Help: negative calorie adjustment mistake?

SelinaB99
SelinaB99 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don’t understand the numbers for the negative calorie adjustment.
wr5z1qafxo18.jpeg
MFP deducted the exact amount of calories that I burned during exercise. Also, I walked around 1000 steps MORE than yesterday where MFP gave me extra calories due to how many steps I walked.
That doesn’t make any sense to me..
«1

Replies

  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member
    do you have an activity tracker linked?
    With mine (Garmin) the device will sync with MFP throughout the day and depending on what my garmin thinks i will burn compared to what my goal is in MFP it will give positive or negative adjustments. It goes against steps but it doesn't really have any relation to the steps taken.
    Its how the activity tracker and MFP balance out differences. So with this, to stop double counting, it will take away the calories earned from running, because the tracker has added your run. Mine often does this.
    once your tracker has calculated you will burn calories in addition to the MFP calorie allowance including the exercise cals it will add these in as a positive.
  • dulinh
    dulinh Posts: 99 Member
    Not sure if this is a manual entry or not but it looks to me like 9 point eight steps was entered vs 9 thousand eight hundred steps. Can you edit the decimal out of the entry?
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    dulinh wrote: »
    Not sure if this is a manual entry or not but it looks to me like 9 point eight steps was entered vs 9 thousand eight hundred steps. Can you edit the decimal out of the entry?

    OP is not in the US. Decimals are used instead of commas.

    It appears that apple health or Samsung health and the phone's accelerometer are being used to calculate calories. Several other folks have mentioned issues with phone accelerometer calculated calories in the last few weeks.
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 697 Member
    edited March 2018
    From what I read in the definition, MFP has a daily projection of how many calories you will burn daily, if you set your activity level as highly active then it will be a high number, let's just say it's 3000 for demonstrative purposes.

    The step tracker you synced with MFP also has a daily projected calorie burned that is not shown but it combines with the calories you burned walking and compares it with MFP.

    The negative adjustment you see is the walking app having lower projected daily calorie burn compared to MFP base on their own calculation like how much calories you burned per day plus calories you burned walking.

    So let's go back to the 3000 number again, since your negative adjustment is -231, that means the walking app projected that you will or have burned 2769 calories by the time it becomes midnight while MFP projects you will burn 3000 for the day.

    MFP always defers to the calculation of the apps you sync to.

    I could be wrong though, the definition was long and confusing to begin with.
  • boehle
    boehle Posts: 5,062 Member
    I only track everything in my fitbit and let it move it to the app
    If you track via your device and add in the app too.. its going to remove the amounts because you have negative deductions. Just track everything in your device.
    If you want to everyone to see you worked out.. just state you burned so many calories doing yadda but dont actually log it in MFP as your tracker already did.
  • SelinaB99
    SelinaB99 Posts: 5 Member
    I track my steps using my iPhone but I don't have any additional apps or devices to track my activity (such as running, etc.) that could interfere with the calorie count and my iPhone definitely wasn't measuring the steps while I was running because I ran at the gym and my phone was sitting on the machine (->wasn't moving).

    I found this when I clicked on the information button:
    2fx861okr25f.png

    I don't understand the part where it says "Your adjustment has been reduced to keep your goal above our 1200 calorie minimum"?
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 697 Member
    SelinaB99 wrote: »
    I track my steps using my iPhone but I don't have any additional apps or devices to track my activity (such as running, etc.) that could interfere with the calorie count and my iPhone definitely wasn't measuring the steps while I was running because I ran at the gym and my phone was sitting on the machine (->wasn't moving).

    I found this when I clicked on the information button:
    2fx861okr25f.png

    I don't understand the part where it says "Your adjustment has been reduced to keep your goal above our 1200 calorie minimum"?

    I don't think it was reduce, that fine print is kind of just.. there but if say you were on a 1200 calorie budget then MFP will reduce the negative adjustment and make it zero instead of -232 just so you won't eat below 1200 or 1200-232.
  • SelinaB99
    SelinaB99 Posts: 5 Member
    tirowow12385 wrote: »
    SelinaB99 wrote: »
    I track my steps using my iPhone but I don't have any additional apps or devices to track my activity (such as running, etc.) that could interfere with the calorie count and my iPhone definitely wasn't measuring the steps while I was running because I ran at the gym and my phone was sitting on the machine (->wasn't moving).

