Apple watch data vs building a work out routine on MFP

jcreuz78

I am relatively new to MFP for tracking workouts as I previously just used it for calorie counting. I have synced my Apple Watch to my MFP account for my workouts. As I understand it, Apple doesn't play well with MFP and MFP will only track Cardio automatically. On average each day, my basic daily work out takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete and burns about 247 calories. I have been manually adding that information once my workout is complete to the exercise section on MFP. I discovered the workout routine options today as I was playing around on the app. I entered the bulk of my daily workout (some were not listed in the available exercises) to see what MFP said about it. Shockingly, my workout routine that was missing about 6 exercises burns an estimated 514 calories. That's more than double what Apple has been tracking. Am I better off to just use my workout routine daily and forego the Apple information? I am just curious to the accuracy of the workout exercises because it estimates that is should take about an hour and 19 minutes to complete. Obviously neither are perfect, but I would like to use whatever way is best. Thanks in advance for the information and help!

cmriverside

Here's the thing.

Devices like Apple Watch, fitbit, heart rate monitors, and myfitnesspal all use varying algorithms to ESTIMATE what XXXX exercise calories would be.

None of them are perfect and/or correct necessarily.

Pick one of those numbers, 247 or 514, or something in between and use it for two months and see how your weight management plays out. That's the only way. Here is the explanation of myfitnesspal's calculations:
https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

...and this is a good read:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

I just use a flat 300 calories per hour for any moderate exercise I do. 500 would be too many for me at my current weight, but when I was obese it was fine, and that's what I did use when I was still overweight. Differing amounts of body weight burn differing amounts of calories to move that mass.

I learned this by logging diligently for months. Good luck, do the work.

cwolfman13

Regardless of device, website, or app, it's all an estimate. IMO, being conservative is good policy.

AnnPT77

I played with the MFP "workout routine" feature when it first came out. (It's not super new, but new enough that many of us long-timers didn't have it when we first joined, and some may not even have played with it, dunno.)

At that time, I thought it produced insanely high exercise calorie estimates. Maybe it has improved since then, I don't know.

To me, your Apple watch estimate sounds more sane, of the two.

If we're talking reps/sets type strength exercise, you might compare the MFP cardiovascular database estimate you'd get if you entered it as "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training)" using the entire time period including normal between-set rests. That might be even a lower estimate (and would be my choice for estimating that type of exercise).

dougii

I do a circuit in the gym of 26 lifts/exercises, 3x10. Takes about 70 minutes with no breaks other than moving from station to station and 3 minutes between circuits. Apple watch says I burned 391 cals, MFP strength training comes in at 385 cals, but MFP circuit training, general counts 1027 cals. I use my Apple Watch to track all exercise calories and manually enter them on MFP. It may not be accurate but it is 100% consistent.