Accuracy of step counter on phone?

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drewmast3r
drewmast3r Posts: 13 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I work in a factory and today my step counter says I walked 2.97 miles at work and burned 300 calories. I realize that isn't 100% accurate but am I factoring in the calories right in my diary? I calculate the time for low impact walking until it is close to what my phone says are burned calories minus some just for error sale.

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  • drewmast3r
    drewmast3r Posts: 13 Member
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    Same*
  • drewmast3r
    drewmast3r Posts: 13 Member
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    Errors sake... Stupid phone lol
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
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    If your job has you on your feet walking the better part of the day, it may be simpler to adjust your activity level in MFP to lightly active or active and then eat to that calorie goal.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,564 Member
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    Unless it's automatically synced from your phone to MFP, those steps are already accounted for in your activity level.

    I just compared my phone's numbers to my Fitbit Flex. Fitbit says I've taken 12,450 steps today, my phone says 14,769. A difference of 2,319 steps, which is a mile for me (and the only time I didn't have my Fitbit on was when I was in the shower). So I would definitely take that with a grain of salt.
  • drewmast3r
    drewmast3r Posts: 13 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Unless it's automatically synced from your phone to MFP, those steps are already accounted for in your activity level.

    I just compared my phone's numbers to my Fitbit Flex. Fitbit says I've taken 12,450 steps today, my phone says 14,769. A difference of 2,319 steps, which is a mile for me (and the only time I didn't have my Fitbit on was when I was in the shower). So I would definitely take that with a grain of salt.

    Now I'm confused. I'm set to lightly active but still factor the calories my phone says I burned into the MFP app manually. Nothing is auto synced.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,564 Member
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    drewmast3r wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Unless it's automatically synced from your phone to MFP, those steps are already accounted for in your activity level.

    I just compared my phone's numbers to my Fitbit Flex. Fitbit says I've taken 12,450 steps today, my phone says 14,769. A difference of 2,319 steps, which is a mile for me (and the only time I didn't have my Fitbit on was when I was in the shower). So I would definitely take that with a grain of salt.

    Now I'm confused. I'm set to lightly active but still factor the calories my phone says I burned into the MFP app manually. Nothing is auto synced.

    You're essentially double dipping and adding in calories that are already in your maintenance calories. You should only log actual exercise.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    The most accurate phone pedometer I found was "noom walk". It wasn't that far off of what my fit bit says
  • drewmast3r
    drewmast3r Posts: 13 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    drewmast3r wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Unless it's automatically synced from your phone to MFP, those steps are already accounted for in your activity level.

    I just compared my phone's numbers to my Fitbit Flex. Fitbit says I've taken 12,450 steps today, my phone says 14,769. A difference of 2,319 steps, which is a mile for me (and the only time I didn't have my Fitbit on was when I was in the shower). So I would definitely take that with a grain of salt.

    Now I'm confused. I'm set to lightly active but still factor the calories my phone says I burned into the MFP app manually. Nothing is auto synced.

    You're essentially double dipping and adding in calories that are already in your maintenance calories. You should only log actual exercise.

    Would I be better off with a fitbit?
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
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    MFP takes into account your activity level and gives you a calorie adjustment for that level. Unless you are very obese the extra steps you are adding in really dont amount to much as you wont burn as many calories as someone who is heavier.
  • rosehips60
    rosehips60 Posts: 1,030 Member
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    Keiko385 wrote: »
    If your job has you on your feet walking the better part of the day, it may be simpler to adjust your activity level in MFP to lightly active or active and then eat to that calorie goal.

    This is what I do. Recently I've been trying to increase my steps per day but I don't claim any extra calories for them
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
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    OP your diary is set to 1820 calories a day, just eat that amount for a couple of weeks and see if you have lost, before making any changes or running out to buy a new gadget. Under eating is not helpful as at some point you will start gnawing on someones arm, a couple days you haven't eaten enough for a small child :(
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
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    rosehips60 wrote: »
    Keiko385 wrote: »
    If your job has you on your feet walking the better part of the day, it may be simpler to adjust your activity level in MFP to lightly active or active and then eat to that calorie goal.

