advice, there is no reason to go critiquing logging choices

I don't just responded to a forum inquiry.

candilc9 · August 2017

I like to log stuff like mowing the lawn, working in the garden, dancing, etc., so that when there are changes in weight loss, energy, satiety, etc. I can pinpoint what I did/didn't do, what changed. I also log strength exercises, steps per day and generally try to keep moving, even if it's marching in place while watching YouTube! Little things add up and when I stop doing something little, it sometimes has an overall negative effect, so I try to compensate with a comparable level of activity. Works for me!

1bjray1 · August 2017

I am one of those that tries to record everything for myself since I went back to being sedentary after hip surgery.
I haven't gotten much over 3000 steps yet. But I am out of wheelchair, walker, and not using cane unless the ground is uneven.
I am doing PT twice a week and work with a trainer. I try to exercise on my own. But sometimes steps are difficult for me since still in pain. Getting better.
I am on 1400 calories but stick to that and don't use the exercise points.

Rooskie73 · August 2017

I do log cleaning the house if it is a deep clean that includes washing windows. I also count mowing because of all of the steps I am taking. I have arthritis in my spine and fibromyalgia, so I don't do those things that often. Now on my good days, I am going to the gym. Thank goodness for good days.

JaydedMiss · August 2017

Bonus calories. I really dont see a point but all the power to them if they want to, Just seems to me thats counted in your base activity level, And the more side "exercise" you log, The more factors into possibly overestimating your calorie burns and slowing down/halting your losses.

Adc7225 · August 2017

I think it depends. Last night I needed to get 4K steps to reach my step goal so when I got home I made a point to, I'll say putter around the house. I changed my bed, hung up some clothes, made busy work of doing household chores - like walking items to hang up to the closet one at a time. While, for me this didn't register on my FitBit for some, something like this is a workout.

GrumpyHeadmistress · August 2017

My very rough judgement as to what to log is "does this activity require me to change clothing?". Swimming, running, gym - that's exercise. Mowing the lawn, putting the bin out, housework - that's included in my daily calories.

Thoughts on logging "exercise"

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