Advice on which Apple Watch to choose

healingmysticmelody

Hello, I would like opinions/advice on the most economical/useful model. I have been using Fitbit Versa. I see that the lowest model of Apple Watch that is still supported is 3. I thought I should start with an older model and then go newer in the future depending upon my needs. I have never used an Apple Watch, though I do use an IPhone 7+.
I am just starting my fitness journey and have found my Fitbit isn’t registering steps while using treadmill. I was going to try to fix that by putting it on my ankle. But I noticed it wasn’t registering my heart rate today (on my wrist) and the rates didn’t match my activity. If anyone would give any thoughts or information about what might be best for me, I would really appreciate it.

yirara

One note of warning (no, two actually): apple doesn't link properly to MFP should you make use of that functionality. You need to check with others how to do it. And the batteries on apple watches are shite. Expect to load it every night.

healingmysticmelody

Thanks, yirara, I did see some comments here about it not linking right but wasn’t sure if that was a certain model. I really appreciate the battery information. If I ever do get one, I will go for a new phone instead of a used so I at least start with the best possible battery.

bekijayne1

I have a series 6 Apple Watch. I’ve had no problems with my watch linking to MFP. I haven’t seen the posts about the issues others have had but perhaps they have an older model?

The only thought I have with going for the series 3 is that it isn’t know how long Apple will continue to support it. It was originally released in 2017 and they are still selling it but will they next year? Obviously it’s a lot cheaper than the new model but it’s still pretty pricey so you need to weigh up it’s potential longevity against the cost saving.

Lietchi

bekijayne1 wrote: »

I have a series 6 Apple Watch. I’ve had no problems with my watch linking to MFP. I haven’t seen the posts about the issues others have had but perhaps they have an older model?

The only thought I have with going for the series 3 is that it isn’t know how long Apple will continue to support it. It was originally released in 2017 and they are still selling it but will they next year? Obviously it’s a lot cheaper than the new model but it’s still pretty pricey so you need to weigh up it’s potential longevity against the cost saving.

The linking itself is not the problem. The problem is not immediately apparent, as everything looks to be working fine. But the calorie number Apple sends over to MFP for the calorie adjustment is actually the wrong number (not the total calorie burn for the day). Depending on your activity level and whether or not you exercise, this problem maybe unnoticeable or very noticeable, it depends.

That is what I understood the problem to be, but whether it's valid for all devices or only some, or whether this problem has been resolved can only be checked by comparing the Apple data with the data MFP receives. I can't do this myself since I don't have an Apple watch, although I do know where to look on the MFP app to find the data.

amfmmama

I have an old apple and it reports calories burned accurately. I will be upgrading to the 7 soon. It has a lot of great health features that I am looking forward to

bekijayne1

Lietchi wrote: »

bekijayne1 wrote: »

I have a series 6 Apple Watch. I’ve had no problems with my watch linking to MFP. I haven’t seen the posts about the issues others have had but perhaps they have an older model?

The only thought I have with going for the series 3 is that it isn’t know how long Apple will continue to support it. It was originally released in 2017 and they are still selling it but will they next year? Obviously it’s a lot cheaper than the new model but it’s still pretty pricey so you need to weigh up it’s potential longevity against the cost saving.

The linking itself is not the problem. The problem is not immediately apparent, as everything looks to be working fine. But the calorie number Apple sends over to MFP for the calorie adjustment is actually the wrong number (not the total calorie burn for the day). Depending on your activity level and whether or not you exercise, this problem maybe unnoticeable or very noticeable, it depends.

That is what I understood the problem to be, but whether it's valid for all devices or only some, or whether this problem has been resolved can only be checked by comparing the Apple data with the data MFP receives. I can't do this myself since I don't have an Apple watch, although I do know where to look on the MFP app to find the data.

I’ve just checked and it sends the ‘Active Kilocalories’ not the ‘Total’ calories. But that seems reasonable to me as the difference between Active and Total calories is what you’d be burning by just being alive and sitting in the sofa, so you shouldn’t really get extra exercise calories for that. On the Apple Watch it gives both numbers so you can see how many calories you burned for your actual workout.

Lietchi

In your diary you see two adjustments, one for exercise and one 'calorie adjustment'.

Is it under 'calorie adjustment' where you saw that Apple sends over active calories instead of total?







(These are screenshots for my Garmin sync, Garmin sends over the total calorie burn for the day)

The calorie adjustment is meant to reconcile your selected activity level on MFP with your actual activity level as measured by your device. And to do that, MFP needs your total calorie burn according to your device. For example, if you select sedentary and your total burn according to Apple (minus exercise calories) is above what MFP thinks you would have burned at a sedentary level, you get a positive calorie adjustment. (exercise calories are a separate thing, your MFP activity level is for non exercise activity)

Sorry for the elaborate explanation, the syncing issue is a complex one to understand, even harder to explain 🙂

healingmysticmelody

I really appreciate all of these comments!
Amfm, would you tell what model do you have now?
I have made quite the investment on my health lately (worth it) but maybe I will just get one between 3 & 6. Are they all mostly the same with features?