    This is what I do. Recently I've been trying to increase my steps per day but I don't claim any extra calories for them

    I try to get in as many steps as I can, but I dont consider them in my exercise totals. Unless I have been on the treadmill or out with the dogs as I walk about 6 miles a day with them.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    edited April 2015
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    drewmast3r wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    drewmast3r wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Unless it's automatically synced from your phone to MFP, those steps are already accounted for in your activity level.

    I just compared my phone's numbers to my Fitbit Flex. Fitbit says I've taken 12,450 steps today, my phone says 14,769. A difference of 2,319 steps, which is a mile for me (and the only time I didn't have my Fitbit on was when I was in the shower). So I would definitely take that with a grain of salt.

    Now I'm confused. I'm set to lightly active but still factor the calories my phone says I burned into the MFP app manually. Nothing is auto synced.

    You're essentially double dipping and adding in calories that are already in your maintenance calories. You should only log actual exercise.

    Would I be better off with a fitbit?

    I was using the HealthKit App on my iPhone 6 Plus to track my steps and miles, but recently switched to the Fitbit Charge because my iPhone has to be in my pocket to track my steps and my Charge will track all day long since it is on my wrist all the time.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Keiko385 wrote: »
    rosehips60 wrote: »
    Keiko385 wrote: »
    If your job has you on your feet walking the better part of the day, it may be simpler to adjust your activity level in MFP to lightly active or active and then eat to that calorie goal.

    This is what I do. Recently I've been trying to increase my steps per day but I don't claim any extra calories for them

    I try to get in as many steps as I can, but I dont consider them in my exercise totals. Unless I have been on the treadmill or out with the dogs as I walk about 6 miles a day with them.

    I do! Especially when I'm hitting 20,000-25,000 in a day

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,564 Member
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    drewmast3r wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    drewmast3r wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Unless it's automatically synced from your phone to MFP, those steps are already accounted for in your activity level.

    I just compared my phone's numbers to my Fitbit Flex. Fitbit says I've taken 12,450 steps today, my phone says 14,769. A difference of 2,319 steps, which is a mile for me (and the only time I didn't have my Fitbit on was when I was in the shower). So I would definitely take that with a grain of salt.

    Now I'm confused. I'm set to lightly active but still factor the calories my phone says I burned into the MFP app manually. Nothing is auto synced.

    You're essentially double dipping and adding in calories that are already in your maintenance calories. You should only log actual exercise.

    Would I be better off with a fitbit?

    It's up to you. At lightly active, you look like you're around that level, so it probably wouldn't add much of an adjustment unless you work to get more steps. My stats for Saturday (when my Fitbit died halfway through my work shift) showed 7,182 steps, a bit over 3 miles for me, and it ended up taking away 14 calories at lightly active (I probably did 13-14k, so I knew I burned much more, but this is from what it had to work with).
  • drewmast3r
    drewmast3r Posts: 13 Member
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    Thank you all so much! Great information.
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    Keiko385 wrote: »
    rosehips60 wrote: »
    Keiko385 wrote: »
    If your job has you on your feet walking the better part of the day, it may be simpler to adjust your activity level in MFP to lightly active or active and then eat to that calorie goal.

    This is what I do. Recently I've been trying to increase my steps per day but I don't claim any extra calories for them

    I try to get in as many steps as I can, but I dont consider them in my exercise totals. Unless I have been on the treadmill or out with the dogs as I walk about 6 miles a day with them.

    I do! Especially when I'm hitting 20,000-25,000 in a day

    If I was hitting that many I would too! I think it would just be easier to just change my activity setting in MFP to the next level up.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    I have both a Fitbit and an iPhone. The step counts are always very close and the mileage on the iPhone seems more accurate. It appears to be able to account for changing stride length on the move.

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