My typical day... Am I active?

Ilovepeppers
Ilovepeppers Posts: 396 Member
I wake up around 8 am
I get the there children (ages 1, 2 & 3) and change diapers
I make a simple breakfast and then clean up the kitchen after the kids finish eating
I bathe the kids/dress the kids
I clean the bathrooms (very brief)
I make lunch (usually bake chicken)
I clean up the kitchen/hand wash dishes after lunch/change diapets
Sit a while/read/MFP
Make dinner, change diapers, get kids ready for bed, put them down
Thoroughly clean kitchen (clean counters, sweep, put dishes away)
Straighten up hall

And, about four days a week I take a walk to the store (about 2 miles round trip)

I've had my settings on sedetary; am I actually active? I picked sed. since I'm home all day, but I didn't consider how much I do. What would you put?

Replies

  • your very active! :)
    being a mommy is a verrrrrry active job! plus cleaning!
    :flowerforyou:
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Personally I would say lightly active. It depends on how much hard work physically you would count the cleaning.
    I would class myself as lightly active now, doing a trip into town (2 mile round trip) around 3-4 times a week and general house stuff. I only counted myself as active when I was working an active job 3 times a week as well.
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
    It's up to you. I walk at least 3-4 miles a day, work out quite strenuosly for 2-3 hrs a day 6 days a week and have a job where I'm on my feet for most of my 12+hr shift.

    I have my activity level set at lightly active.

    Maybe get a heartrate monitor and see how active you really are, it seems a lot of people over estimate in this area.
  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
    id say lightly active (im sure its a tough job) but idk about calories burned wise
  • i wouldn't say active... get yourself a pedometer and see if you are doing over 10,000 steps per day

    i recently did the global corporate challenge and walked to the train and back, walked my hour lunch break and went for an afternoon run or walk, most days i was only just classed as "active" as i have a desk job

    On weekends when i would spend the whole day cleaning my house top to bottom, washing etc etc
    i thought i would have easily clocked up a lot of steps and was surprised to see that i was getting substaintally less!

    You can get pedometers for pretty cheap, its interesting to see how many steps you do.. or don't do per day :)
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    I'd say you're lightly active. To me, sedentary = desk job and very little walking during the day!
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
    It really depends on how high the heartrate gets to burn calories.
  • RachelT14
    RachelT14 Posts: 266 Member
    My day is simillar to your and i have myself set as lightly active. My children are both at school so i walk the 2 mile trip to the next village and back 3-4 days a week at a very fast pace and add that to my excercise diary.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    You sure are active.... any mum with little ones has to be :smile:

    In terms of MFP's activity level settings I would probably set it at lightly active then add in (and eat) exercise cals.

    If you do formal exercise (gym, run, DVDs etc) and don't eat those cals, then you need to include them so I'd set you as active.
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
    What I do is keep my profile at sedentary, and then I log activity like shopping and cleaning since I don't do those every day. Shopping I generally put down at "walking 2.0 mph" or "walking 2.5 mph if I'm at Costco" (because I can walk faster through their aisles, and I'm not stopping as much to peruse). Packing (since I'm moving) I've been logging as "light cleaning" since it's similar movements.
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    Okay, well I listed myself at lightly active and I work 4-5 days a week from 5pm to 3am in my food cart. I stay on my feet 85% of the time, I am working, cleaning, helping customers, going grocery shopping, etc. I found I burn a few more calories per day then I thought when I bought a hrm, but basing your time reading (which sounds like a few hours of free time) I wouldn't say you are "active". Its best for you to underestimate then overestimate... you will see it helps you actually reach your goals :D
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