Logging 'cleaning' and 'shopping' cals burned etc

smudger_24
smudger_24 Posts: 107 Member
edited October 6 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

How many of you log calories for cleaning and shopping etc? I know alot of people do but I personally dont understand why, cleaning and shopping is just a day - day thing that people do and something that people obviously done whilst overweight or before they started the diet. I also think people using the MFP estimates are way off, I have seen people logging that they have burned 700 calories doing clothes shopping for an hour and a half!?!? This is so unrealistic, those of you that have a HRM will know that you have to kick your own *kitten* for an hour on the cross trainer for an hour or so to get that kind of burn so why would walking round the clothes shop burn the same!?!?

I think being on a diet and changing your lifestyle to be healthy is to incorporate more exercise and change your normal routines to be healthier, I understand there are people who may have physical problems that cannot get to a gym and the only form of exercise they have is cleaning and shopping by the way so this is not aimed at them.

Do you praise people for cleaning and shopping!?!?

P.S I only log workouts.....
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Replies

  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I just try to avoid "cleaning" at all costs-- especially on days that I've already DONE my cardio!
  • robinogue
    robinogue Posts: 1,117 Member
    for me, I only log workout calories burned. I have the "UP" band by jawbone and I don't even log my steps. The only thing I will log is if I work in the yard, I incorporate squats, lunges, bending etc as I work and generally I'm very sore after.

    And no, I don't praise people for cleaning or shopping... Bad?!? I don't know...
  • lawmama_
    lawmama_ Posts: 103 Member
    I log for cleaning. My lifestyle is generally sedentary. As a law student, I sit, read, and study ALL day. When I do get around to cleaning, my heart rate goes up and sometimes I even break a sweat. Logging for cleaning is fine if your lifestyle is sedentary because the mere act of cleaning is actually a physical activity to someone who is sedentary.
  • HRgoldenlife
    HRgoldenlife Posts: 53 Member
    I do not log everyday things that I do, like walk, go up the stairs, pick up my 35lb son, shop, clean, etc. Seems weird to do that...plus MFP accounts for regular activity, it asks you how active you are, etc.
    I only log workouts.
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
    I log cleaning once a week b/c it's a three hour job I do for some old people and I am cleaning the entire time. I have my activity level set low and don't count cleaning at home, just intensive cleaning for the jobs, since it's not my normal, everyday type activity. Each person has reasons they log how they log. As long as it's working for them, why does anybody else care??
  • 4thehardman
    4thehardman Posts: 731 Member
    I can tell you, trying to squeeze my butt into size smaller jeans definately burns calories!

    More seriously though, some people that do that may not yet be sure which 'activity level' they are to get an accurate calorie goal from MFP, if they are sedentary then they should log everything.

    Try not to be so judgmental though. I don't really see why it bothers you so much.
  • PlanetVelma
    PlanetVelma Posts: 1,223 Member
    I log for cleaning. My lifestyle is generally sedentary. As a law student, I sit, read, and study ALL day. When I do get around to cleaning, my heart rate goes up and sometimes I even break a sweat. Logging for cleaning is fine if your lifestyle is sedentary because the mere act of cleaning is actually a physical activity to someone who is sedentary.

    My activity level is also set at sedentary. I log "cleaning" when I do a huge deep cleaning, I also log cooking on the days that I do bulk cooking. It's a lot of work and I'm exhausted afterwards. I do have an HRM so I do wear it when I'm doing any heavy duty house work.

    Hell, I intend on wearing my HRM the next time I wash my dogs! They tend not to stay still and lifting my 75 lb staffy mix into the tub along with chasing our boston (post bath time) is definitely burning some calories!
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
    I chose a sedentary profile when I started because I work in an office most of the time. So I log any siginificant activity. Minor tiding up I do not log but if I spend a half hour or more vacuuming, doing laundry and clenaing up the house, I do log it. For me I am trying to i ncrease my overall activity level so I need incentive to keep moving.

    I usally will log shopping as slow walking. I do think about how much time I am really walking and try to log just that. I may been out for 2 hours but was really only walking about 20 or 30 minutes.

