Cleaning = burning??

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It irks me when people post "cleaning" as their only workout for the day. It just seems like the exercise that should be logged is that intended for the purpose of... exercise? Anyone agree?
I dunno.... I managed to clean my house and work in my yard and remain fat.... Haha. Just a thought. Totally not ridiculing anyone or anything!!
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Replies

  • thefreebiemom
    thefreebiemom Posts: 191 Member
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    I don't know. Some people might have their profiles set to sedintary and then use a fitbit or mediaband or something to record the calories that would normally be included in lightly active or moderately active lifestyle. I've also seen people mention hard core cleaning like spring cleaning and washing baseboards and stuff, not the normal every day cleaning type of things.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    hey man, if people want to log it, let them. i just wonder how many of the people writing the "help i've been here for x months and havent seen any progress" have been logging cleaning as workouts and eating back those calories.

    i never think to log cleaning because even though i do break a sweat, my heart rate never really goes up more than what i get during something like yoga and according to my HRM my calorie burn during yoga barely registers over what i'd burn doing nothing.
  • JanSmelly
    JanSmelly Posts: 143 Member
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    Agree? No. My favorite thing I have read on here is, "I'll do me and you do you."
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
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    I wear a body media fit and I burn a lot of calories cleaning. I wouldn't discredit it. I burned an extra 400 calories on Monday just from cleaning and doing other chores. It was my rest day, too.
  • Werglum
    Werglum Posts: 378 Member
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    I sometimes add cleaning as an exercise, but not generally (with a 3 year old and an almost 1 year old I clean constantly!!). I only add it if it has stopped me from doing my usual exercise, for example if we are having a birthday party or something at our house and I spend hours cleaning from top to bottom then I might add in an hour or two as exercise (but I wouldn't add the whole lot). If it is just my regular day to day cleaning then I don't.
    I do see where you are coming from though, but I also see the other side of the story. :happy:
  • bigpenguin570
    bigpenguin570 Posts: 52 Member
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    I agree, but when I clean, I do it and sweat. Why not get credit somewhere, I sure as heck don't get it at home (ha)!
  • betsy329
    betsy329 Posts: 61 Member
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    I totally agree with you! If I worked in the yard really hard that day, I'm not going to work out that night. But I'm also not going to log it as exercise so I can eat more.
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
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    It irks me when people worry so much about what others do. When I had my profile set to sedentary, I logged cleaning as well as insanity works out. Calories burned are calories burned. Sedentary setting doesn't include those calories. In order to keep a moderate deficit, I tracked ALL activity. I've been very successful.

    Explain to me how our bodies would know the difference between burning 100 calories from cleaning the kitchen or 100 calories from jogging on the tredmill.

    Also, don't assume people who log things like cleaning use it as an "excuse to eat more". Some of us like keeping a moderate deficit so our metabolisms don't suck. I lost slowly with a small deficit and now I can maintain eating over 2000 calories a day. We're not a bunch of fatties looking for excuses to eat.
  • marnie4ever
    marnie4ever Posts: 28 Member
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    It's probably never happened to you but alot of people don't have energy to get up and clean...and when they do it's like for the first time they can move and do alot...I say it's ok to count that as calorie burning...:wink:
  • kmesservy
    kmesservy Posts: 1
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    I do a sprint cleaning at the end of the night after the kids go to bed where i play some music and break a sweat. That's bending, reaching sweeping vacuuming i make an effort to do it in a way i know im burning calories. And I don't know how many of you who have a toddler but they can make a clean house look like a tornado hit in 2 second. But I guess it all depends on how you do it. How big your house is and how in depth of a cleaning you go into. I get down and scrub my floors tell the sparkle.
  • angelazurcher
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    It's not necessary to gang up on me or have attitude. I was just bringing up a point.... Of course certain exercises burn calories more efficiently than cleaning would. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But as someone mentioned, I do notice people who only log that and then complain that nothing is changing. Log cleaning, by all means! I understand your ideas.

    I'm a little surprised by the disrespect of some people, when this site is intended for support and discussion. I'm not here to argue with anyone, just to talk. Just relax and be kind.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    It's not necessary to gang up on me or have attitude. I was just bringing up a point.... Of course certain exercises burn calories more efficiently than cleaning would. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But as someone mentioned, I do notice people who only log that and then complain that nothing is changing. Log cleaning, by all means! I understand your points.

