Which tracker to believe?

ssakcik

I've been using a pre-installed tracker on my smartphone (LG g4) to track my walks and calories burned... I've also started C25k (on week 4 day1). I decided to download endomondo today. I went out walking today and used both to track to see if there's a big difference... Oh my! I walked 8.39 9km (5.21 miles). My pre-installed app says 221 calls burned and endomondo says 606.... Which one should I believe? Both have my stats.

MeanderingMammal

At 160lbs I burn about 50-60 cals per mile walking.

Endomondo does include BMR, but I do find it tends to be a bit overenthusiastic with calorie estimations for running.

ssakcik

Thank you... I did think 606 was quite high and at the same time that 221 was quite low... I'm 163 lbs so will calculae using 60 calories per mile as I was walking quite fast without stopping.

ssakcik

Using the MFP exercise database and my average speed my calorie burn comes out as 397 so I'd say that endomondo has grossly overestimated my calorie burn.

ShodanPrime

There's a reason for overestimates. Has to do with acceptable error rates, reinforcement and monetization.

ssakcik

ShodanPrime wrote: »

There's a reason for overestimates. Has to do with acceptable error rates, reinforcement and monetization.

Thank you... But 200 calories over seems quite a lot of you're trying to lose weigh like I am..

MeanderingMammal

ShodanPrime wrote: »

There's a reason for overestimates. Has to do with acceptable error rates, reinforcement and monetization.

huh?

ssakcik

Huh

Lol... That's was my thought too lol

barefootdaze

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

ShodanPrime wrote: »

There's a reason for overestimates. Has to do with acceptable error rates, reinforcement and monetization.

huh?

they're doing it on purpose to sell their product.

to OP: your phone will not be entirely accurate, either. it depends on how well your cell reception is. gps can't work without cell signal.

ssakcik

But is 200 calories an acceptable error rate? And as nice as it was of the OP to reply it didn't actually answer my question lol

MeanderingMammal

barefootdaze wrote: »

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

ShodanPrime wrote: »

There's a reason for overestimates. Has to do with acceptable error rates, reinforcement and monetization.

huh?

they're doing it on purpose to sell their product.

I know what was implied, I just think it's nonsense.

Whilst this is a forum and los of people contribute, I'm just struggling to see the relevance to a genuine question.

ssakcik

My thought too

MeanderingMammal

barefootdaze wrote: »

gps can't work without cell signal.

The two are completely unrelated.

Whilst phone GPS is less accurate than a dedicated GPS device the impact on calorie estimation is negligible.

ssakcik

I had 4g reception all the way... And if one app wasn't getting reception the other wouldn't either... It was just that both seemed not quite right...one being too low and the other too high.