[joyfulloser]

I've literally been cooking for the past 8 hours. As you all may know, I cook, portion out my food in little black trays, and freeze all my meals. I cooked the following dishes:

1. Shrimp & Cod Alfredo over spinach quinoa, spinach
2. Sesame chicken over brown rice, stir fry veggies
3. Filet Mignon (marinated in the best homemade marinade EVER!) over mashed potatoes, brocolli
4. Pork Loin over bulgar wheat, green bean almondine

This took me all day. Not even to mention I ran out of ingredients and ended up going to walmart for one item and walking out with 50!

Dishes are piled up to the ceiling right now in my kitchen and currently my kitchen looks like a war zone. I'm not going in there til tomorrow for the cleanup.

Which brings me to my question. Should cooking be considered a workout? Discuss.

[bluemonday]

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailypl...rcise/cooking/

Cooking

This activity burns approximately
120 calories per hour.

[Lovely]

I don't personally consider cooking a work-out, but I DO consider it "moving more".

It falls into the same category for me as parking further away from the store or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or even standing up for a while instead of sitting down.

One of those things that it's healthy to do as it gets in more movement during the day.

[Resolute]

I wouldn't call it a workout but every activity burns cals, i sometimes cook a few dishes during the weekend for the week also, helps save time and makes for much healthier eating.

Heres an activity calculator i use to give me a ballpark figure of some activities.

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

[Emme]

Wow, 8 hours?! That's a crazy amount of time, but I'm sure it is so worth it to have everything prepared, frozen, and ready to eat at a moment's notice! I wouldn't consider it a cardio workout, but it is definitely an on-your-feet-nonstop-movement workout...and actually it could have very well been cardio if you were huffin' and puffin'!

[indiblue]

There's exercise and there is activity, and both are really important for your health. Cooking is an activity. Standing on your feet, moving around is awesome and so good for cardiovascular and muscle health.

You may burn 120 cals an hour cooking, but remember that number includes calories you would burn doing sedentary activities, calories needed for just regular movement, breathing, organ functioning, etc. For a more accurate number, google something like "difference in calories sitting versus standing." That will capture more precisely the additional calories you burn standing/cooking as opposed to a sedentary activity. It will be smaller but those add up over the day!

[Nola Celeste]

The fact that I gained sixty pounds in a year just from going from an active job to a sedentary one suggests that whether you call it exercise or activity, movement helps with weight loss. It is definitely better than sitting on your duff.

Plus, your meals sound fantastic! I love a good pork loin.

[joyfulloser]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I guess you were all right about cooking burning calories. I MADE GOAL weight today...WOOT!

Emme - Believe it or not, I HATE COOKING!!! I only cook once every 4 weeks, but unfortunately it takes me 1-2 days. 8 hours was actually quick meals. Here's some yummy food pics though to show how "worth it" it really is!

I also made my regularly scheduled mock McDonald's grilled chicken (not pictured, but still delishous!)

Today, is DESSSSSSSSSERT day. Making homemade chocolate chip cookies, homemade oatmeal raisin cookies (all full of fatty badness) Also making 2 batches of my famous good for you and yet delishous PUMPKIN Raisin muffins (not to negate my love of pumpkin pie)!

[Emme]

You made your goal today?!?!?! CONGRATS!!!



I am so glad that you hit goal, Joyful!! But, IMO, you need to start an actual thread that reads: I MET GOAL! and not have this awesome announcement hidden within a different thread!

[joyfulloser]

Thanks Emme! Actually...because I'm majorly "retentive", I'm waiting for the .8 lb to drop off before I post my success story thread. But I was besides myself this morning to finally see the scale read 150 anything!

[bellaella]

I agree with above! I wouldn't consider it a work out but I consider it moving more. Sometimes when I cook, which is rare, I'll purposely move around EVEN more. Ie. I would run on the spot as I wash veggies. Or I would do leg raises as I wait for things to cook in the pan. Lol. Anything you can think of! My theory is. Every calorie is a calorie!

[Michigan Jen]

Omg, that is such an amazing idea! May I ask where you get the black trays from? Do you vacuum seal them? How long do they last in the freezer?

[surfnmom]

Congrats
Doing the happy dance for you.

[joyfulloser]

Originally Posted by Michigan Jen

Omg, that is such an amazing idea! May I ask where you get the black trays from? Do you vacuum seal them? How long do they last in the freezer?

When I first started out (back in Sept '10), I was on a meal delivery plan called, "BistroMD"...I saved the plastic containers. Only wish I had saved more of them. I found them online, but the manufacturer says minimum order is 32,000!

Originally Posted by surfnmom

Congrats
Doing the happy dance for you.

Thanks surfn!

[Emme]

Joyful ~ is that your bicep on your new profile pic?!?