Help with this App

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dinaree7
dinaree7 Posts: 2
in Getting Started
I have the myfitnesspal app synced with the iphone Health app so myfitnesspal automatically picks up my steps from the health app and gives me those calories back. I notice, however, that whenever I add in my exercise for the day, it doesn't add the calories from my steps with the calories burned from exercise. Once I enter exercise, I lose the calories from the steps. I hope this makes sense. I'm fairly new to myfitness pal. Can anyone explain why this is happening?

Thanks so much and blessings!

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  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    My guess is that once you add exercise, based on the calorie burns from the two apps, MFP decides that your step calorie burn has already been accounted for.

    It happens with Fitbit users. For example:

    MFP Set to Lightly Active. Estimates you should burn approximately 2000* calories before exercise.
    Health App(or Fitbit or whatever) says with your steps for the day you were probably closer to 2100 calories for the day. So you get a 100 calorie adjustment.
    You log exercise calorie burn of 200.
    Now MFP is thinking your burn is approx 2200.
    Health App (or Fitbit or whatever) still says about 2100. So you either lose 100 calories (negative adjustments enabled) or your adjustment becomes 0.

    I hope that makes sense.

    *Completely random numbers used for the example.
  • dinaree7
    dinaree7 Posts: 2
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    Makes sense. Speaking of fitbit. I'm considering one. Do you use one? I'm interested in a device that tells me how many calories I'm burning throughout the day, not just when I exercise.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I did have one. Well technically I still do, but I had bad luck with it and currently have 2 dead chargers. I've had a Zip and a Flex. My husband has a Zip and had a One (he lost it). Me and my husband both got Zip's in 2013. Mostly we did it to try it out since they were the cheapest model available. Loved them. My zip got sent through the wash once and it still works. In 2014 I upgraded to a Flex (gave Zip to my Mom) and my husband decided to get a One. I had bad luck with my flex (1 defective/replaced by fitbit and 2 bad chargers). My husband lost his One about a month ago, but while he had it, he never had any issues with it. I was going to buy a One in Dec (when my last Flex charger died), but I saw that VivoFit was on sale for $75. So now I'm using a VivoFit.

    Now for the calorie burns. Some people have discovered that they overestimate. For me they underestimate a bit. They are a good way to judge your activity level though and for some people (like myself) they can help them to increase their activity level. Figuring out if the calories are accurate for you is more of a trial and error thing.

    edit: I could contact Fitbit about the Chargers, but I kind of gave up on the Flex. I actually kind of wonder if there was something wrong with the replacement Flex they sent me, because my first charger worked up until a couple months after receiving the replacement (7-9 months) and then the second charger lasted only 2-3 months (wasn't used until the first one died). Anyway, I just had bad luck. I know people who love their Flex's.

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