Calories burned doing every-day things

Pollywog39
Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Here's a really good place to find out how many calories you burn doing ordinary things like housework, playing with your children or grandchildren, etc. You can look them up and add to your exercise diary!

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

Hey, anything that helps is good, right????

Enjoy the day!!

Replies

  • Kelly_Wilson1990
    Kelly_Wilson1990 Posts: 3,245 Member
    Here one I use to compare with the one above. It also has some different categories:

    http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Usually those every-day things like housework and playing with the kids are factored into your activity level. Sedentary means you do little to none of it, lightly active means you do some of it, etc.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
    MFP takes these into account already, it's why you choose your lifestyle (sedentary, lightly active etc). So if you're adding them to your diary you're doing yourself a disservice.

    They are also things that I assume most of us where doing while we gained weight so our bodies are used to doing them and therefor not really burning "extra" calories doing them now.

    There are no short cuts here. Just hard work and long term HEALTHY weight loss is the only way to sustain. 74lbs took me an entire year to lose (averages to about 1.3lbs a week) but it's so worth it to not add in things like "vacuuming or playing with my kid" and only add real exercise in.
  • spaztastic13
    spaztastic13 Posts: 229
    I used healthstatus.com also to compare to mfp and they were great untill i invested in a heart rate monitor and compared the other two were way off ....so the best bet is to invest in a HRM!!!
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    Well, some of us were REALLY sedentary, so I'll just live in my dream world and count those extra calories burned when I do more than my usual................................
  • smedlund
    smedlund Posts: 117 Member
    bump
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
    Well, some of us were REALLY sedentary, so I'll just live in my dream world and count those extra calories burned when I do more than my usual................................

    In the short term this does sort of work. But long term you'll find a point where you have to cut it out. I had over 80lbs to lose to hit the TOP of my healthy BMI, so I was Reeeeeeeaaaaaalllllly sedentary and I still didn't count those things. I started with 2lbs a week to lose and found it too restrictive so set it to 1 1/2 lbs a week and early still lost more than that. I'm set to 1lbs a week now because I'm within about 10-15lbs of my ultimate goal weight now :D
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    Thanks for that advice. I'm pretty new here, and don't want to hear discouraging things.........so am trying to be upbeat and motivated! I'll adjust my lifestyle as I go, but I've only been into this "new" path for a few weeks, so am trying to find ways to get more MOVING into my life!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    If you do those things on a daily basis - you'd be better to raise your activity level on this website. It will adjust your calories automatically and then you will only have to log anything extra.

    For me, the ONLY thing I count as exercise is something that gets the ole heart pumping. This can be intense cleaning (if I am moving furniture or sweating like I've been at the gym for 2 hours - I am counting it. I don't clean like that everyday, so it WOULD be considered extra), mowing the lawn (my lawn mower is like pushing a tank through concrete) or working out at the gym. I don't count my daily cleaning or everything I do while at work towards it. My body is used to doing those things day in and day out.
  • Sherie13
    Sherie13 Posts: 250 Member
    I totally think you should count housework and other things as exercise. To the people who say MFP accounts for that, I do not think they do. I put Sedentary for my lifestyle because I sit at a desk job every day. I don't mop all the floors in the house every day... Do you? Just because you did it before you started keeping track does not mean it doesn't count.

    Woggy3939, Welcome to MFP and good luck with your journey! I wish you all the best!
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
    I get ya :D I was where you are a year ago.

    I can say that since I've lost 74lbs in 1 year and 3 weeks I haven't had a plateau at all. I started with just 5 min on the elliptical machine I had collecting dust because I couldn't do more, so I did it twice a day (and logged it as 10 min which isn't exactly right but it was a start) then I started walking, just 30 min "stroll" 3/4 times a week.

    Now I'm running 5k at a time (3.1 miles) on the treadmill after doing Couch to 5k program starting this past June.

    It's just important to realize that those things don't REALLY earn you "extra" food.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I totally think you should count housework and other things as exercise. To the people who say MFP accounts for that, I do not think they do. I put Sedentary for my lifestyle because I sit at a desk job every day. I don't mop all the floors in the house every day... Do you? Just because you did it before you started keeping track does not mean it doesn't count.

    Woggy3939, Welcome to MFP and good luck with your journey! I wish you all the best!

    Actually, yes. I sweep and mop my kitchen floor EVERYDAY. So, my body is used to me doing it every single day. It is also used to me vacuuming (I have a big ole shedding dog and I vacuum nearly every single day). Now. If I'm moving my furniture around or I'm scrubbing my kitchen floor on my hands and knees (which I do once a month to once every 6 weeks) then I may count it. But, honestly.. I'm not going to count the little things I do all the time as my exercise.

    That being said, I don't work at a desk. I work on my feet - so my activity level is automatically different than someone who works at a desk job.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    I don't count anything that I was already doing when I gained the weight. If it is a new exercise for me, then I count it.
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    I totally think you should count housework and other things as exercise. To the people who say MFP accounts for that, I do not think they do. I put Sedentary for my lifestyle because I sit at a desk job every day. I don't mop all the floors in the house every day... Do you? Just because you did it before you started keeping track does not mean it doesn't count.

    ===========
    THANKS, Sherie13, for that vote of confidence! I, too, have a desk job........and spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer. When I said I want to chart my activity, this would be the stuff OUTSIDE the norm - not the general day-to-day stuff, but the more heavy housework and the more intense walks. And playing with my Grandson? Whoa, THAT is a workout! He's a 4-yr-old boy that gets me movin' and groovin' WAY outside my norm!

    So, yes, this is MORE than my sedentary daily life, and I need that motivation to continue down this path.
  • Sherie13
    Sherie13 Posts: 250 Member
    I totally think you should count housework and other things as exercise. To the people who say MFP accounts for that, I do not think they do. I put Sedentary for my lifestyle because I sit at a desk job every day. I don't mop all the floors in the house every day... Do you? Just because you did it before you started keeping track does not mean it doesn't count.

    Woggy3939, Welcome to MFP and good luck with your journey! I wish you all the best!

    Actually, yes. I sweep and mop my kitchen floor EVERYDAY. So, my body is used to me doing it every single day. It is also used to me vacuuming (I have a big ole shedding dog and I vacuum nearly every single day). Now. If I'm moving my furniture around or I'm scrubbing my kitchen floor on my hands and knees (which I do once a month to once every 6 weeks) then I may count it. But, honestly.. I'm not going to count the little things I do all the time as my exercise.

    That being said, I don't work at a desk. I work on my feet - so my activity level is automatically different than someone who works at a desk job.

    I am not saying you should count it if you do it every day.. I think your activity level should reflect it if you do it every day. But once a week or month or whatever should definitely be counted. That is not taken into account by your activity level. I'm about to put on my HRM right now and mop the floor!

    :smile:
  • trailrider1963
    trailrider1963 Posts: 69
    bump
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    bump


    what does that mean, when you post "bump"???

    thanks!
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