Step tracking - still add exercise?

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DeborahKilpatrick
DeborahKilpatrick Posts: 80 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, please forgive me for asking a stupid question. I've set the app to track my steps and I get extra calories as a result because I set my activity to sedentary. What I'm confused about is, do I still add my runs in the exercise section? Will I end up eating too many calories if I do, or does MFP figure it out?
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Replies

  • Ashleigh_91
    Ashleigh_91 Posts: 22 Member
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    I might be wrong but if you add exercise to your log ins it will give you more calories etc to have. I don't log any exercise do I stick to the basic calorie allowance.
  • shellbelle0210
    shellbelle0210 Posts: 71 Member
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    I have a misfit shine and I pretty much asked the same thing yesterday.
    This is what I was told if you'd like to have a look:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10246226/misfit-shine#latest
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
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    Yes. Add purposeful exercise an activity tracker can't accurately track (biking, swimming) manually in MFP at the correct time and it will overwrite the unreliable tracker data for that time.
  • jdleanna
    jdleanna Posts: 141 Member
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    Add non-step exercises but do not add your runs, OP. Your step counter will handle runs.
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
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    If you add a start time to your exercise when you log it, your tracker should not count that activity into your steps for the duration of the time you log that activity. To be on the safe side though I make sure to not where my activity tracker device when doing another loggable (spelling?) activity. Also maybe only eat back a portion of your calories if you do in fact eat them back. I don't so it's not too much of a worry for me.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I only log my non-step based activity (swimming). Let your tracker do the burn calculations for all step based activity like walking and running.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    DeborahKilpatrick wrote: »
    I've set the app to track my steps and I get extra calories as a result because I set my activity to sedentary. What I'm confused about is, do I still add my runs in the exercise section?

    Do not log any step-based activity—including runs—if you've enabled step tracking. Only log non-step exercise, like swimming or biking.

    From the Help section: http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1525167
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    I only log steps that I purposely walk. Such as a mile in the park, or two miles on the treadmill. I do NOT add any extra steps that might equal a mile from me just walking around Costco or whatever. I would rather underestimate than overestimate my calories burned, and it works.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    I only log steps that I purposely walk. Such as a mile in the park, or two miles on the treadmill. I do NOT add any extra steps that might equal a mile from me just walking around Costco or whatever. I would rather underestimate than overestimate my calories burned, and it works.

    An automatic step tracker adds in both but it adjusts the calorie burn for casual strolling vs. purposeful walking, vs. running. It adjusts for intensity and duration.

  • owensy12
    owensy12 Posts: 88 Member
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    I use MFP to track my steps, but I don't find it too accurate. I use MapMyFitness to record runs/walks and these are added into MFP automatically. Is that OK to do?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited September 2015
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    owensy12 wrote: »
    I use MFP to track my steps, but I don't find it too accurate. I use MapMyFitness to record runs/walks and these are added into MFP automatically. Is that OK to do?

    What do you mean by "use MFP to track my steps"? MFP doesn't track your steps, you need to use a device, like an iPhone or a Fitbit. In the MFP app, go to More (Menu) > Steps. What device is checked?
  • owensy12
    owensy12 Posts: 88 Member
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    editorgrrl wrote: »
    owensy12 wrote: »
    I use MFP to track my steps, but I don't find it too accurate. I use MapMyFitness to record runs/walks and these are added into MFP automatically. Is that OK to do?

    What do you mean by "use MFP to track my steps"? MFP doesn't track your steps, you need to use a device, like an iPhone or a Fitbit. In the MFP app, go to More (Menu) > Steps. What device is checked?

    I meant I use my iPhone and this is linked to MFP. I also have MMF linked to MFP so it imports any exercise.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    According to the Help article: http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1525167
    If you are currently linked with an activity tracker that creates Calorie Adjustments in your diary, selecting "iPhone 5s" will replace your tracker's adjustment with one calculated from the iPhone's motion data.

    If MapMy is available as an option when you go to More > Steps, then you should definitely choose that rather than your iPhone. But if it's not listed, then using your phone should be fine.
  • owensy12
    owensy12 Posts: 88 Member
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    editorgrrl wrote: »
    According to the Help article: http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1525167
    If you are currently linked with an activity tracker that creates Calorie Adjustments in your diary, selecting "iPhone 5s" will replace your tracker's adjustment with one calculated from the iPhone's motion data.

    If MapMy is available as an option when you go to More > Steps, then you should definitely choose that rather than your iPhone. But if it's not listed, then using your phone should be fine.

    I have an option for 'Under Armour' which I'm presuming is for MapMyFitness. However, the steps it's saying I've done don't match up with what my iPhone says?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    owensy12 wrote: »
    I have an option for 'Under Armour' which I'm presuming is for MapMyFitness. However, the steps it's saying I've done don't match up with what my iPhone says?

    You should only see UnderArmour if your accounts are connected. Disconnect them at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/344
  • owensy12
    owensy12 Posts: 88 Member
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    editorgrrl wrote: »
    owensy12 wrote: »
    I have an option for 'Under Armour' which I'm presuming is for MapMyFitness. However, the steps it's saying I've done don't match up with what my iPhone says?

    You should only see UnderArmour if your accounts are connected. Disconnect them at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/344

    Can I not use Under Armour?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you were using MapMy and tracking your steps with your iPhone. I didn't realize you were using UnderArmour, too.
  • owensy12
    owensy12 Posts: 88 Member
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    editorgrrl wrote: »
    Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you were using MapMy and tracking your steps with your iPhone. I didn't realize you were using UnderArmour, too.

    I find it all a bit confusing now. I was using my iPhone originally. Then I changed the option to Under Armour instead. It said I had done more steps than what my iPhone says I've done in the Health App. Am I better to continue using my iPhone to track steps in MFP?
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    I only log my non-step based activity (swimming). Let your tracker do the burn calculations for all step based activity like walking and running.

    question about that one earlnabby

    do you wear your activity tracker too when you are swimming?

    I do my misfit and my polar watch. I log 1 calorie for my swimming manually. And the rest i let my Misfit run the numbers lol
    But what i do is in the misfit when the activity shows up i log that as swimming in the app. It gives me less btw than my polar watch ( i keep an excel data list for that atm to see how much difference there is between my hrm and the misfit flash)

    Funny is my misfit is low in exercise...lower than my hrm HT7
    But the rest, so the end of the day calories burned seems so high to me.

    For now the last 90 days data showed with the NEAT method and my polar watch was almost spot on.

    Now with my misfit ( i want to go to TDEE soon) i am testing if those numbers turn out right too. So collecting data over a period of time again.
    See what happens.


    But i find it high for sure
    Yesterday swimming according to my polar watch 317 calories. My misfit ended over 3014 daily burn..so that is with swimming and 17000 steps. A lot to me. But we will see in some weeks.

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