Mall Walking?

You can. You can count mowing the lawn (which I did a couple of days ago), gardening, etc. Just walking in the mall, you probably didn't get your heart rate up much, so you need to be careful about how you count it.

Just my opinion, but I only count what is not part of my normal day to day activities. For example, I count washing and waxing my car because it takes about 6 hours and I sweat and work my tail off, or I counted when I had to clean out and rearrange the storage closet at work and it took me 3 days because it was intense physical labor.

I do not count, vacuuming, showering (I've actually seen people count this in their diaries), walking around the grocery store to do my weekly shopping, playing rockband, or anything else that's just kind of what happens during the course of an average day. If you look in the database and on various websites, they list EVERYTHING that you might do in the course of the day (watching tv, reading, typing, washing dishes, etc.)

MFP takes into account the calories that you burn just by being alive (which, in my opinion includes many of the things I mentioned).

I'd rather count not enough than too much. Like I said, just my opinion. If something is working for you, don't change it and so far, this has worked well for me! :flowerforyou:

When calculating recommend daily calorie intake, there are basically 3 components--Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR--the number of calories you would expend sitting in a chair all day), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and exercise.

I believe the daily calorie recommendations include ADL. Walking around a mall shopping is not going to increase energy expenditure much more than if you were just puttering around the house, regardless of how many hours you do it.

Unless an activity results in a SUSTAINED heart rate above 100, I would not count it. The fact that an activity causes you to perspire or even become fatigued is not an indication that it is providing an exercise stimulus.

Again, a certain amount of routine activity is already figured into your daily calorie needs. I would caution against being too liberal counting "activity" calories, unless it is obviously vigorous activity.

I don't know....People tell me my bar tending/serving job doesnt burn calories but Im pretty sure its a better execercise with the running/lifting/ moving etc..... they say you cant count those calories, but I add mine then cut the calorie number in half for the "muscle memory.. example: 4 hour shift 500 calories. id only clock about 200-225 calories, just to be safe :huh: if that makes sense

Like many fitness topics, this one stimulates more detailed discussion w/each new question.

Activities of Daily Living can be a significant part of your daily expenditure. I was not trying to say they weren't. However, it is difficult to quantify and can be a significant variable for some people.

Most daily calorie calculations include an average amount of ADL--moving around the house, occasional stairs, light housework, going to work, etc. For some reason, I cannot find the page that I used to set up my profile in MFP, but I have used many of these tools and they all require you to estimate your average daily level of non-resting, non-exercise activity. Usually you classify yourself at different levels.

So if you are already doing a job like you describe when you set up a profile, and doing it on a regular basis, that amount of ADL should already have been included in your daily calories. (And, again, if you were already doing it when you set up your program, then those calories are not "extra"). Where it would become significant is if someone changed jobs or changed their routine noticeably--either increasing or decreasing the amount. You would definitely notice a difference if you switched to a more sedentary job. Unless you increased exercise or decreased food intake, your weight would go up.

My point was that walking around a mall going shopping does not require much more energy expenditure than sitting in a chair and should not be considered a significant calorie expenditure.

I hope this makes sense. I am not sure I was as clear as I would have liked.