    I found this when I clicked on the information button:
    2fx861okr25f.png

    I don't understand the part where it says "Your adjustment has been reduced to keep your goal above our 1200 calorie minimum"?

    I don't think it was reduce, that fine print is kind of just.. there but if say you were on a 1200 calorie budget then MFP will reduce the negative adjustment and make it zero instead of -232 just so you won't eat below 1200 or 1200-232.

    But it’s the exact opposite. It reduced the calories I was allowed to eat by 232 instead of giving me an extra 232 to stay above 1200 calories - which I always do btw.
  • Flopoe22
    Flopoe22 Posts: 5 Member
    I think there might have been a glitch on the app yesterday, as I was shown a -232 calories adjustment as well. It went back to normal later that day. (Pretty odd that we had exactly the same number!)
  • poeciliareticulata
    poeciliareticulata Posts: 110 Member
    This sort of thing has happened to me a few times - I use Fitbit to track steps. There seem to be two reasons:
    1. I add an additional exercise because I am not wearing my Fitbit at the time (usually swimming or stationary bike). MFP assumes I was wearing it, and so subtracts those 'extra' calories from my Fitbit adjustment. I can usually get round this one if I make sure the start and end times fall within the period my Fitbit was not moving. It looks like here you've added 'running' as extra in this way.
    2. If your requested deficit is higher than the maximum MFP allows, it will start subtracting activity calories to get you to your requested deficit without putting you under 1200. So if your maintenance was 1800, and you request 2lb a week loss, it will only give you a 600 deficit to keep you above 1200. If you have negative adjustments enabled, it will keep adjusting your calories downwards until you burn more than 400, because you've asked for a 1000 calorie deficit (I think it does this, I could be wrong).
    Could it be either of those?
  • SelinaB99
    SelinaB99 Posts: 5 Member
    poeciliareticulata wrote: »
    This sort of thing has happened to me a few times - I use Fitbit to track steps. There seem to be two reasons:
    1. I add an additional exercise because I am not wearing my Fitbit at the time (usually swimming or stationary bike). MFP assumes I was wearing it, and so subtracts those 'extra' calories from my Fitbit adjustment. I can usually get round this one if I make sure the start and end times fall within the period my Fitbit was not moving. It looks like here you've added 'running' as extra in this way.
    2. If your requested deficit is higher than the maximum MFP allows, it will start subtracting activity calories to get you to your requested deficit without putting you under 1200. So if your maintenance was 1800, and you request 2lb a week loss, it will only give you a 600 deficit to keep you above 1200. If you have negative adjustments enabled, it will keep adjusting your calories downwards until you burn more than 400, because you've asked for a 1000 calorie deficit (I think it does this, I could be wrong).
    Could it be either of those?

    Thanks so much! I've never even given any thought to putting the exact start/end times in order for the exercise to not overlap with any other activity my phone is tracking! I'll definitely check if being more precise changes anything!
    As for #2, I have requested a 1lb/week loss (which MFP recommended) and MFP has given me 1200 calories a day but I'm not sure if they had to adjust the deficit in order to keep me above 1200.
  • SelinaB99
    SelinaB99 Posts: 5 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    To the person with the IOS adjustment above.

    You have a double issue.

    #1 based on the numbers as given in the picture you should be getting a 34 Calorie POSITIVE adjustment, not a negative adjustment. So integration is screwing up by 232 Calories somewhere.

    I **SUSPECT** due to the amounts in question being identical that the issue came about because you pushed a 232 Calorie exercise out of MFP.

    My strong recommendation is that it would be just WAY simpler for people to NOT enter their exercise on MFP when using an outside tracker.

    When using an outside tracker enter all your calorie burning activities (i.e. your exercise) on the outside tracker.

    Basically Calories out on one device (the tracker). Calories In (the food) on MFP.

    #2 The second issue is that now MFP has decided (for whatever reason and in error) to reduce your calories by MORE than 232 Calories. But reducing them by more than 232 would bring your total below 1200. Thus they "limit" the reduction to the number that will bring you to 1200. Ergo they reduce by 232.