    In the end the proof is in the weight loss. Maybe it is overestimating the calories but for me it has kept me on track for a slow loss that I can live with.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    I log cleaning because I break a big fat sweat when I scrub my floors. According to my HRM, I burn about 300 calories in 2 hours when it's floor cleaning day.
  • JayLe81
    JayLe81 Posts: 47 Member
    I log for cleaning. My lifestyle is generally sedentary. As a law student, I sit, read, and study ALL day. When I do get around to cleaning, my heart rate goes up and sometimes I even break a sweat. Logging for cleaning is fine if your lifestyle is sedentary because the mere act of cleaning is actually a physical activity to someone who is sedentary.


    I agree here.... When I log cleaning it's when I do things that I normally DONT do everyday. Mopping, scrubbing, etc... things that make me work and break a sweat. I also have been trying to make the everyday activities into lil workouts. :)
  • ccarre81
    ccarre81 Posts: 134 Member
    I only log those activities (cleaning or food preparation) when I do at least 3 hours straight. After 3 or 4 hours in the kitchen (usually Sunday's weekly food prep) I'm not in the mood for a workout afterwards. And to account for the overestimates of MFP, I'll only log for 60 or 90 minutes. It's a personal choice though... I log to judge my calorie allowance for the day.
  • AlSalzman
    AlSalzman Posts: 296 Member
    If I'm just doing housework for a few minutes, then no. Running the vacuum doesn't really elevate my heart rate.

    Larger jobs that require some exertion? Sure. An hour of mowing the lawn with a push mower or moving boxes from the garage to the attic requires some effort. I have no problem with including that in my calorie count.
  • smudger_24
    smudger_24 Posts: 107 Member
    I can tell you, trying to squeeze my butt into size smaller jeans definately burns calories!

    More seriously though, some people that do that may not yet be sure which 'activity level' they are to get an accurate calorie goal from MFP, if they are sedentary then they should log everything.

    Try not to be so judgmental though. I don't really see why it bothers you so much.

    Im not being judgemental and it doesnt bother me, I am using this forum to ask an opinion on something, which is what is for!!!
  • kpaulsen
    kpaulsen Posts: 25
    I also log for cleaning, but even if it's vigorous cleaning (tub scrub, vacuuming stairs, etc. and YES! washing the dog I always work up a sweat) I always use the "light-moderate cleaning" to make sure I'm not padding my numbers for the day.

    Ever wonder why you can be exhausted after shopping all day? Because you're burning calories while doing it! For a lunch-break quickie store run, I wouldn't enter time, but for 2+ hour mall trip or multiple store stops I would.

    I usually use "walking 2.0 miles per hour," be realistic about how much I was actively walking (instead of dawdling and stopping to look at items) and figure that it all balances out in the end.

    Like another commenter, after sitting most of the day at a desk, moving around for those 3 or so hours ever day does add up.
  • 2BSEXY48
    2BSEXY48 Posts: 7 Member
    Most of the day , i am sedentary because i have a desk job. I log vacumming, going up and down the stairs, etc because it is physical activity and you do burn calories while doing this just as you do when you exercise. There is nothing wrong with this...every little bit makes a difference! I wish everyone the best of luck!!
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
    im still trying to figure out how to log in the "other" cardio exercises! :)
  • josery1630
    josery1630 Posts: 205 Member
    I work a desk job and am usually sedentary during the days. When I spend 4-5, sometimes 8-9 hours on my feet cooking or cleaning and can't get a workout in because I'm doing these things, then yes, I'll log part of my cooking/cleaning. I usually only log 1/3 of what I've actually done, though. One night I came home from work and spent 5 1/2 hours cooking non-stop, walking all over the kitchen, rolling out dough, moving quickly to make sure things don't burn, and I logged 2 hours of that time. I think that's fair.

    As for the people who log excessive amounts of calories when they do these things, I think that's a little silly, but it's their personal journey, not mine. I just delete them from my friends if I completely disagree with what they're doing. It's my journey too and I don't want people who aren't accountable.
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    As my lifestyle setting is sedentary. I log pretty much everything I do that does not involve sitting at my desk.

