Pedometer + Calories burned

nicolecharvel21
nicolecharvel21 Posts: 40 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have this "Pacer" app that is linked to MFP account and it calculates how many calories I burn based on how many steps I take through out the day. On average at the end of my day it says that I have burned 100-200 calories (sometimes more) plus then my exercise for the day ranging around 400 calories that I try to burn. How accurate are these Pedometer apps because of course it calculates into my daily calories to make me think that I have a lot more calories left at the end of the day then I normally do which is confusing. Am I supposed to be eating back all those calories burned (pedometer and exercise) or staying under the 1200 calorie intake regardless? I know my eating habits arent the greatest but trust me they have gotten a lot better since I started documenting everything that I consume but I have stayed right at my inital weight, not even an OZ of a difference. I would have thought that water weight would have at least started to come off.

Any insight?? :)

Replies

  • jeannab13
    jeannab13 Posts: 8
    bump... I am curious too
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I've never heard of Pacer, but I have both a Fitbit Flex and a Jawbone UP24. When you connect your accounts, your calorie adjustment is the difference between your activity tracker burn & your MFP activity level.

    I don't know how accurate your app is, but Fitbit & UP show you your TDEE way more accurately than any online calculator. And their burns for non-step activity (like swimming or spinning) are way more accurate than MFP's one-size-fits-all guesstimates.

    It will take trial & error to see how reliable your app is. Use it for a few weeks, then reevaluate.
  • SRDB00
    SRDB00 Posts: 50 Member
    I agree with editor grrl. I have a samsung gear fit which has a pedometer and you can also set it when you exercise. I normally walk 15,000-20,000 steps a day and this would include my exercise. I do not log the pedometer calories burned. I only log the exercise (when I turn the exercise feature on). So I'd suggest not logging the pedometer (just use it for steps) and log your actual exercise.

    I also would suggest not eating all of your execise calories back as well. Calories burned are an estimate. I eat my allotment for the day if I am still hungry I eat no more than half of the exercise calories burned on a given day.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    Hmm here's the deal. If it simply tracks your steps. And nothing else then it's accuracy is highly suspect.

    Those who carry more weight burn more.
    Those who are moving on inclines burn more.
    Those who are moving faster burn more.

    Even a fit-bit which I understand has an accelerometer and measures perspiration is somewhat inaccurate. You need to treat the burn estimates as just that, Estimates.

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