Eating Back Earned Calories

mtaratoot

Garmin talks to MFP.

If you update your weight on MFP, your Garmin device updates. Well, at least mine does.

If I use my Garmin for an "Activity" (walk, run, paddle, hike, whatever), it still calculates calories burned, but I think it does that only "over and above" steps counted as activity.

If my Garmin device has already synced with MFP, the calories remaining reflects what Garmin told MFP. Then if I add an exercise in MFP (like a short bike ride because I often don't tel Garmin I'm just going to bike especially if I have many small commuter trips during the day), the calories from Garmin steps gets reduced by the same number of calories that the activity I entered in MFP burned if there were also steps counted during that same time period.

If that makes sense.

They sort of double-check each other. Mine seems fairly accurate for most activities.

heybales

goldyray1 wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

goldyray1 wrote: »

heybales wrote: »

goldyray1 wrote: »

I think my Garmin just calculates everything. I don't log in any exercises I do. I think that is what got me so confused before.

As long as your realize a calculation is an estimate and not a measurement.

Your Garmin when linked is informing MFP of your true activity level, daily extra and exercise all together, with a full day calorie burn figure.

MFP had estimated a daily burn (and from that an eating goal) based only on your activity level you guessed from 4 possibles that accounted for no exercise at all.

If you had given MFP an exact matching activity level from the start - there would be no adjustment at all, your eating level would be different - and you'd likely have no question as to what is going on - you'd just eat to goal.

Both are trying to teach a life lesson regarding weight management.
You do more you can eat more.
You do less you sure better eat less.

In a diet a tad less in either case.

It's the "tad less" part that is messing you up like many do, because all they've seen are articles and hear about people doing extreme diets to lose it fast.
Never hearing the rest of the story - doing it again the next year because they actually failed, like 80% fail.

Don't be a bad stat - listen to the advice given.

I was looking around the app for my Garmin and came across this explanation: This example is for today.Adjust for Activity
Your overall calorie goal is adjusted based on the active calories you’ve burned. This gives you an “adjusted goal” that accounts for the credit you receive for these extra burned calories.

1,200 Calorie Goal + 996 Active Calories Burned = 2,196 Adjusted Goal.

The Calorie Countdown
Once you have determined a MyFitnessPal calorie goal, we’ll help you track how many daily calories you are above or below your goal based on today’s food intake. The formula is adjusted goal - calories consumed = calories remaining.

2,196 Adjusted Goal – 913 Calories Consumed = 1,283 Calories Remaining.

I don't put down any exercises. I just go by my calories and do as much exercise as I can. Like I have said before, while at work between my morning break and afternoon breaks, I can put in a mile of walking. Of course when I get home, I work in the garden, run errands, housework etc.

The way Garmin is calculating, does it make any sense?

The way it's calculating makes sense.

It still is just an estimate, but it's close to correct for most people (will be correct for average people).

However, you need to have set up your Garmin so it knows your personal details, like age, body weight, etc. Have you set those settings in your Garmin?

Yes I have. I told it that I was sedentary. Would that describe me? I hardly do any exercise at all. Or at least nothing regular. Hoping I can change that.

No you didn't. (to Ann's point - you are mistaken about where you are doing things)

And no you aren't sedentary anyway. But doesn't matter on MFP, as long as you realize that adjustment MFP makes is to correct itself to Garmin, which shows you are NOT sedentary.

Also - strongly recommend you stop even attempting to follow 2 roads to the same destination.

Use MFP for food related things - logging food, eating goal, ect.

Use Garmin for activity related things - logging workouts, daily burn goals, ect.

Stop using MFP and Garmin for eating goals - just like attempting to follow 2 roads - it's confusing you as it would anyone, perhaps aggravating too as it should be.

I'm not even going to attempt to explain where Garmin messes up on their side for the eating goal when synced with MFP.
Do NOT use it.

Use MFP.

AnnPT77

mtaratoot wrote: »

Garmin talks to MFP.

If you update your weight on MFP, your Garmin device updates. Well, at least mine does.

If I use my Garmin for an "Activity" (walk, run, paddle, hike, whatever), it still calculates calories burned, but I think it does that only "over and above" steps counted as activity.

If my Garmin device has already synced with MFP, the calories remaining reflects what Garmin told MFP. Then if I add an exercise in MFP (like a short bike ride because I often don't tel Garmin I'm just going to bike especially if I have many small commuter trips during the day), the calories from Garmin steps gets reduced by the same number of calories that the activity I entered in MFP burned if there were also steps counted during that same time period.

If that makes sense.

They sort of double-check each other. Mine seems fairly accurate for most activities.

@mtaratoot, thanks for the bolded. Since I don't synch my Garmin, I didn't realize it would synch weight from MFP to Garmin.

In OP's case, I'd still encourage her to check that settings are correct on Garmin's side. The calorie adjustments she's reporting are fairly large for the activity scenarios she's described, for a woman our age. I'm not saying that adjustment is definitely wrong - have no way to know - but it's unusual enough that I think it's a good plan to check what data Garmin has about her, that it's basing its estimates on.