MyFitnessPal Activity Factor

TexasAggie1280

Here's something I've never quite understood and was hoping some others could provide insight.

When you download the my fitness pal app, you input your activity factor along with your goals. If you classify yourself as active vs moderate, you're allotted more calories throughout the day, while still staying within your recommended amount.

Here's where I get confused...

The app also factors your steps into your calorie allowance. Isn't that effectively factoring in your steps twice since your steps and activity were already factored into your caloric allowance through the activity level you specify?

janejellyroll

What do you mean the app is factoring your steps into your calorie allowance?

Your activity level is based on your non-exercise activity. If you're logging exercise, you shouldn't be using it as part of the activity you consider for your activity level.

If you're referring to a sync with a device like a Fitbit, you only get additional calories *after* you've exceeded the activity MFP estimated you could do for your activity level, so there is no "double dipping."

sianlr87

I believe, if you are using a step tracker like a fitbit, you should set you mfp activity level to sedentary and then you will only get given the allowance based on what your tracker transfers to mfp.

janejellyroll

sianlr87 wrote: »

I believe, if you are using a step tracker like a fitbit, you should set you mfp activity level to sedentary and then you will only get given the allowance based on what your tracker transfers to mfp.

If you're using a Fitbit, you can set your activity level to whatever you think will be most accurate. The difference is the point at which you begin generating adjustments. If your activity level is sedentary, you'll begin seeing adjustments after much less activity. If you set it to active, you have to move a lot more to begin seeing adjustments. But the end point will be the same. It's really a matter of personal preference.

heybales

TexasAggie1280 wrote: »

Here's something I've never quite understood and was hoping some others could provide insight.

When you download the my fitness pal app, you input your activity factor along with your goals. If you classify yourself as active vs moderate, you're allotted more calories throughout the day, while still staying within your recommended amount.

Here's where I get confused...

The app also factors your steps into your calorie allowance. Isn't that effectively factoring in your steps twice since your steps and activity were already factored into your caloric allowance through the activity level you specify?

You mean you are telling the app to use a step source like your phone?
Or perhaps some other device - but you never went to the MFP apps section and synced with a 3rd party account that a device syncs to? (aka Fitbit or Garmin)

No it's not double counted. (neither way actually, even with 3rd party tracker account synced)

Yes, some amount of daily steps and resulting calorie burn are expected in the activity level you selected.
But from the steps MFP tries to estimate how many were beyond your activity level, and assign some calorie value to that.

It is super rough compared to an actual activity tracker that is using steps merely to get a distance, and then from distance get a calorie burn figure for the day, and send that to MFP to then do a correction to.