Logging 'cleaning' and 'shopping' cals burned etc

If Im gonna log every calorie I put in my mouth, then Im gonna log every calorie I burn.....plain and simple!!!!

I generally only log workouts but when I am shopping for 2-3+ hours I definately log it as well since that is not a regular occurence for me.

I don't log my every day cleaning or my regular weekly shopping trips. I did, however, log time yesterday for all the walking I did because it was totally abnormal. I am usually watching football all day on Sundays, and instead, I went Christmas shopping for a total of about three hours (broken by some driving and a nap for the baby at home). So I took it. I would have burned very little watching football on my rump, so I considered it movement I wouldn't normally do.

i assumed that cleaning just went with your lifestyle when you signed up. so no i don't log it either. only when i do something i wouldn't normally do. like if i deep cleaned the whole house from top to bottom (which would never happen)

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.

I completely agree. I don't understand why people care what strangers log as exercise. I don't log my day to day cleaning stuff. I will, however, log lawn mowing (my lawn mower isn't self propelled and is like pushing a tank through sand) and I will also log long, intense cleaning (like steam cleaning or floor scrubbing on my hands and knees). If I'm breaking a huge sweat, I will log it. I may or may not eat back those calories. It just depends.

Everyone is on an individual journey and I'm always so baffled as to why other people are worried so much about what someone else is doing. Focus on your own journey, your own goals, your own success and don't worry about what someone else is doing.

Here is what I do: there is a certain amount of cleaning and shopping that one does every day. That is just part of my "lifestyle." However, because I work a sedentary job and am out of the house during the day, my life on the weekend is quite a bit different. What I do for cleaning on a Saturday is definitely an aerobic activity, and I log it as such. However, since I know that I am likely to stop for a minute or two here and there to read a piece of mail, or to sort through a stack, I only record it for a portion of the time actually worked. If I clean for 3 hours, I am likely to record it as 1.

As for shopping, again, it depends on what you are doing! I used to go shopping with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and the pace at which we moved could not have even qualified as "strolling"! I would never enter that! On the other hand, I've power-walked the mall with my sister as she went from one end to the other trying to make a decision on a purchase between two stores at the opposite ends of the mall (this required several trips). Would I log at least some of that? You betcha!

The big thing here is to use common sense and not to try to fool ourselves. If we are honest WITH OURSELVES about what is exercise and what is not, we will do fine.

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.

I completely agree. I don't understand why people care what strangers log as exercise. I don't log my day to day cleaning stuff. I will, however, log lawn mowing (my lawn mower isn't self propelled and is like pushing a tank through sand) and I will also log long, intense cleaning (like steam cleaning or floor scrubbing on my hands and knees). If I'm breaking a huge sweat, I will log it. I may or may not eat back those calories. It just depends.

Everyone is on an individual journey and I'm always so baffled as to why other people are worried so much about what someone else is doing. Focus on your own journey, your own goals, your own success and don't worry about what someone else is doing.

Yep. The only time I WANT people to care about what I am doing is if I ask. If you have a friend that is stalled and they ask your opinion, then that opens up the opportunity for you to state what you think they are doing wrong. Otherwise it's NUNYA.

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.

i agree with this too, i also sit at a desk most of my time !

If someones activity level is sedentary, and they are doing 'above normal' cleaning and walking, they should probably log it because it isn't a sedentary activity. If I have a marathon shopping day (whole day, carrying kids, etc.) I might log it. If I am moving furniture, steam cleaning, etc. I may log some cleaning, but it has to be very rigorous.

Regular every day cleaning, no. Scrubbing out the bathroom or floor, yes. I try to time it accurately and shave off a few minutes to make yp for the mfp excessive calorie burn calculation. I don't think you only have to workout for the workout's sake. I'm pretty sure cleaning up my kids toys all day burns more calories than my 30 minute yoga video does. Most days, my kids are my work out. I don't have the luxury of paying for a gym membership, custom shoes, high tech heart rate monitors and all the neon colored junk north American media insists you need for a good workout. If I didn't use those chores as workouts, most days I wouldn't get much in. My house and kids need my effort, and it's definitely effort.

Why judge people's workout styles?

I log cleaning... I have an active job & I workout moderatly but cleaning to me is extra its once per week n I clean my whole place quickly n I sweat n I feel it is work for me... but it includes picking up vacuming sweeping mopping and scrubbing especially my hard water stained showers..its work in my opinion

I sit down at my desk most of the day so if I make a special effort to walk to an appoitment that previously I would have driven to I log it. Also log all my workout calories. When I walk to the shop or clean around the office I do not log as I would have done this previously...

I think it depends on what is "everyday" for each individual. MFP can't know what is normal and every day for everybody - that would be totally ridiculous.
I log cleaning pretty much anything beyond the counters, because that's the only thing I do every day. I also log shopping but, as someone else mentioned, I don't log the time I'm shopping I estimate the time I'm actually walking around -- then cut that in half.