Apple Watch Calories Burned wrong in MFP

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denorios
denorios Posts: 38 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm having a consistent issue with incorrect data from my Apple Watch showing up in MFP and affecting my calorie adjustment.

For example, yesterday MFP reports my Apple Watch Calories Burned as 2526 and the MFP Calories Burned as 2782, so it's given me a negative calorie adjustment of -256. But when I go into the Activity app for my Watch it shows yesterday's calories burned as 3008, not 2526.

Same with the day before - in MFP the Apple Watch calories are 2062 and MFP's are 2152, resulting in negative calories of -90. But the Apple Watch figure in the Activity app is actually 2428.

Why is there such a big difference between the daily calorie burn in the Activity app and the Calorie Burned showing up in MFP? Shouldn't they be the same? The MFP app draws on the data the Watch sends to the Health app, and the data in there is accurate - so where is the persistently lower figure that shows in MFP coming from?

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,347 Member
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    I've read several times before on these forums that Apple doesn't 'play well' with MFP, something about Apple not sending the right data to MFP.
    I seem to remember that it's recommended to use the Pacer app as an intermediary.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
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    Lietchi wrote: »
    I've read several times before on these forums that Apple doesn't 'play well' with MFP, something about Apple not sending the right data to MFP.
    I seem to remember that it's recommended to use the Pacer app as an intermediary.

    This.

    Pacer will work to transfer date to Apple Watch. In MFP, under steps, select Pacer. Connect Pacer to Apple Health. When you track your workout in Apple Watch & sync, you’ll see 2 adjustments. One from Pacer, one from Apple Health. Delete the Apple Health bc it’s a double. If you select sedentary, your entire “move calories” in Apple Watch will be your adjustment. If you go with lightly active or active, it will be less.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    They send the wrong data when accounts are linked.

    But what they send for daily burn usually doesn't change, because they send the sedentary burn figure, not daily burn that includes, well, everything burned that day.

    If you tap and hold on the Adjustment, can you take screen shot of the details and post here?

    It sounds like you may have just selected to use the Apple watch as a step source in MFP app settings.
    That makes MFP be the one estimating calories based on steps - very rough method.
    But Apple still sends workouts over, and MFP doesn't know what steps were part of already accounted for workouts, so it attempts so adjustments.

    It's a mess either way - Talan79's instructions much better.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
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    I used Pacer for a bit. But now I don’t really care.
    This is what it looks like now without Pacer.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Really it is like the regular advice - follow something as accurately as you can for a bit and adjust.
    This way you just let the Apple sedentary and move calories inform you about a true activity level to pick on MFP.
    Then the workouts come over.

    Perhaps not as infinitely adjustable if it worked correctly - but closer than not having it.

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