Is it Really Exercise or Am I Cheating?

carreen
carreen Posts: 175 Member
edited December 23 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello. I add in everything I do that can be considered exercise into my exercise tracker...not just workouts and walking, but also things like cleaning my house, washing my car, etc.

It just occurred to me that since I already have "lightly active" set up in my goals as my normal activity status, maybe it's already taking those kinds of things into account (in my daily calories burned), so when I record them as exercise, I'm doubling it (ie. cheating it). If I had "sedentary" as my status, I wouldn't worry (then everything would be exercise), but since I don't, am I cheating? Does this make any sense at all?

Do you guys record things like house cleaning?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • alisahaggard
    alisahaggard Posts: 29
    I think you're accidentally double-booking it. MFP's description of "lightly active" is a bit more than what I consider light activity, so I think all your everyday activity should probably already be covered by that.
  • Miss_dannii
    Miss_dannii Posts: 1,351 Member
    No I wouldn't bother, especially if you already have lightly active in your settings. You don't burn calories unless your heartrate is increased.. I think by adding them, you are allowing yourself eat more when you're not really burning the calories you think you are
  • lilbpixie
    lilbpixie Posts: 51 Member
    If it takes me more then a half hour to clean I add it, basically if I really work up a sweat its more then I "normally" do.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If you are set as light active you should only count "exercise" as exercise, if you were set to sedentary then some of the stuff could be logged as exercise.
  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
    This can be a controversial topic here. I personally do not count things I do everyday, such as washing dishes or folding laundry. I would count strenuous activities such as painting a room, washing your car, moving day..ect. In other words, activities that I do not do often.

    It is up to you though. Ultimately, you need to feel comforatble.
  • scapez
    scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
    People have different opinions on this, but I once read in the forums somewhere that "you cleaned when you were fat"...or something to that degree, anyway...so you shouldn't count it when you're trying to lose weight.

    No matter how long I clean or do any other normal chores I don't count it as exercise.
  • rcbeck99
    rcbeck99 Posts: 56 Member
    Some do, some don't. I record cleaning but only things like scrubbing my bathroom or mopping the kitchen floor. My activity is set to sedentary though. If it was set at lightly active then I probably wouldn't log the cleaning.
  • bethmillerwilson
    bethmillerwilson Posts: 43 Member
    I have mine set to lightly active, and I add in vacuuming & mopping, but not other house cleaning duties. I don't eat back all of the exercise calories I am allowed because I am not positive that those calories aren't overestimated. I do eat back 80% of them though.

    I am still losing weight.
  • wren337
    wren337 Posts: 9 Member
    you might find the BMR calculator interesting: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
    it gives you how many calories you'd spend sitting perfectly still for 24 hours. anything above that is already counting your light activity.
  • Prahasaurus
    Prahasaurus Posts: 1,381 Member
    I think you're cheating. Err on the side of caution: don't include it.

    Even with my "sedentary" setting, I don't add light exercise (15 minute walk to lunch, etc.). I just assume it's part of getting out of bed and living a life.... Yes, if I walk 30 min across town at a rather brisk pace I will add it. But it's better to be a bit conservative, in my opinion.

    --P
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
    I record house cleaning when I am painting, sanding, etc. I have mine set at sedentary, which is why I count it. If you are working up a sweat, or doing something outside of daily cleaning, I would say add it.

    I would always rather underestimate calories burned and be pleasantly surprised at the end of the week.
  • cardiokitten
    cardiokitten Posts: 401 Member
    I have mine as sedentary and the only non-exercise (meaning not like, the treadmill, weight lifting, playing a sport, etc.) I log is cleaning, but I don't log things like doing dishes, I log it when I scrub floors on my hands and knees or move furniture, or anything else that really brings up a sweat. If I had it set to active, I personally wouldn't log those.
  • Acliff510
    Acliff510 Posts: 122 Member
    I don't think that you are intentionally cheating ... but it does kind of sound like you are giving yourself extra calories that you may not want to be using. I guess that is if you are eating the calories you earn.

    I'm a banker so I have mine set to sedentary because I sit most of the day & then usually only log workouts. Unless I'm desparete and then I'll put in house cleaning ... etc. Especially if I'm going out to dinner with the hubby or friends. I want every last calorie to use at my meal that day!!!!

    BUT, if you are losing weight doing it that way, then it must me right for you!! If not, you might re-evaluate :)
  • robinhardysmall
    robinhardysmall Posts: 246 Member
    I don't track house cleaning and things like that- that is what I have to do anyway- even when I was heavier. I think if you are already saying you are active- then you might be giving yourself a few too many calories...but it depends on your weight loss if you are happy with it keep at it :)

    I only track things I am considering "exercise"- walking with the intent of going at least 4mph or greater- running- biking etc...

    I hope this helps....
  • jenb6723
    jenb6723 Posts: 13
    I always error with overestimating calories and underestimating exercise and never record non workout activities. To be safe, I would not be recording those events - especially is you are lightly active on your goals.
  • ShawnaCurley
    ShawnaCurley Posts: 82 Member
    I never add any extras like that. Although, cleaning house, washing the car, doing yard work is, sometimes, an extreme workout. I won't add them. I strictly just put down what I do in the gym, or is considered an actual exercise.
    I just consider doing those extra things a bonus!

    Good luck in your journey!
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
    No I don't.

    My reasoning is that if you only do what you always did you'll only get what you've always had.

    Unless you were previously severely mobility impaired by weight and for the first time you're doing your shopping, or you've never previously been able to clean your house before, then no.

