Question on MapMyWalk data feeding into MyFitnessPal

Tessfam4mom

Never posted before, so don't know if this is the proper place to post this question, but here goes - I just recently started using MapMyWalk, and am confused on how calculations/data fed from that app differ from entries made directly in MyFitnessPal - for instance, today I logged on MapMyWalk 1.52 miles in 26:03 minutes, and it calculated 230 calories burned, which it logged into MyFitnessPal. But if I log directly into MyFitnessPal cardio exercise of 26 minutes at 3.5 miles per hour, it comes up with only 156 calories burned. 230 vs 156 seems quite a difference. Anyone know why? Which is more accurate?

Tessfam4mom

Is anyone else having this issue? Here's another example - this morning I did 2.6 miles in about 42 minutes. MapMyWalk "fed" MyFitnessPal cardio exercise of walking at 3.5 mph pace for 42 minutes, burning 429 calories. If I enter directly in MyFitnessPal walking at 3.5 mph for 42 minutes, it says I burn only 252 calories, that's 177 less calories. I don't get it! Help please!

kristydi

Map my walk my be using elevation as a variable. So a hilly walk would burn more calories than a flat one.

Either way, beware of taking exercise burns from either source at face value. General wisdom is that they are pretty big overestimations. Most suggest only eating 50-75% of exercise calories back to compensate.

jeffryturnbow

I use mapmywalk and havent had any issues. That being said I agree with what was said about it being an overestimate. I dont get caught up on how many calories it says I burned..I just use it to track my exercise. I personally don't eat back any calories.

Tessfam4mom

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I'll try to psych myself out by recording whichever is the lower calorie burn count, and still try to not eat them back, which is a challenge for me.