question

GraceJuby23

Question!!! Do you guys use the step tracker or do you solely rely on why you have exactly been eating that day? Idk what to do?!

KrisiAnnH

I personally just count any steps as a bonus, but then my calories are set to sedentary.
Your steps should be factored into your activity level I seem to remember if you take less than 10 000 steps a day you should be classed as sedentary, but I'm not sure if I'm remembering that right.

Either way it's probably best to include any regular step count into your activity level so that it affects your daily calories that way. It's much simpler and quicker than having to input them manually every day and possibly over-estimating your exercise

GraceJuby23

I just feel like by adding them in there using the iPhone thing, it's kinda like cheating because it lets me go over my already set goal. I hope I'm making sense

Kalikel

I don't even own a step tracker.

GraceJuby23

It just came with the iPhone, you have the option on this app to use it or any other app

KrisiAnnH

If you mean adding them in as exercise each day, I personally wouldn't do that.

I've turned my pedometer settings off for MFP. My phone automatically updated my steps taken into MFP and allowed me more calories. This meant that if I ate back those 'exercise' (or 'step') calories back, I'd be over eating, as those steps taken were already allowed for in my daily goal (by choosing the correct activity level). By allowing for them in my daily activity level AND adding them as exercise, I'd be logging them twice and eating too much (if that makes sense?).

I'm not sure if I've explained this in the easiest way, but most people using MFP tend to count steps in their activity level setting, and only log purposeful exercise

vespiquenn

They are nice to figure out your TDEE in the long run, because its a tad bit more accurate to use a deficit from that rather than a preset amount based on height and weight. Are they absolutely necessary? Of course not. But I personally get a better idea of how active I may be in a day to ensure I'm not under eating. It can also be a nice motivator with things like challenges to get up and moving.

shadow2soul

KrisiAnnH wrote: »

I personally just count any steps as a bonus, but then my calories are set to sedentary.
Your steps should be factored into your activity level I seem to remember if you take less than 10 000 steps a day you should be classed as sedentary, but I'm not sure if I'm remembering that right.

Either way it's probably best to include any regular step count into your activity level so that it affects your daily calories that way. It's much simpler and quicker than having to input them manually every day and possibly over-estimating your exercise

@KrisiAnnH -
Nope. Less than 5k is sedentary. 10k is Active. Between the 2 would be lightly active.

I'll edit this post with the information I found on step based activity levels. Just give me a min to find it.

Okay so:

Sedentary = less than 5k
Low Active = 5k to 7,499
Somewhat Active = 7,500 to 9,999
Active = 10k to 12,499
Highly Active = 12,500 +

KrisiAnnH

@shadow2soul ah my mistake! I keep mine at sedentary just incase, as I'd 'rather be safe than sorry', and allowing for the days I dont always hit 10000

shadow2soul

KrisiAnnH wrote: »

@shadow2soul ah my mistake! I keep mine at sedentary just incase, as I'd 'rather be safe than sorry', and allowing for the days I dont always hit 10000

I'm also set to Sedentary right now. I just let my Fitbit adjust it based on my activity level. I could actually just set to Lightly active and my adjustments would be smaller, but I'm experimenting with setting MFP to Sedentary/Maintain and not eating fitbit adjustments (makes the fitbit adjustment is my deficit for the day).

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marissafit06

I used to have a Fitbit and now use the step tracker on my phone. The phone is much less accurate and so I don't do use it as a means to get back exercise calories. I do use it to modify my activity setting, because I feel like it's accurate enough for that.

For example my phone will sometimes erase steps and will not calculate pace very accurately, while the Fitbit was much more reliable.

kshama2001

I started using a pedometer last week and just log the time I spend on my walks, but that's the majority of my steps.