Undervaluing calories in steps

markyw765

I'm finding that it's not tracking my steps calories properly? So for instance today I have done 11900 steps but this has only deducted 532 calories. Is that right?
Seems low?

I've recently changed to a Garmin Vivoactive 5 but had the same issue with my Fitbit Versa 3 so I think it's an issue with MFP. I have tried force closing the app, Uninstalling and reinstalling. Checking time zones and weights all match ect.

What do I need to do?

Lietchi

markyw765 wrote: »

Different figures and I have no idea why

Have you read my answers above?

markyw765

Garmin itself even thinks that the calories gained back for the steps done is higher?

Lietchi

How would it be an issue with MFP? MFP is just receiving calorie data from your tracker. The number of steps is irrelevant in this case - MFP just shows this number and doesn't do anything else with it. It's your tracker that is using the step count (and other data) to estimate your TDEE, which it then sends to MFP and that TDEE is used by MFP to give a calorie adjustment.

The thing to also keep in mind is that your adjustment is only for activity exceeding your selected activity level in MFP. Even if you selected sedentary, a basic level of activity/steps is included so you don't get extra credit for all your steps. And if you selected a higher rate of activity, it'll take more steps/activity to get a positive calorie adjustment.

PS 532 calories for 12k steps doesn't sound low to be honest.

markyw765

Ok so because I've got it set to slightly active I will be achieving less calories in return Vs if I had it on inactive for instance?

Because the app and watch claim I should have higher calories burnt?

markyw765

So this is Garmin

Lietchi

markyw765 wrote: »

Garmin itself even thinks that the calories gained back for the steps done is higher?

Garmin shows you total active calories, not specifically active calories exceeding the activity rate you selected on MFP. You can't compare those numbers.

markyw765 wrote: »

Ok so because I've got it set to slightly active I will be achieving less calories in return Vs if I had it on inactive for instance?

Because the app and watch claim I should have higher calories burnt?

if you select a higher activity rate, you will get a higher base calorie goal but a smaller adjustment. The end total of calorie goal will be exactly the same.

markyw765

-780 calories for the steps

markyw765

Vs MFP

markyw765

Different figures and I have no idea why

markyw765

Sorry I've just seen it.

So ultimately do you think it is actually tracking ok then?
Is nearly 12k only just over 500 calories?

markyw765

Also yesterday it didn't give me anything for the steps but then gave me calories for the workout?

Lietchi

Well, I don't know your stats, but 500 for 12k steps (and with activity level 'slightly active') sounds okay to me. I got 166 calories for 11594 steps and that's with 'sedentary' on MFP, way lower than you!

As for no adjustment for steps, only adjustment for exercise:
- your activity outside of exercise most likely didn't exceed lightly active.
(- extra technical detail/complication: your calories for the workout according to Garmin = calories including base metabolism, which is double counting, so in the adjustment it actually has to subtract those BMR calories to get the correct total adjustment. Ignore this comment if it seems too complicated Just know that if you do LONG exercise sessions and aren't very active outside of them, this issue can explain unexpected adjustment results)

markyw765

I have absolutely no idea what that means lol

All I know is when I used to use MFP it used to give me calories back for steps and standard and then extra for workouts.

So ultimately am I better off putting the settings back to not very active?

Lietchi

Well, to potentially confuse you a bit more, I need to mention the setting 'negative calorie adjustment':
- if you have that turned on, then it truly doesn't matter which activity setting level you choose: you'll get the same final calorie goal
- if you have this option turned off, then I would recommend choosing the lower activity level setting, because your calorie goal would risk being too high for days when you aren't reaching 'lightly active' level

I personally:
- have negative calorie adjustments turned on
- have chosen sedentary as my activity level
Why? Because I'm often active but not always: I prefer to have extra calories left over at the end of an active day because I got a large adjustment, than to suddenly be lacking calories remaining on a sedentary day because I ate my base calorie goal and then got a large negative adjustment because I was inactive.

