Steps vs exercise calories

Options
xcaranicolex
xcaranicolex Posts: 38 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hey everyone, I'm using a fitbit hr for step counting and was wondering how accurate my exercise calories are. For example today so far I'm at about 14000 steps and it's given me an additional 1200 calories to eat. Granted I don't eat them all back but it seems like a lot. I have my activity set to sedentary so the steps should (in theory) give me calories based on my actual activity any given day. Could someone else give me an example of their steps to exercise calories for comparison?? Thanks!
«13

Replies

  • codycsweet
    codycsweet Posts: 1,019 Member
    Options
    I'm betting you activity level is set to sedentary, which is why you are getting such a huge amount of additional calories.
    My level is set to lightly active I'm just shy of 11,000 steps right now and I have an additional 690 calories allowed from Fitbit. If you are generally over 10k steps before adding in exercise you are considered active.
    I usually have mine set to active but since I'm off for the summer my steps vary greatly depending on the day.
    You can enable the negative adjustments and for days u are less active MFP will remove ur calories for the day but noting below 1200.

    I hope this helps
  • xcaranicolex
    xcaranicolex Posts: 38 Member
    Options
    Perfect thanks
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Options
    I've just recently changed my setting from sedentary to lightly active, and I have to work a lot harder to get in the positive.

    I'll post a few days of what my fitbit has given me. I'm 5'8 and 143lbs, age 43.

    Thursday- 26,805 steps, an extra 1,091 calories

    Wednesday- 23,898 steps, an extra 814 calories.

    It's only 10:30am here, I'll update later when I hit 14,000 steps
  • cld111
    cld111 Posts: 300 Member
    Options
    I can give you some of my stats too:

    I'm 5'6, 131 pounds, 38 years old. I'm set at sedentary and I have negative calorie adjustment set.

    Saturday: 18.5k steps --> 861 extra calories
    Sunday: 20k steps --> 885 extra calories
    Monday: 18k steps --> 830 extra calories
    Tuesday: 15k steps --> 742 extra calories
    Wednesday: 22k steps --> 1,017 extra calories

    Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday also included Fitness Blender workouts, so those extra calories also include that (about 200 for each day.)

    1200 extra calories does seem like a lot for 14k steps, but I think it's based on your height/age/weight which may be completely different from the rest of us. It's good to dig into it to make sure though. For what it's worth, I find my Fitbit to be very accurate.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Options
    The amount of calories OP gets will depend greatly on their height and weight too.
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Options
    5'9 male, 186 lbs, 37 years old. MFP is set to sedentary, negative calories enabled
    Monday (Jogging morning and walking evening) 23413 steps -> 1691 calories
    Tuesday (walking morning and evening ) 20873 steps -> 1140 calories
    Wednesday (Jogging morning and walking evening) 19798 steps -> 1266 calories
    Today (walking morning and evening) 20302 steps -> 1098 calories

    There was an update for the android app today, and since that update, I'm now seeing two fitbit calorie adjustments instead of my usual one. One is listed for 554 calories, one is listed for 1098 calories. The website shows only 1098 calories for exercise, but the phone app is doing 1098 + 554. Dunno why that is...
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Options
    Do you have negative calorie adjustments enabled?
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Options
    Yes, I do have negative calorie adjustments enabled.

    Additionally, if I look at previous day entries, they're all just showing 1 fitbit calorie adjustment (as expected). Only today's seems to be showing 2. I hope it doesn't happen again for tomorrow. The amount of calories I have available for my budget on the phone app is higher than the budget available on the website, so i'm going to use the website to track for the rest of the day. :neutral:
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    Options
    OP, are you getting 1400 additional calories for exercise, or is that what your fitbit is showing at the end of the day (or MFP is giving you for calorie goal after syncing with fitbit)? With the fitbit HR, the calories shown are your TDEE, your burn for the entire day, not "exericse calories."
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    Options
    Protranser wrote: »
    5'9 male, 186 lbs, 37 years old. MFP is set to sedentary, negative calories enabled
    Monday (Jogging morning and walking evening) 23413 steps -> 1691 calories
    Tuesday (walking morning and evening ) 20873 steps -> 1140 calories
    Wednesday (Jogging morning and walking evening) 19798 steps -> 1266 calories
    Today (walking morning and evening) 20302 steps -> 1098 calories

    There was an update for the android app today, and since that update, I'm now seeing two fitbit calorie adjustments instead of my usual one. One is listed for 554 calories, one is listed for 1098 calories. The website shows only 1098 calories for exercise, but the phone app is doing 1098 + 554. Dunno why that is...