    So you have multiple problems but I suspect that the easiest solution is to only input exercise on one device.

    I also note, as has been mentioned above, that synchronization problems with apple and gear watches seem to abound. I've never thought to say that Fitbit integration is the most robust one given the number of problems it has had over the years... but there you go: currently this seems to be the case.

    Thank you so, so much! It all makes sense to me now! I'll be taking your advice and only input exercise on my iPhone as they don't seem to work well together.
  • MikeFenton37
    MikeFenton37 Posts: 1 Member
    Well, this is a weird one. I’m lightly active but I’m getting this after taking a dog for a walk. lrzv4my7fpyd.png
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    I think there is a bug in the MFP code.

    Every time I do some sort of logged exercise (e.g. my Strava uploads a cycling session) it wipes out my calories gained from steps (just like above). Then after a while the system seems to right itself and add the step calories back correctly.

    I tend to just ignore it now since I know that eventually it will come good.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    I can't answer re: potential code bugs. But i would definitely suggest that I've found it easier (i.e. less potential for errors) to NOT manually add step based exercise or activities, such as a dog walk, if there exists a connected step counting device.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    I can't answer re: potential code bugs. But i would definitely suggest that I've found it easier (i.e. less potential for errors) to NOT manually add step based exercise or activities, such as a dog walk, if there exists a connected step counting device.

    Oh I agree with that. Walking is walking whether it's walking round the office, walking to the store or 'going for a walk' as exercise. It's all just tracked with the pedometer.
  • TommyWillWright
    TommyWillWright Posts: 6 Member
    edited June 2019
    This is so simple it's actually childishly Dumb.

    Your tracker (Fitbit) registers the exercise as a Minus figures E.G. -232

    Myfitnesspal registers Calories burned in Positive figures +232

    So in MPF when FitBit links it shows as a Negative number ( As fitbit stores it ) and Myfitness Pal then dies this calculation.

    Calories Eaten - Calories Burned = x

    MFP
    1200 - +232 = 968


    Fitbit sync
    1200 - -232 = 1432

    So in Myfitnesspal it says you have essentially exersized yourself fatter PMSL.


    Oh but it gets better. Fitbit and the like sync correctly from myfitnesspal, in the sense that they convert the positive into a minus... So when you manually insert a figure into MFP it will sync to Fitbit, convert to a minus and then sync back to MFP as an additional minus.

    So in essense it's like you haven't added anything at all because they cancel each other out everytime

    TL:DR hilariously bad coding.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    When you have an activity tracker synced you are not supposed to also manually add exercises here. That would create a double adjustment if the site allowed both. When you manually logged the burn the site adjusted out the tracker log for the same earned calories.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    TommyWillWright wrote: »
    This is so simple it's actually childishly Dumb.
    Your tracker (Fitbit) registers the exercise as a Minus figures E.G. -232
    Myfitnesspal registers Calories burned in Positive figures +232
    So in MPF when FitBit links it shows as a Negative number ( As fitbit atores it ) and Myfitness Pal then dies this calculation.
    Calories Eaten - Calories Burned= x
    MFP
    1200 - +232 = 968
    Fitbit sync
    1200 - -232 = 1432
    So in Myfitnesspal it says you have easentially exersized yourself fatter PMSL.

    The OP's original issue was related to BUGS in the MFP and Apple Watch integration.

    It just does NOT WORK PROPERLY (still as of June 2019) unless you use an intermediate app to mediate.

    You may achieve a better understanding of how Fitbit and MFP integrate by reading through the FAQ in the Fitbit User's group. Maybe it is the way you're explaining it; but, it doesn't sound to me as if you have achieved that yet.
  • TommyWillWright
    TommyWillWright Posts: 6 Member
    edited June 2019
    No my previous has it right, I tested it, just bad coding MFP devs need to make a fix.
  • Gregmire11
    Gregmire11 Posts: 1 Member
    I’m experiencing the same issue, using an Apple Watch 4 and iPhone X... I worked so hard for my deficit to be faced with such a bad report card at the end of the day... very demotivating.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    edited June 2019
    use an intermediate app
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
    @PAV8888 what "intermediate app" do you mean?
    I just got an iPhone and Apple watch a couple of days ago after having a FitBit for years. I synced the Activity and Health apps as directed, but I'm having the same kinds of errors - I go for an extra walk in the evening and they take calories away. I don't manually enter anything. A 9k step day that FitBit would have given me 400 exercise calories for got me 60 from Apple.
    I just disabled the negative calorie adjustment, I'm hoping that will help.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    I use Fitbit/Android personally, so you may need to explore apps!