All of this can seem very complicated. But the end result is weight management, so the choices in themselves aren't the most important thing: the important thing is to choose your method and then track your weight for 4 to 6 weeks to check if your weight is evolving as expected (expected weight loss rate) and adjust if it isn't. MFP uses statistical averages, Garmin uses statistical averages, your calorie counting may or not be accurate,... so real life data trumps any tracker estimates

markyw765

I'm just really confused.
Please see screenshot from yesterday Vs today

Very similar days, In fact less steps today though but higher calories plus for my activity? How? How can I do less steps but her more calories added back in?

Jean

Your calorie adjustment is not based off a step count, but a complete day burn.

Your Garmin must estimate a higher number of calories burned compared to the set daily burn from MyFitnessPal, in order for an adjustment to be earned. If the number from your device is lower than the number from MyFitnessPal, then the adjustment will show as 0, or if you have enabled the negative adjustment option, then it will show as a negative amount earned and then deduct calories from your goal. When you do see a positive number adjustment, that number represents the amount of calories burned above your MFP goal and not the amount of calories burned for you workouts. This update appears in your diary as a Calorie Adjustment. The details of the adjustment's calculation can be viewed online by clicking the "i" on the adjustment line, or within the app by tapping on the adjustment.

When adding in manual exercises, or syncing single workouts from other app partners, those calories are automatically added to your set daily burn total on your MFP account and nutritional adjustments are immediately given. This can cause confusion when looking at your device adjustment because that number will lower or possibly zero out. This is normal because the number that your device compares its calories to (set daily burn from MFP) has now increased with the addition of new workout data and the distance between the two calories counts will be further apart.

Only when the Garmin number is greater than the MyFitnessPal number will you then earn the extra difference between the two as a positive adjustment.

If you have additional questions or concerns on this, please email our Support Team directly at support@myfitnesspal.com.

markyw765

Now it's completely changed again but dropped?

markyw765

How am I not getting this lol

markyw765

How have I lost over 500 from exercise after doing more walking?

markyw765

So now Garmin thinks I've burnt 972 calories but MFP thinks I've burnt just 186.

That cannot be right?

Lietchi

You can compare the number Garmin gives you as TDEE and the number MFP received, in case there is an issue there. But if you're looking at an unfinished day, you are likely to get some fluctuations depending on early activity versus later in the day and sometimes not having the same latest sync time in Garmin Connect and the MFP app.
It's important to sync your watch first and also explicitly sync the MFP app in the More menu, to make sure all syncs are current.

If you want to dig a bit:
- look in Garmin Connect at the info in Health Stats > Calories

- then compare with the number MFP received: tap on the calorie adjustment line in your diary and you'll be taken another page where you have to tap on the adjustment again
-






For my example, 1570 in both cases, so the sync is correct.

markyw765 wrote: »

I'm just really confused.
Please see screenshot from yesterday Vs today

Very similar days, In fact less steps today though but higher calories plus for my activity? How? How can I do less steps but her more calories added back in?

The second screenshot is a glitch, double counting, I can tell from the two lines both stating Garmin Connect Calorie Adjustment. Re-syncing usually fixes that.

Also: the adjustment comes from the TDEE number that Garmin sends over. Steps isn't directly/strictly correlated with steps. Garmin doesn't just look at your step count for your TDEE but also other factors, most notably your heart rate. If for example my heart rate is elevated due to stress and I walk, Garmin will give me more calories for the same number of steps than when my heart rate is lower. Also: not all steps are equal, small steps versus large steps,...

markyw765

So mine are not matching? I'm guessing that's what you mean?

As you can see, Both have been updated and synced showing the same steps.

markyw765

Sorry now attached

markyw765

They are not matching?

Lietchi

The sync doesn't fully line up (slightly different timing I'm guessing) but I'm not seeing a real issue here.
Yes, your active calories are higher than your adjustment, but that's normal since you adjustment is only for what exceeds your chosen activity level.

markyw765

Ok.
So you feel like this seems correct?

Even this one where it hasn't given me any calories for my standard steps?

Lietchi

Well yeah, because most of those steps are from your exercise session which has given you hundreds of extra calories.