Withings steps as exercise?

:huh:

OP, you may need to explain what Withings is...? I can't speak for everyone else on MFP, but I have no clue what that is. Sounds like it might be a Fitbit type thing, but not sure.

I may know what you're talking about.

I use a fitbit zip that tracks my steps. I set myself to sedentary, which MFP defines as around 3500/steps a day or less. If I walk more than that, it adds calories to my daily goal (I can eat more). The more I walk, the more calories I get. This is the recommended way to use trackers with MFP.

I also log exercises the fitbit doesn't track well, like biking and mucking out chicken coops, to get additional calories. You get to eat anything over that sedentary baseline of approximately 3500 steps.

Q1: If my goal is to maintain and I set my maintenance for MFP It gives me 1550 if I'm "sedentary". What does that entail?
A1: I don't know if you use the web version or an app on your mobile device, but on the web site under the APPS tab is a BMR calculator. Probably, if you get your BMR and multiple it by 1.2 or 1.25, you will see a number close to your recommended net calories for the day.

Ref: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Q2: That is over my BMR so isn't it already factoring in sedentary activity?
A2: Yes.

OP Commentary: And yet, if I link it to withings it counts my steps as exercise and deducts it so that my net is lower, as if I can eat back those calories and maintain my weight. But withings tracks things like 'sedentary' activity such walking to the garbage, etc and it ends up acting like that is exercise.

Q3: Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
A3: Yes.

Q4: Do withings steps count or should they not? It seems like they shouldn't if they aren't extra exercise?
A4: If you have your Withings account linked to MFP, assuming you set up your Withings profile "User" settings similar to MFP, the two apps should work together to determine the calories burned by just living and moving around, plus walking and running. Walking and running are fairly well managed by Withings Pulse. Any additional exercises like cycling or swimming or circuit training aren't as well managed and should probably be added separately.

One note though, when adding exercises, most "exercise calories burned" calculators and references show gross calories -- the calories burned by a person of your height and weight doing the exercise for a given number of minutes. But, some of those calories would be burned by just sitting around doing nothing and are already factored into your daily net requirements. What I do is subract out my MFP base calories from the amount given since they are already counted. In your example, you said you get 1550 calories per day, so that works out to about 1 calorie per minute of exercise (1550 calories divided by 1440 minutes per day).

Edited for spelling