    I think I've seen @heybales suggest connecting all the Apple stuff to Pacer and Pacer to MFP.

    I think @shadow2soul looked into this a while back too.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Kathryn247 wrote: »
    @PAV8888 what "intermediate app" do you mean?
    I just got an iPhone and Apple watch a couple of days ago after having a FitBit for years. I synced the Activity and Health apps as directed, but I'm having the same kinds of errors - I go for an extra walk in the evening and they take calories away. I don't manually enter anything. A 9k step day that FitBit would have given me 400 exercise calories for got me 60 from Apple.
    I just disabled the negative calorie adjustment, I'm hoping that will help.

    Apple failed to provide the right info, and MFP failed to call them on it from merely wanting them to do the work for syncs. Because so many people yelling for MFP to do the sync.
    Huge misunderstanding thinking MFP has the ability to reach into any tracker's account and pull info.
    It's always the tracker side that has to do the work - in this case Apple - reluctantly - and ultimately incorrectly.

    Sadly this means the math is all screwed up that MFP does.

    You'll have to use Pacer account/app to sync to Apple Health, and the sync MFP to Pacer.

    It's the only way to get the correct values over to MFP.

    Make sure you select Sedentary on MFP.

    Leave Negative enabled, it has nothing to do with the issue.


    For background - all trackers have a Daily Calorie burn - and that's what MFP is expecting to be synced over.
    Apple sends over the figure for base calorie burn of Sedentary. That's all.

    So the more non-exercise active you are - nothing of that comes over to MFP to be accounted for.

    Apple does send exercise over as a workout - but since it's not actually in that Daily Calorie burn, when MFP correctly removes it because it assumes it is - you get calories removed that shouldn't be.

    Double whammy - the more active you are, and the more you workout - the worse the effect of going the wrong direction on adjustments.

    All Apple would need to do is correct their coding on which figure is sent.
    They either have the Total Daily calorie burn, or they can add up the base and Move figures and send that across.

    If all the MFP users would complain to the correct side of the issues - perhaps Apple would do the simple fix.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    TommyWillWright wrote: »
    This is so simple it's actually childishly Dumb.

    Your tracker (Fitbit) registers the exercise as a Minus figures E.G. -232

    Myfitnesspal registers Calories burned in Positive figures +232

    So in MPF when FitBit links it shows as a Negative number ( As fitbit stores it ) and Myfitness Pal then dies this calculation.

    Calories Eaten - Calories Burned = x

    MFP
    1200 - +232 = 968


    Fitbit sync
    1200 - -232 = 1432

    So in Myfitnesspal it says you have essentially exersized yourself fatter PMSL.


    Oh but it gets better. Fitbit and the like sync correctly from myfitnesspal, in the sense that they convert the positive into a minus... So when you manually insert a figure into MFP it will sync to Fitbit, convert to a minus and then sync back to MFP as an additional minus.

    So in essense it's like you haven't added anything at all because they cancel each other out everytime

    TL:DR hilariously bad coding.

    Nope. Not at all what's going on.

    Read the 2nd section here if you want to know what's occurring with the trackers.

    The devices that do the optional workout syncs (Garmin for one) you can figure out in the example how that works still.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy
  • mrjayferguson
    mrjayferguson Posts: 1 Member
    This has me stumped aswell, I have an apple watch, and used the workout app to track and input into myfitnesspal from the health app. My workout saved as 339 calories burned, but then my step calorie adjustment (17,329 steps) turned into -1,639 calories. Has anyone figured it out for certain?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    mrjayferguson wrote: »
    This has me stumped aswell, I have an apple watch, and used the workout app to track and input into myfitnesspal from the health app. My workout saved as 339 calories burned, but then my step calorie adjustment (17,329 steps) turned into -1,639 calories. Has anyone figured it out for certain?

    Yes. You need to read the last few posts in this thread.

Categories