    If you're averaging over 10k steps daily, you should set your activity level to lightly active. You are definitely NOT sedentary! ;)
  • codycsweet
    codycsweet Posts: 1,019 Member
    Options
    Also your activity steps for the day will have an affect
    For example on Saturday when I do a zumba class and not much else even though I hit 10k will be a different calorie adjustment than if I am active all day and hit 10k without exercise
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Options
    Marilyn0924 wrote: »
    If you're averaging over 10k steps daily, you should set your activity level to lightly active. You are definitely NOT sedentary! ;)

    I beg to differ :wink: I'm only moving around 2 of the 24 hours in a day, I'd say that's pretty sedentary (compared to someone who spends 8+ hours of the day on their feet)

    I can see your point about lightly active. Maybe I'll set it to that, but it wont really change my calorie budget afaik. My first few weeks of using MFP I set it to "active" (because, hey, I thought I was!) and the amount of calories I was allowed to eat each day is basically the same as it is now at sedentary.
  • JanetMMcC
    JanetMMcC Posts: 410 Member
    Options
    The sedentary &c settings are based, if I remember aright, basically on one's "workday." I have a desk job, which makes me sedentary. If I didn't make myself get moving off the job, I'd have 2000-3000 steps a day.
    Today I got in 13,150 steps (the last 5000 at the gym and walking home from the gym), and was credited with 437 calories.
    I'm 5-6, 154 pounds (4 to goal, though I may decide to go for another 5 or 10), 63 years old.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Options
    Marilyn0924 wrote: »
    Protranser wrote: »
    5'9 male, 186 lbs, 37 years old. MFP is set to sedentary, negative calories enabled
    Monday (Jogging morning and walking evening) 23413 steps -> 1691 calories
    Tuesday (walking morning and evening ) 20873 steps -> 1140 calories
    Wednesday (Jogging morning and walking evening) 19798 steps -> 1266 calories
    Today (walking morning and evening) 20302 steps -> 1098 calories

    There was an update for the android app today, and since that update, I'm now seeing two fitbit calorie adjustments instead of my usual one. One is listed for 554 calories, one is listed for 1098 calories. The website shows only 1098 calories for exercise, but the phone app is doing 1098 + 554. Dunno why that is...

    If you're averaging over 10k steps daily, you should set your activity level to lightly active. You are definitely NOT sedentary! ;)

    With a fitness tracker thing attached does it matter?

    It will adjust up or down based on his actual steps.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Options
    Here tis'

    14,562 steps, credited with 489 calories.
  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'7 and weigh 140lbs. I'm set to lightly active as I'm a teacher and when I'm at work I do around 8k steps a day with no additional effort (that's pretty hard now I'm off work though!)

    In a typical working week fitbit has given me the following adjustments:

    Monday - 11k steps > 259 kcals
    Tuesday - 12k steps > 376 kcals
    Wednesday - 14k steps > 455 kcals
    Thursday - 14k steps > 417 kcals
    Friday - 14k steps > 531 kcals
    Saturday - 10k steps > 267 kcals
    Sunday - 17k steps > 443 kcals

    As you can see from the above, a lot of it depends on the frequency of your steps as well as the amount. On the Sunday I didn't 'get going' until midday, whereas on a working day I'm up and about from 5am. So despite doing a lot more steps on the Sunday than the Wednesday, I got given fewer additional kcals. Hence I'm getting a lot less now I'm off work even though I'm doing the same number of total steps.
  • quackers82
    quackers82 Posts: 55 Member
    Options
    That figure seems high . I aim for 30,000 to 40,000 steps a day . I'm sedentary , I have a desk job and all that walking is walking on purpose for exercise . I'm 6ft 3 male and 33. 30,000 steps give me about 1500 calories extra for the day . So if your getting 1200 of 14000 steps it seems over generous to me .
  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
    Options
    quackers82 wrote: »
    That figure seems high . I aim for 30,000 to 40,000 steps a day . I'm sedentary , I have a desk job and all that walking is walking on purpose for exercise . I'm 6ft 3 male and 33. 30,000 steps give me about 1500 calories extra for the day . So if your getting 1200 of 14000 steps it seems over generous to me .
    How do you find time for so many steps?! I only got over 30k twice and that was when I climbed a mountain and spent the whole day walking!
  • quackers82
    quackers82 Posts: 55 Member
    Options
    Flookbird wrote: »
    quackers82 wrote: »
    That figure seems high . I aim for 30,000 to 40,000 steps a day . I'm sedentary , I have a desk job and all that walking is walking on purpose for exercise . I'm 6ft 3 male and 33. 30,000 steps give me about 1500 calories extra for the day . So if your getting 1200 of 14000 steps it seems over generous to me .
    How do you find time for so many steps?! I only got over 30k twice and that was when I climbed a mountain and spent the whole day walking!

    1 hour walk before work , lunch break 30 min walk , 1 hour walk when u get home , eat , another 1 hour walk , I walk the shops everyday for my food , then do another walk late evening for an hour , with mini walks fitted in around that when ever I can .
  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
    Options
    Wow, very committed! Well done you - I'd be exhausted!

Categories