is heavy cleaning legitamate exercise?
Replies
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I wouldn't call it exercise but I would call it a legitimate extra activity that burns calories above your normal activity setting.
Totally irrelevant if you had the same varied levels of activity when you gained your weight.
Totally irrelevant the purpose of the activity if it's something not otherwise accounted for.
If I cycle to work because the trains aren't running it still burns the same calories as cycling for exercise. If I do 3 hours of heavy duty gardening that's on top of my normal activity level I'm still burning extra calories.
If you are calorie counting then count something that's significant. That level of significance is personal to you.
I never said it wasn't extra activity that burns more what I said was I wouldn't log it as such.
I feel that way because it doesn't help you lose weight...it isn't about "exercise" or "earning more calories" it's something you do and have done for a while.
As for the cycle analogy I wouldn't count it either...I find that people that log these "extra" things when it's not exercise are doing themselves a disservice in the long run.
But yah the choice is a personal preference...as is everything else in life.
I'm extremely comfortable taking the opposite view.
And I was, and continue to be, very successful following my method both for weight loss and long term maintenance.
Not logging 36 miles of cycling because it gets me to and from work - hmm, now that would be a very strange idea of calorie counting to leave out about 1000 net cals burned.
36 miles is a fair amount I agree...but you didn't specifiy it was that much either...
for me it would have been 10miles round trip...and a lot of it down hill on the way home so not really peddling much so see why I wouldn't log it. And to be fair like I said I help with the winters wood and as a lark I did track it once...apparently it burns 750 calories each day and it's 2 days worth of work...I still don't log it. However I might go over my calories a bit that day but probably not...if I do it's from the beer.
moving the goal posts in that post wasn't really that fair but have at doesn't change the premise of the OP or my original post.
I still say logging "heavy cleaning" or "throwing in wood" or "gardening" is not somethign I would recommend.
But again personal preference. If people want to log these things have at. I don't agree and there isn't much that can be said for me to say Yes Log heavy cleaning while you are in the middle of losing weight it will help you with your weight loss goals.
I didn't move any goal posts - you just made an assumption. Why you would assume replacing a train journey with a bike ride would be an insignificant distance is a mystery to me apart from it just being your usual argumentative style I guess - the written form of "listening to respond". (Google that phrase if you aren't familiar with it.)
You could have asked what the distance or duration was but instead you want to "win" the discussion.
But it shows up one of the flaws in your thinking, your body doesn't have any sense of why you are burning calories so the intention is irrelevant. Estimating your calorie balance is the point of calorie counting.
For some poor soul on a very low calorie allowance the point extra activity or exercise becomes significant is at a much lower level than for me.
because I am not that far from work but regardless I did assume you are correct (note to self ensure when people don't give all relevant information you ask for clarification) and no I don't need to google "listen to respond" but perhaps not everyone is familiar with why folks take the train and apply their own personal experience of getting to work to what you said...you know what they say about assumptions...(google it if you are not familiar with it)
and you did move the goal posts because the OP is about heavy cleaning not biking 36 miles.
it's not about winning actually..I have said it in almost every post...it's a personal choice what you log for extra calories.
As well it's not a flaw in my thinking...exercise is not required for weight loss or maintenance period. So things not done for health and fitness for me are not included in exercise hence not logged as such.
But that's me...and I still do not recommend logging "heavy cleaning" etc as exercise so you can eat more.7 -
Correct.exercise is not required for weight loss or maintenance period
But completely irrelevant to what I was talking about - attempting accurate calorie estimation.
It's almost like you are trying to move the goal posts!
Anyway I'm off for a cycle ride, I may be gone some time.
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Correct.exercise is not required for weight loss or maintenance period
But completely irrelevant to what I was talking about - attempting accurate calorie estimation.
It's almost like you are trying to move the goal posts!
Anyway I'm off for a cycle ride, I may be gone some time.
which was irrelevant to the OP of should I log heavy cleaner as exercise calories so I can eat more food...
have fun...my bike has dust on it from lack of use this summer.0 -
For real, I'm so overweight that I get winded and sweaty cleaning my 4 x 7 bathroom. Because I share it with my two brothers, that's my Sunday exercise. Spend 45 minutes unnecessarily cleaning every speck off the enamel just for my brother to get dirt from what I presume is him literally rolling in the street of his school? Checkarooney.2
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I'll provide a definitive answer since no one else seems to have it.
If it's a once in a blue moon type activity then don't count it. If the activity felt significant, eat back the calories only if you feel like you physically need them in the short-term. Don't eat back if you don't physically need them - running an excess deficit for one day based on one activity won't kill anyone (unless that activity was like running a marathon or riding a stage of the Tour de France or something).
If it's an activity that you don't usually do but it replaced your normal workout for the day in intensity and duration, then go ahead and count it as exercise.
