am i cheating by counting cooking and cleaning as cardio?

Calories burned are calories burned no matter HOW they are burned. YES, they DO count as calories burned. What scientific reason could there be that they didn't count?

Yes, all calories burned count. The question is though is what counts as "regular daily activity", are these calories already accounted for in your settings, and does "sedentary" really mean doing nothing as some posters in this thread seem to imply.

And also it relates to ACTUAL calories burned. I can add up all my cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and come up with hundreds of calories burned for a couple hours worth of time. MFP counts these burns much higher than they actually are. When I run or use the elliptical for 45 minutes, I burn about 400-500 calories according to the machine. That is strenuous effort for me, I am working hard. There is no way I burn that many calories in 45 minutes or an hour of shopping, vacuuming, or cooking. So yes, I can log those things, but it doesn't mean I am actually burning those calories.

For me, there is a huge difference between FEELING wiped out or exhausted from doing things like cooking, cleaning and shopping, and actually BEING wiped out from doing a real workout. I figure that the moving around from cleaning and shopping and being on my feet is a good thing, but don't count it towards calories burned, because I know the difference in myself between when I really workout and when I don't. I've seen people burn a ton more calories from "cleaning" than I have over the same amount of time for busting my butt on the treadmill or elliptical, pouring sweat with a high heart rate and weak legs. It just doesn't quite add up for me.

I've seen a lot of people mention that they wanted the extra calories so they could eat more, or not see the red on their profile, or feel better that they got a huge calorie burn in. But your body responds to the actual calories in and out, not what the log on MFP says you did.

Also, for my weight loss, I've tried to get away from "deserving" to eat or "earning" it, because that's the same mentality I used when I would stuff myself after a long day, or a celebration, or when I was feeling down. Now I try to think about what my body needs. Using the "extra" calories because you feel you deserve them is not something that works for me.

Calories burned are calories burned no matter HOW they are burned. YES, they DO count as calories burned. What scientific reason could there be that they didn't count?

Because a vacuum is not a tool in the exercise world. Neither is a freakin' frying pan.

Calories burned are calories burned no matter HOW they are burned. YES, they DO count as calories burned. What scientific reason could there be that they didn't count?

Yes, all calories burned count. The question is though is what counts as "regular daily activity", are these calories already accounted for in your settings, and does "sedentary" really mean doing nothing as some posters in this thread seem to imply.

And also it relates to ACTUAL calories burned. I can add up all my cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and come up with hundreds of calories burned for a couple hours worth of time. MFP counts these burns much higher than they actually are. When I run or use the elliptical for 45 minutes, I burn about 400-500 calories according to the machine. That is strenuous effort for me, I am working hard. There is no way I burn that many calories in 45 minutes or an hour of shopping, vacuuming, or cooking. So yes, I can log those things, but it doesn't mean I am actually burning those calories.

Now you're just making up stuff. MFP says the sedentary setting is based on "spends most of the day sitting" so I'd think that would mean vacuuming, folding laundry, or even standing at the stove wouldn't be included. As to how much you burn, she didn't suggest, nor did anyone else, including me, that cleaning would burn the same number of calories as elliptical training. As opposed to your 400-500 (500 for 150 pound person) calories for elliptical, the MFP database says a 150 pound person burns about 125 calories doing "moderate effort" cleaning. NO ONE said anyone should record elliptical training when they did cleaning. Since some people run, and quite fast, which would burn close to 800 calories in 45 minutes; can I assume you can no longer claim elliptical training, since there is no way you could burn that many calories doing elliptical? Since some exercises burn more than elliptical, elliptical doesn't burn any, right? Or is it possible that she could have actually burned her 125 calories for her 45 minute effort?

Only you can know that, really. On Saturday I cleaned the whole house (2 levels) switched out all the clothes for our family (5 people) from winter to summer, tons of laundry and climbing up to the attic - I logged it because it took 4 hours (I only counted half the calories it said) and I was WIPED out after, I had exercised.

Now last night, I did the kitchen, but it was 15 minutes and I didn't feel like I had done anything, so I didn't log it. If you honestly feel like you've worked out, log it. If you haven't, don't.

Calories burned are calories burned no matter HOW they are burned. YES, they DO count as calories burned. What scientific reason could there be that they didn't count?

Yes, all calories burned count. The question is though is what counts as "regular daily activity", are these calories already accounted for in your settings, and does "sedentary" really mean doing nothing as some posters in this thread seem to imply.

And also it relates to ACTUAL calories burned. I can add up all my cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and come up with hundreds of calories burned for a couple hours worth of time. MFP counts these burns much higher than they actually are. When I run or use the elliptical for 45 minutes, I burn about 400-500 calories according to the machine. That is strenuous effort for me, I am working hard. There is no way I burn that many calories in 45 minutes or an hour of shopping, vacuuming, or cooking. So yes, I can log those things, but it doesn't mean I am actually burning those calories.