    The database includes things like "personal grooming" and "light house work".

    I don't know many people who lost weight showering, cleaning their teeth or dusting...
  • teinepalagi
    teinepalagi Posts: 86 Member
    I would say...probably double doing it. I have gotten around this by puchasing a fitbit (It's a pedometer on steroids). It counts your movements pretty well and will add calories in if you're over what MFP sets you at. I had originally set myself to sedentary (cuz I sit on my *kitten* all day at work) and I was surprised that I was probably more "lightly active" when the fitbit added in the calories.

    fitbits are a little pricey ($99)...but worth it if you can swing it. They sync up with the MFP site. Good luck!
  • dirtbikegirl5
    dirtbikegirl5 Posts: 391 Member
    I only log actual exercise. I don't eat back my exercise calories so anything that I do in addition to exercise (cleaning the cars, cleaning the home) is just a bonus.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I don't add in anything that I was doing when I was fat.

    Exercise activities are the things that you deliberately do in order to change your life and be thinner. You get "points" for positive change, not for things you were already doing before.
  • hkevans724
    hkevans724 Posts: 241 Member
    Hello. I add in everything I do that can be considered exercise into my exercise tracker...not just workouts and walking, but also things like cleaning my house, washing my car, etc.

    It just occurred to me that since I already have "lightly active" set up in my goals as my normal activity status, maybe it's already taking those kinds of things into account (in my daily calories burned), so when I record them as exercise, I'm doubling it (ie. cheating it). If I had "sedentary" as my status, I wouldn't worry (then everything would be exercise), but since I don't, am I cheating? Does this make any sense at all?

    Do you guys record things like house cleaning?

    Thanks!

    Since you don't wash your car everyday I would count that. I also count long days out where I walked all day. I don't "clean" the house everyday so I count that on the weekends when I REALLY clean. But if it's things you do regularly do then I wouldn't think you should count them. But then again if you are and still losing weight then I say go for it :)

    P.S. My mom the nurse says "Anything you do above and beyond your daily routine is exercise." I try to stick with that, and since I sit on my backside 40 hrs a week , that's why I count it :)
  • carinnaj
    carinnaj Posts: 149
    I only record things that I don't normally do every day.. like washing my car(I only give it a good scrub every 1-2 months, or even longer, so I count that, .. in between I spray it down and spot clean, which I don't count) or deep cleaning like scrubbing the kitchen top to bottom , or going for a walk around the block with the kids which I haven't normally been doing for a long time (when they were younger I would take them in the stroller every evening).. I don't count the normal vacuuming /mopping, etc which I do and have done every day or 2, or playing with the kids in the yard, or bringing the groceries inside.. because that's a normal thing for me... if you want to log everything like that, then yeah I would change the activity level to sedentary.. jmo.
  • Shell_7609
    Shell_7609 Posts: 786 Member
    Since you're set at lightly active, I'd only log the cleaning & things like that if they are over & above normal daily housework
  • zsaoosh
    zsaoosh Posts: 402 Member
    If its not working for you then its not right. I dont put in anything unless its a hard workout and even then I dont eat back everything. Cardio I let slide as long as I dont net below my BMI but lifting I may go over a few. It takes a lot of time from your day tracking every little movement also BUT if you are losing weight as fast as you want and is healthy then stick with it. If not, rethink it.
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
    I record things like light housekeeping if I spend an hour or so on it but only because I have sedentary as my activity level. I sit at a desk Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an hour drive each way to work. So on weekends I do take into account a higher activity level because I will need to take in more calories than during the week so I'm not starving. However, if you already have light activity as your activity level then you will have to decide what your normal routine is and on the days that you do your house cleaning is that part of your "normal" activity for you or is it in addition to your "normal" acitivity level? If it is in addition to your "normal" activity level then I don't see why you can't count it. However, it is part of your "normal" activity level (i.e. you stand all day Monday through Friday but on weekends you only spend an hour cleaning the house and then relax) I wouldn't count it. Hope this helps and good luck...
  • GetFitE
    GetFitE Posts: 247 Member
    I consider the house cleaning and other daily activites with the "Lightly active" category vs it being extra exercise. My exercise is just that-my exercise. And if I DO any extra stuff like house cleaning or something, then I consider it as extra calories burned that day, which could counteract maybe something I ate bad earlier in the week.

    I have a job where I'm up and walking most of my 12 hr shift, but I don't consider that extra exercise.

    I feel if you're counting it as exercise and eating back the calories, you might wind up overeating. (I don't agree with the eating back exercise calorie thing either).
  • ajohn252
    ajohn252 Posts: 158
    I clean houses every Friday and even if I clean for five hours
    I log only one hour of cleaning. You could consider doing it that
    way because then you are recognizing the activity if you do it for a long
    period but not over counting.
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    No, I don't. When I clean at work, I do record that because it is something I only do weekly.
  • Bailey543
    Bailey543 Posts: 375
    The way I look at it is, I got fat cleaning my house and washing my car, ect, so I don't count it :smile:
  • forevermila
    forevermila Posts: 2
    I honestly hardly ever even count walking since I'm a student and my calories are sedentary so when im not in school walking equals to what i woukd do studying, especially by looking at my BMR in which there is a 300 calories difference between my BMR and RMR
    Since you already put that you are lightly active which is like a teacher or more like a desk nurse, unless you're on your feet that long you should probably go by sedentary, and than add the calories you've done extra, or if you like counting everything you do go by your BMR which is how many calories you would need by just sleeping!
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