If it's an activity that you regularly do, then either include it in your base activity level or count it as incremental exercise whichever you prefer.1 -
I'd note that some people want to accumulate the best possible set of log data, for eventual use in estimating personal loss rate or TDEE from their own data (which, when collected carefully, is inherently more accurate than calculator estimates).
These people should carefully estimate and log any substantial calorie-burning activity that was not included in setting their activity level. Whether and how much to eat back is an independent question. The latter depends on how frequent it is, how one feels, and more.
In elementary school, surprisingly many people were not very good at math class "story problems". Weight loss via calorie counting is nothing but a big story problem.
(Yes, this is tangent to OP's initial question. Apologies for the slight digression, OP; IMO it's relevant to the surrounding discussion.)
P.S. I agree with every word @sijomial said in posts above. Every word.6 -
I'd note that some people want to accumulate the best possible set of log data, for eventual use in estimating personal loss rate or TDEE from their own data (which, when collected carefully, is inherently more accurate than calculator estimates).
This makes an even stronger case to eliminate minor one-offs from trend analysis.
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I'd note that some people want to accumulate the best possible set of log data, for eventual use in estimating personal loss rate or TDEE from their own data (which, when collected carefully, is inherently more accurate than calculator estimates).
This makes an even stronger case to eliminate minor one-offs from trend analysis.
Nope. Its a case for accuracy.4 -
sometimes I do out of the ordinary heavy cleaning where I volunteer. Today I cleaned for 3.5hrs. sweeping, putting things away, making several trips to the trash bin & lift up heavy bags to throw in, lots of raking, mopping, cleaning kennels non stop, drenched with sweat the whole time. I don't do this every day & don't log my hour walk or anything else I do at home. Is this legit to add as exercise?
Sure, I would log some of it.
When my basement flooded and I was doing clean up I logged a portion of my activity here. It was definitely more physical activity than a normal day and was more of a workout than most workout videos. Climbing up and down stairs multiple times carrying very heavy things, moving washers and dryer, sweeping, mopping hard, stooping, walking all day.
I wasn't going to eat 1200 calories and pass out because the strenuous activity wasn't exercise at a gym.
If I had been wearing an activity tracker it would have acknowledged it same as if I had gone for a hike.
It is up to your judgement.5 -
I'd note that some people want to accumulate the best possible set of log data, for eventual use in estimating personal loss rate or TDEE from their own data (which, when collected carefully, is inherently more accurate than calculator estimates).
This makes an even stronger case to eliminate minor one-offs from trend analysis.
No it actually doesn't.
You would exclude bad data but wouldn't exclude small data for accuracy in plotting trends.2 -
Avocado_Angel wrote: »I used to work as a cleaner & my Samsung watch told me id done a 'dynamic workout' so yeah, pretty sure it counts.
so if you did such dynamic workouts why are you on here trying to lose weight?
Because you can't outrun a bad diet?
ETA: I see I am late to this game and this has been well-covered.
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I'd note that some people want to accumulate the best possible set of log data, for eventual use in estimating personal loss rate or TDEE from their own data (which, when collected carefully, is inherently more accurate than calculator estimates).
This makes an even stronger case to eliminate minor one-offs from trend analysis.
No it actually doesn't.
You would exclude bad data but wouldn't exclude small data for accuracy in plotting trends.
I would say that any guesstimate for incremental calories burned through heavy cleaning is bad data. Just writing a number down on paper or creating an MFP entry does not make it good data. It's a one-off guess with no reasonable comparison to derive any kind of calorie burn figure.
Couple that with the thinking that the incremental impact is likely small enough so as to not have any impact on weight loss results, and this is noise around the signal. Meaningless towards weight loss results and meaningless towards the resulting data interpretation.
Recurring activities or exercises are different in that there are references to provide as starting points for estimates and/or enough frequency of occurrence such that over time an individual can actually determine a reasonable estimate for the impact of that activity on weight loss results.0 -
I'd note that some people want to accumulate the best possible set of log data, for eventual use in estimating personal loss rate or TDEE from their own data (which, when collected carefully, is inherently more accurate than calculator estimates).
This makes an even stronger case to eliminate minor one-offs from trend analysis.
No it actually doesn't.
You would exclude bad data but wouldn't exclude small data for accuracy in plotting trends.
I would say that any guesstimate for incremental calories burned through heavy cleaning is bad data. Just writing a number down on paper or creating an MFP entry does not make it good data. It's a one-off guess with no reasonable comparison to derive any kind of calorie burn figure.
Couple that with the thinking that the incremental impact is likely small enough so as to not have any impact on weight loss results, and this is noise around the signal. Meaningless towards weight loss results and meaningless towards the resulting data interpretation.
Recurring activities or exercises are different in that there are references to provide as starting points for estimates and/or enough frequency of occurrence such that over time an individual can actually determine a reasonable estimate for the impact of that activity on weight loss results.