Now you're just making up stuff. MFP says the sedentary setting is based on "spends most of the day sitting" so I'd think that would mean vacuuming, folding laundry, or even standing at the stove wouldn't be included. As to how much you burn, she didn't suggest, nor did anyone else, including me, that cleaning would burn the same number of calories as elliptical training. As opposed to your 400-500 (500 for 150 pound person) calories for elliptical, the MFP database says a 150 pound person burns about 125 calories doing "moderate effort" cleaning. NO ONE said anyone should record elliptical training when they did cleaning. Since some people run, and quite fast, which would burn close to 800 calories in 45 minutes; can I assume you can no longer claim elliptical training, since there is no way you could burn that many calories doing elliptical? Since some exercises burn more than elliptical, elliptical doesn't burn any, right? Or is it possible that she could have actually burned her 125 calories for her 45 minute effort?

Um, no...how am I making things up? By saying that people tend to overestimate a calorie burn? Or by my actual observations of this? Or by expressing my opinions in terms of my weight loss?

According to MFP, jogging for an hour burns almost as many calories as about an hour and a half of leisurely shopping, cooking, and cleaning. My point is that some things are highly overestimated. Moving your body is not the same as getting a real workout in. It is good for you, of course, but doesn't affect your body in the same way. When I am working out, my heart rate is higher and is sustained at a higher rate. When I am cooking and cleaning, I am moving, but I am nowhere near the same sustained cardio or fat loss zone as when I do actual workouts. Of course there are different workout levels, and people pushing at different rates. But like I said, feeling burnt out is different to me than really pushing myself during a workout.

I understand "sedentary" to mean a lifestyle that is not on my feet all day, not to mean I am comatose. I can have a sedentary office job and still walk to and from my car, do grocery shopping, and prepare meals.

Calories burned are calories burned no matter HOW they are burned. YES, they DO count as calories burned. What scientific reason could there be that they didn't count?

Yes, all calories burned count. The question is though is what counts as "regular daily activity", are these calories already accounted for in your settings, and does "sedentary" really mean doing nothing as some posters in this thread seem to imply.

And also it relates to ACTUAL calories burned. I can add up all my cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and come up with hundreds of calories burned for a couple hours worth of time. MFP counts these burns much higher than they actually are. When I run or use the elliptical for 45 minutes, I burn about 400-500 calories according to the machine. That is strenuous effort for me, I am working hard. There is no way I burn that many calories in 45 minutes or an hour of shopping, vacuuming, or cooking. So yes, I can log those things, but it doesn't mean I am actually burning those calories.

Now you're just making up stuff. MFP says the sedentary setting is based on "spends most of the day sitting" so I'd think that would mean vacuuming, folding laundry, or even standing at the stove wouldn't be included. As to how much you burn, she didn't suggest, nor did anyone else, including me, that cleaning would burn the same number of calories as elliptical training. As opposed to your 400-500 (500 for 150 pound person) calories for elliptical, the MFP database says a 150 pound person burns about 125 calories doing "moderate effort" cleaning. NO ONE said anyone should record elliptical training when they did cleaning. Since some people run, and quite fast, which would burn close to 800 calories in 45 minutes; can I assume you can no longer claim elliptical training, since there is no way you could burn that many calories doing elliptical? Since some exercises burn more than elliptical, elliptical doesn't burn any, right? Or is it possible that she could have actually burned her 125 calories for her 45 minute effort?

Um, no...how am I making things up? By saying that people tend to overestimate a calorie burn? Or by my actual observations of this? Or by expressing my opinions in terms of my weight loss?

According to MFP, jogging for an hour burns almost as many calories as about an hour and a half of leisurely shopping, cooking, and cleaning. My point is that some things are highly overestimated. Moving your body is not the same as getting a real workout in. It is good for you, of course, but doesn't affect your body in the same way. When I am working out, my heart rate is higher and is sustained at a higher rate. When I am cooking and cleaning, I am moving, but I am nowhere near the same sustained cardio or fat loss zone as when I do actual workouts. Of course there are different workout levels, and people pushing at different rates. But like I said, feeling burnt out is different to me than really pushing myself during a workout.

I understand "sedentary" to mean a lifestyle that is not on my feet all day, not to mean I am comatose. I can have a sedentary office job and still walk to and from my car, do grocery shopping, and prepare meals.

Sedentary ISN'T BMR. BMR would be what you burn when you're comatose. You're spouting nonsense. Whatever you "understand" it to mean, MFP says sedentary means "mostly sitting."

3) Aren't we all smart enough to know not to eat our exercise calories? And on that topic, does it irritate anyone that our daily diary automatically adds those into our available calories. Then you have to subtract them to see what's really left, if you journal after every meal and exercise routine.