Silly5am

I have a 6, I switched from a Fitbit to an Apple Watch for non-fitness reasons. (I also use an iPhone and wanted to use some of the productivity apps on the watch).

About MFP, Apple just logs the activity calories (not the total). This is mainly an issue if you have negative adjustments turned on. Right now I am logging food and letting my watch log activity to find my TDEE and assess my nutrition. If I were aiming for a deficit, I would probably turn off negative adjustments and set my MFP setting to sedentary. When I previously used MFP with my Fitbit I kept negative adjustments on which helped since at that time Fitbit logged total calories.

About Apple Watch for fitness use... It took me a while to get used to the difference since my watch doesn't count steps as well as my old Fitbit. I use a third party pedometer app Pacer and although it isn't as generous with steps, it is okay. I have come to like the three rings Apple uses better -- exercise minutes, activity burn, and hours where there was some standing/movement. I like that most workout apps sync with Apple Health. I also like the mindfulness app since it estimates HRV and I have found HRV tracking to be a game changer for workout recovery and managing stress from work. I think the sleep tracking is better than my old Fitbit since it uses HRV, pulse and oxygen saturation. (But I use third party watch apps for sleep tracking and HRV).

I kind of miss my old Fitbit, but am overall happy with the change.

bekijayne1

@ Lietchi

I just compared the exercise calories added to MFP to the calories shown against the activities on my watch app. I do all my workouts through the Watch so the line for ‘calorie adjustment’ is only the steps that weren’t running. Maybe I’m missing something - I haven’t been using MFP for long.

Lietchi

It's not the exercise calories that are the (potential) issue, it's the calorie adjustment.
You should tap on the calorie adjustment in your diary and then continue (like my three screenshots above) and compare the number MFP received from Apple with your total calorie burn according to Apple.

The circled number is what you should compare with your total calorie burn according to Apple in your health app:

If those numbers are the same, then everything is working fine.

healingmysticmelody

Silly5am, wow, thank you so much for all of that information! I think I will try the Fitbit for a while longer and learn more about Apple Watch. I have a lot to learn. Everyone’s responses are very educational!

bekijayne1

Lietchi wrote: »

It's not the exercise calories that are the (potential) issue, it's the calorie adjustment.
You should tap on the calorie adjustment in your diary and then continue (like my three screenshots above) and compare the number MFP received from Apple with your total calorie burn according to Apple.

The circled number is what you should compare with your total calorie burn according to Apple in your health app:

If those numbers are the same, then everything is working fine.

Thanks Lietchi, I’ve never clicked through that section before - I’ve learned something new 😀

You’re right the total calories sent by Apple are not the same as the total calories on the Apple fitness app. For me they’re almost the same - it looks like it could be an issue if the user doesn’t log the activity as a workout - ie goes for a big walk but doesn’t start an ‘outdoor walk’ to track it. All calories from ‘workouts’ are sent and displayed correctly but it’s the extra ‘non-workout’ calories that, strangely, aren't the same. I always start a workout if I’m doing any significant movement - like a walk of more than a couple of km so that’ll be why mine are almost the same and I’ve never paid attention to the ‘adjustment’ which was always tiny.

Thanks again for the info - it’s good to learn more about the different parts of MFP 😊😊

bekijayne1

Lietchi wrote: »

It's not the exercise calories that are the (potential) issue, it's the calorie adjustment.
You should tap on the calorie adjustment in your diary and then continue (like my three screenshots above) and compare the number MFP received from Apple with your total calorie burn according to Apple.

The circled number is what you should compare with your total calorie burn according to Apple in your health app:

If those numbers are the same, then everything is working fine.

Thanks Lietchi, I’ve never clicked through that section before - I’ve learned something new 😀

You’re right the total calories sent by Apple are not the same as the total calories on the Apple fitness app. For me they’re almost the same - it looks like it could be an issue if the user doesn’t log the activity as a workout - ie goes for a big walk but doesn’t start an ‘outdoor walk’ to track it. All calories from ‘workouts’ are sent and displayed correctly but it’s the extra ‘non-workout’ calories that, strangely, aren't the same. I always start a workout if I’m doing any significant movement - like a walk of more than a couple of km so that’ll be why mine are almost the same and I’ve never paid attention to the ‘adjustment’ which was always tiny.

Thanks again for the info - it’s good to learn more about the different parts of MFP 😊😊