Unless one makes a truly nutbar estimate, that estimate is likely to be more accurate than "zero".2 -
You guys stay scientific with your numerators and demulcifiers and all. I'd just say that mentally, this method is not a positive one. As a former landscaper that worked 8-8, 7 days a week. Unfortunately, it was not some hardcore workout that got me in "pool boy" shape. Focus on real, efficient workouts as your exercise. When results come, the association is with your personal hard work and time you took to get there. Not shifting desks or something.
Building real muscle and transforming your body is hard work mentally and physically. Focus on your main goals and routines that get you there.1 -
I count my hard exercise. I clean out my turtle tank and that means hauling 55 gallons of water out and 55 gallons in. It takes an hour and I am very sore the next day. Even when I was thin and in shape it was a great work out.
I would just look at whether it was a real workout or not before logging it. I always underestimate my exercise and over estimate my food so I don't ever accidently go over.0 -
chrisrcallahan wrote: »You guys stay scientific with your numerators and demulcifiers and all. I'd just say that mentally, this method is not a positive one. As a former landscaper that worked 8-8, 7 days a week. Unfortunately, it was not some hardcore workout that got me in "pool boy" shape. Focus on real, efficient workouts as your exercise. When results come, the association is with youxr personal hard work and time you took to get there. Not shifting desks or something.
Building real muscle and transforming your body is hard work mentally and physically. Focus on your main goals and routines that get you there.
You could literally workout in a gym 6 hours a day 5 days a week but if you are shoveling Big Macs and milk shakes you can stay fat. CICO is what loses weight. I log my workouts so I understand if I need more calories or if it's just a craving. If I am more that 500 calories below my goal and feel hunger than I might need more food.
You don't have to go to the gym to get fit. I know someone who lost 30 lbs by just switching from a desk job to a physical job and watched his calories. You body can't tell where the calories lost come from.5 -
I have a fitbit, no HR monitor, and it picks up my actual exercise. House cleaning, cooking etc doesn't even cause a blip in my day, calorie wise.
So, the only activity that i log on mfp is actual exercise, not everyday/weekly/biweekly/monthly activities. That to me seems to be seriously clutching at straws.1 -
Surely whether or not the activity is logged is irrelevant? The decision to eat back those estimated calories or not is what will make a difference. Log whatever you want, but be sensible about what you eat.2
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I'd note that some people want to accumulate the best possible set of log data, for eventual use in estimating personal loss rate or TDEE from their own data (which, when collected carefully, is inherently more accurate than calculator estimates).
This makes an even stronger case to eliminate minor one-offs from trend analysis.
No it actually doesn't.
You would exclude bad data but wouldn't exclude small data for accuracy in plotting trends.
I would say that any guesstimate for incremental calories burned through heavy cleaning is bad data. Just writing a number down on paper or creating an MFP entry does not make it good data. It's a one-off guess with no reasonable comparison to derive any kind of calorie burn figure.
Couple that with the thinking that the incremental impact is likely small enough so as to not have any impact on weight loss results, and this is noise around the signal. Meaningless towards weight loss results and meaningless towards the resulting data interpretation.
Recurring activities or exercises are different in that there are references to provide as starting points for estimates and/or enough frequency of occurrence such that over time an individual can actually determine a reasonable estimate for the impact of that activity on weight loss results.
Unless one makes a truly nutbar estimate, that estimate is likely to be more accurate than "zero".
No, it's not. Adding a uninformed/unknowable estimate to your data is not more accurate nor is it better than leaving a zero. If anything I would make note of the activity in order to explain potential differences in actual results vs. expectations after the fact for data tracking purposes.
Building a wild guess into numbers up front for a one-time event is introducing unneeded noise and complexity into the model. Better to leave it at zero and reconcile at the end.2 -
My mom cleans for 8-9 hours once a week (large house) plus general tidying up throughout the week, so you bet it's legitimate exercise. It burns a lot of calories to be moving for that long.
How should you go about it? It's up to you. Do you wish to leave it for extra credit if it's not frequent? You could. Do you feel like eating more food? You could log it. Calories burned are calories burned. I don't subscribe to the group that says out of the ordinary heavy cleaning doesn't count, but I also don't subscribe to the group that counts everything. Due to my back condition I rarely do prolonged heavy cleaning, but if I did I would log it if I felt like eating more and wouldn't log it if I didn't feel like eating more. There is no concern of undereating since it's not a frequent activity, and there is no concern of overeating for the same reason.0 -
wow, so much info, opinion. Just to clarify, no I've never worked so hard for so long there before, I couldn't, I was too overweight, so it was more or less a one time thing, but if I work that hard again, I'm going to log it. It felt like I was in my HIIT class & I did a lot of the same type of moves, ie lifting,squatting etc without stopping & for much longer. When I do less there, which I normally do, I don't log that because I do it several times a week. I have my activity level set on "lightly active" which also includes walking my dogs for hour+ every day & being on my feet most of the day, going on second walk several days a week or any other "extra" thing I do2
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