    I'm a little surprised by the disrespect of some people, when this site is intended for support and discussion.

    i know right? they're coming at you with toilet brushes and swiffer mops :laugh:
  • flobeedoodle
    flobeedoodle Posts: 176 Member
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    "I'll do me and you do you."

    This should be at the top of every page of the forums. Perhaps we could be required to type it to submit a post, like a captcha.
  • LilSomethin
    LilSomethin Posts: 545 Member
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    It irks me when people worry so much about what others do. When I had my profile set to sedentary, I logged cleaning as well as insanity works out. Calories burned are calories burned. Sedentary setting doesn't include those calories. In order to keep a moderate deficit, I tracked ALL activity. I've been very successful.

    Explain to me how our bodies would know the difference between burning 100 calories from cleaning the kitchen or 100 calories from jogging on the tredmill.

    Also, don't assume people who log things like cleaning use it as an "excuse to eat more". Some of us like keeping a moderate deficit so our metabolisms don't suck. I lost slowly with a small deficit and now I can maintain eating over 2000 calories a day. We're not a bunch of fatties looking for excuses to eat.

    Perfectly Said <3
  • LilynEdensmom
    LilynEdensmom Posts: 612 Member
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    I don't log my normal every day cleaning...or even the laundry I have to walk up and down two flights of stairs and across the parking lot to the laundry room atleast 3 times...lol but massive things like moving furniture or scrubbing the floors on my knees or washing the walls..I will log.
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
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    It irks me when people post "cleaning" as their only workout for the day. It just seems like the exercise that should be logged is that intended for the purpose of... exercise? Anyone agree?
    I dunno.... I managed to clean my house and work in my yard and remain fat.... Haha. Just a thought. Totally not ridiculing anyone or anything!!

    So exercise is determined by whether or not you do it for "the purpose of exercise?" Really? So if, say, someone's car ran out of gas and they had to walk 5 miles to the gas station and back to the car with the gas, they wouldn't burn calories because they hadn't done it "for the purpose of exercise?" How does the body determine this?

    That you managed to clean your house and work in the garden and remain fat is irrelevant. Eating fewer calories than you burn is how you lose weight, and it doesn't matter how you burned those calories. You don't have to do it in a gym and you don't have to wear exercise clothes. If you are netting at or slightly above your BMR and an amount below your TDEE that equals the amount needed for the amount of weight loss appropriate for you, you will have a sustainable weight loss, and you should eat whatever number of calories is needed to put you in that range--including calories burned when doing things like cleaning and working in the garden.

    You probably can cure that "irk" you're feeling by not looking at what other people log for exercise, since it's really not your business anyway. And saying "Totally not ridiculing anyone or anything!!" really doesn't negate your condescending, better-than-you-are attitude, and certainly makes it clear you intended to ridicule people you have determined are not as "motivated" or "admirable" as you are.
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
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    It's not necessary to gang up on me or have attitude. I was just bringing up a point.... Of course certain exercises burn calories more efficiently than cleaning would. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But as someone mentioned, I do notice people who only log that and then complain that nothing is changing. Log cleaning, by all means! I understand your ideas.

    I'm a little surprised by the disrespect of some people, when this site is intended for support and discussion. I'm not here to argue with anyone, just to talk. Just relax and be kind.

    You posted the thread with an attitude of superiority and now you have the audacity to say it's "disrespectful" to be angry?
  • hedgiie
    hedgiie Posts: 1,245 Member
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    i think its just arrogance for someone to question if cleaning should be logged or not.
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
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    I totally agree with you! If I worked in the yard really hard that day, I'm not going to work out that night. I'm also going to log it as exercise.
    There. I fixed that for you.

    How dare you decide WHY other people log things accurately. Because it is accurate to log it.
  • Megdmcda
    Megdmcda Posts: 273 Member
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    I do a sprint cleaning at the end of the night after the kids go to bed where i play some music and break a sweat. That's bending, reaching sweeping vacuuming i make an effort to do it in a way i know im burning calories. And I don't know how many of you who have a toddler but they can make a clean house look like a tornado hit in 2 second. But I guess it all depends on how you do it. How big your house is and how in depth of a cleaning you go into. I get down and scrub my floors tell the sparkle.

    lol this is me i have a 3 yr old baby and a 28 yr old baby. so when i clean i'm in constant movement as well. picking up toys clothes, etc etc so i do log it that...if its just the occasional pick up dish or cloth and put it where it goes type thing no i don't log it. lol