what do YOU add to your activity log?

Like what do you add?

I add.

Sitting in class, sitting - typing, my run/jog workout, my house cleaning, my muscle workout, grooming myself, riding in the car, driving. what do you put in yours?

I also read today someone said you should only put things you dont normally do other than working out?

Agreed, I only put exercise or things that require more exertion than normal everyday activities. 

When you put in your activity level, it figures everyday activities into your normal calorie consumption, so by adding them again, I think it is overestimating how many you actually burn.

yeah i have mine set to sedentary which i assume takes into account all my sitting around and everyday stuff. i then add in my workouts separately.

that'd be correct wouldn't it?

I also prefer to list myself as sedentary (I have a Monday through Friday desk job) and add only those things that are not every day activities - like workouts (which I do 3-4 times a week), food shopping or cleaning the house - on the days that I actually do them.

I agree that if you get too crazy about adding every little thing that you do you run the risk of overestimating your burn and making it difficult for yourself to accurately track.

Then again, if you are losing weight, that's all that matters right?

I just set mine at sedentary and log workouts.  I swing dance a couple times per week, which gets the heart rate going, but I don't log it.  It would be too much of a pain to figure out how much time I was actually dancing vs standing around talking.  I'll occasionally log extra walking if I went for at least 20-30 minutes

i have mine set at sedentary and log workouts, but i dont log sitting in class because in sedentary it includes sitting and light/occasional exercise.

i dont know whether or not to add sitting at my desk

So I probably should only add my workouts, house cleaning, and how about when I am doing to auto body work in the shop at school? Ugh. This so confusing!

Only ACTIVE tasks that take enough time to make a difference to my total and that require total body movement - walking for 10 minutes or more, shopping for half an hour etc. I give myself a thirty minute credit for doing the laundry because our laundry's downstairs in the other building and it's quite a hike, and if I vacuum or clean the apartment more intensively than just picking a few things up I give myself thirty minutes for that. I never log sitting down because that's already included in the base activity measurement.

I put in stuff that makes me tired-er than sitting around.  Like shopping for a long time, skating, running after toddlers, work (light office stuff), 'n such.

• treadmilling
• bicycling
• riding my recumbant exercise bike

=^..^= MOLLY

Like everyone else, I set my activity level and log my workouts.  I usually log my time at work, too.  Although I have what people would consider a "desk job," I move constantly.  I'm a ward clerk at the local hospital, and there's a lot of sitting, but there's also a lot of standing, walking, lifting 5 - 10 lb. objects, bending, twisting (you would be surprised!) Some days, I can't believe how quickly I need to move to get things done! 

My shift is 12 hours long, so I try to move as much as possible!

i only put in if i do something that isn;t normal day things. I put in if i go for a long walk purposely for the point of exercise! And of course working out!

I don't think it really matters what you log into the activity log as long as you are consistent. If you are consistent, then you can look back over your weight loss history and adjust your intake and burn accordingly. Good luck!

 

It doesn't matter up to a point. I mean, if you log everything you'll have no time for a life. On the other hand, some people say logging sitting will mean you're counting the calories twice. This isn't true because the meter takes into account the amount of time you logged it for and takes that much of your sedentary time away before adding the thing you logged. However to me, sitting is sedentary. You could set to sedentary, log everything you do for 24 hours and see what count it actually gives you out of interest, or as sjklov said, keep it consistent, see if your weightloss is inkeeping with your supposed deficits and adjust from there.

Me: set to sedintary, log workouts, major house projects, remodling, cutting down trees.

Auto shop...twirling wrenches, or pulling engines? Just like a lot of things only you know how much ass you're busting.

Bit of advice, try to relax a bit, you'll get there....really!

I set it to sedentary and then add the gym or if I go for a walk.

I don't add housecleaning, I'm skeptical about how many more calories that really burns and I think the difference is neglible. If I get an extra .2 weight loss from it, it's a bonus.

I log any workouts, going for a walk and things like walking to the store, university, etc.  I always try to walk quickly as I can to most places, it isn't always possible because the sidewalks can be rather narrow concerning the level of foot traffic you get.  I don't log any walking that is less than 1km.  I only log shopping if I do it for more 30 minutes because I don't think it will effect the meter otherwise.

Mine's set at sedentary and I only add the time I spend on the elliptical, stairmaster, bike or strength training. I walk to class and to a lot of meetings for work, also I work in a clinic and am walking between exam rooms and my office fairly regularly - I don't add any of that in.

I don't log taking care of my baby around the house, even though that is an activity found in the database; I just consider that to be part of a normal day, and it doesn't tax me enough for me to consider it to push me out of
"sedentary"..... but I will log it if I spend time out of the house carrying him in his front-pack, or if I push him in his stroller for a length of time (I've been going to the mall and doing laps just to get some exercise until the weather clears up). 

The only time I log things like showering/grooming are the days that I am so depressed that it really takes a concentrated effort to do those things.  Otherwise that is also part of a sedentary day.

Some things like driving I only log if I have spent an hour or more on it all together, and I only log computer work if I have used my exercise ball to sit (balance) on instead of a comfy computer chair.

On the whole, I follow the opposite philosphy that I follow when logging food.  When in doubt on food, I always log the highest amount.  When in doubt on activity, I log the lowest amount.  That way if I guess too high on the food I am doing better than it looks on paper, and more activity than I have marked down cannot be a bad thing.

I guess in summary I agree with a PP and really only log things that take me outside the bare minimum effort that goes into a sedentary day.  Hope that helps!

Okay, I'm new at this but here's what I do. I figure my hourly sedentary burn, (Est burn divided by 24). Then I pull up any activity that I am considering adding, like shopping. If there is a sizable difference between the sedentary rate and whatever CC says for that activity, i.e. 100 cal or more, I add it. The only reason I do that is because I try to keep my deficit at 1000 cal and don't want to under eat. Besides, another 100 cals **could** be another snack...

Maybe not perfect, but it seems to work so far...

 

Good idea boots. A lot of these things like sitting at a computer are going to be so close to sedentary burn anyway that there's no point adding them and if you've set your activity level to light or moderate, it might even reduce your burn meter! Not that I've tried, has anyone?