Question on Counting Walking Steps Accurately

jlbattin

One of my goals is to walk 7,000 steps per day. During each day, I take a leisurely walk of a mile at a pace of 2.5 miles per hour and that takes about 1/2 of the total of my goal. I count the rest of my steps in normal activity per day and log the total steps into my exercise calories to get my net calories for the day.

My question, "it is accurate that I count the normal activity steps per day at the same rate of 2.5 miles per hour as my mile walk?" I have always been uncertain about whether or not I am misleading myself?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

AnnPT77

It depends on your activity level setting, and other aspects of your life, plus your weight loss rate target.

If you're set on the lowest activity level (sedentary/not very active), then your base calorie goal assumes you do some normal daily life steps/movement, probably somewhere in the 3000-5000 steps kind of range. If you log steps that are already assumed in your activity level, you're double counting those activity calories, and will slow weight loss.

If your weight loss target rate is somewhat more aggressive - if any double-counting doesn't wipe out your whole calorie deficit - you'll just lose weight a little more slowly than you would have if not double counting.

What really matters, though, is how fast you're actually losing weight, as averaged over 4-6 weeks of consistent tracking. (Premenopausal women should compare the same relevant point in at least 2 different menstrual cycles.)