    If I had a more active lifestyle setting I would obviously not log calories burned that were already taken into account by the program.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    I only log my workout... anything burned 'cleaning' or extra walking (like stairs instead of the elevator) is just extra for me.

    @raven - 'Quick enter it' and put your own name for the excercise.. you just have to know how many calories were burned.
  • Skinny_Kitty
    Skinny_Kitty Posts: 136 Member
    I do not log cleaning such as dusting, bathrooms, vaccuuming, etc... however I do log when I mow the lawn and work in the yard as sometimes I am more out of breath from that than I am on the treadmill or eliptical!!
  • Phoenix24601
    Phoenix24601 Posts: 620 Member
    I only log it rarely. If the cleaning is my bathroom and I am taking over an hour.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    I log everyday activities only if I do more than what I would do on an average day. And I am very careful to be conservative. For instance, this week I was going up and down stairs putting away christmas decoration boxes. I logged it as walking slowly for 15 minutes.

    I think you have to just be sensible about this.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
    I will occasionally log a particularly LONG/BIG cleaning day that is way above and beyond what I would normally do. Or maybe a particularly long day on my feet (major Black Friday Shopping:-). But even if I do several hours of it, I will only log an hour or so.

    Otherwise, I just log exercise.
  • TriedEverything
    TriedEverything Posts: 188 Member
    I don't generally tend to log the odd bit of cleaning, but if I think Iv'e made more effort than usual (& for longer than usual) then I might. Re shopping - well, I might log it as a gentle walk or something. Really big shopping sprees (where you trail round for several hours) must surely burn a few calories, so I would say that's worth logging! (especially if you don't do it very often).

    But I do agree that the figures MFP gives for calories burned is very unrealistic, and I've heard many other people say that too! (although it would be great if they were correct! :happy: :ohwell: )
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    I never clean my own house, we pay my MIL to clean for us. So if I actually run the vacuum, sweep and mop floors, dust and clean toilets, then I promise you I will work up a sweat.

    I personally find these kinds of threads insulting and demoralizing. I don't understand WHY anyone else cares what someone logs as exercise. If you have a very obese person who manages to move around their house and do some activity, then why look down on them for logging that as exercise. If same person then complains they are not losing weight and can't understand why, that may be a different story. But to just judge based on what some deem as exercise can be hurtful to those who feel a sense of accomplishment. Try to remember not everyone is in the same place as you.
  • Hambone23
    Hambone23 Posts: 486 Member
    Like some others have said: I've led a sedentary lifestyle, and for me to get up and do a big cleaning, I sweat, I get out of breath, I'm exhausted afterward. It -is- exercise for me. A light go around the house? I'd never log that. But if I'm heavy cleaning for a 30 minute period of time and breaking a sweat, I know my heart rate is up, and dangit if I'm not going to log that. :P

    Sometimes, too, people need to take their small victories where they get them.
  • AmeChops
    AmeChops Posts: 744 Member
    Regular day-to-day cleaning no...but the every couple of months big clean ohhhhh yes!!

    On a kind of side note but similar thing...I also log standing...yep you heard it...standing!! I work with an animal rescue and occasionally we do stalls at events and I am literally on my feet chatting away to people for 2-7 hours.

    On the very rare times that I do go shopping, if I'm out for a few hours wandering around I'll probably log, something like, 1 hour of walking at a slow pace.

    I've got my level set at sedentary so anything that really isn't sedentary or day-to-day gets logged :-))
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    My question for you is, why does it matter? Why do you care? And if you're not being judgmental, why would you ask if we praise people for their cleaning/shopping? Your tone clearly suggests that you think they are unworthy of praise for doing such a mundane bit of exercise.
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
    what i meant was like couple's extra cardio activities LOL :)
  • Want2weigh165
    Want2weigh165 Posts: 29 Member
    I feel that cleaning/shopping are regular activities for ME and I DONT log them BUT others who will clean and want to burn extra calories by scrubbing harder or longer, vacuuming more vigorously etc so they can burn more cals I can understand them logging it. maybe someone who was not in charge of cleaning before or now is cleaning more often b/c it's the only exercise they get I say hey go for it and keep up the good work! I don't look down on any form of exercise b/c what is most important is getting that heart rate up and moving around!
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