Help please, I don't understand the iOS calorie adjustment. I think it's wrong.

Cisseismint
Cisseismint Posts: 53 Member
edited February 2015 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been playing with my activity level and the iOS adjustment trying to understand what's going on, and I just don't get the logic.

Can somebody explain it to me please.

I am using my iPhone to count steps and trying to get to 10,000 per day.

I used to have my activity level set to lightly active, and if I got close to my 10,000 steps than I would see an iOS calorie adjustment, as my actual activity level was higher than lightly active.

That much I understand, but what I totally don't get is when I change my activity level to sedentary, I don't see a bigger adjustment, it's exactly the same? How can this be? It just doesn't make sense. If I tell mfp that I am sedentary and then do 10'000 steps, then surely it needs to make a bigger adjustment, that if I told it I was lightly active, and then did 10'000 steps.

This is really bugging me and kind of making me want to give up after 1 week of using this otherwise great too.

Please help me. :-(

Replies

  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question, but... 10k steps will burn the calories it burns, you know?
  • bunnies26
    bunnies26 Posts: 149 Member
    I'm not sure I understand?
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    futuremanda wrote: »
    Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question, but... 10k steps will burn the calories it burns, you know?

    I would agree with this.
  • Cisseismint
    Cisseismint Posts: 53 Member
    edited February 2015
    Hmm thanks for reply, I think I'm not doing a good job of explaining, let me try again.

    The iOS adjustment is meant to be my actual calories burned based on actual activity level as measured by my iPhone step counter, less MFP estimated calories used based on the activity level I choose.

    So using simplified numbers, if I do 10'000 steps, it says my iOS calories burned is 2,500 and my mfp estimated calories burned is 2,300, so I get an adjustment of 200. This brings my mfp calories up to 2,500 as that's what my iPhone says it should be.

    Now if I tell it I am sedentary, it reduces my mfp estimated calories burned, but also reduces the iphone calories burned, so the adjustment stays at 200, and my total calories burned is less.

    this is just wrong isn't. Surely my total calories burned should stat the same what ever I say my activity level is, because the whole idea is that I am using my actual steps to replace the estimated activity level.
  • hinaisold
    hinaisold Posts: 19 Member
    That's because it uses the MFP calorie level as a base and adds the calories burned on top. It doesn't calculate your base calorie burn. So regardless of whether you set your base level at 1,600 or 2,300 if you burn 500 calories while walking, that's what the iOS will add to it. :)
  • Cisseismint
    Cisseismint Posts: 53 Member
    Thanks, I'm starting to understand. But how come the calorie adjustment can be negative. If my base calorie level does not include an assumption about steps or walking then even 1 step would be a positive adjustment. And zero steps would be no adjustment. It still seems flawed to me. Maybe the Negative adjustment only happens if walk backwards, or eat chips whilst walking?
  • shortiequinn
    shortiequinn Posts: 38 Member
    I've stopped trying to figure it out. I can hit the same amount of steps on different days and have totally different calories added as exercise. I just look at it as a bonus if I get extra calories.
  • mickc79
    mickc79 Posts: 2 Member
    I think the system is flawed too. There are SO many threads on many different sites with people not getting it. That to me is enough ux feedback to let the developers know that it doesn't work.

    MFP shouldn't be assuming anything. It should just take the steps you do and give you extra calories for them.
  • ellzbellzxo
    ellzbellzxo Posts: 1 Member
    mickc79 wrote: »
    I think the system is flawed too. There are SO many threads on many different sites with people not getting it. That to me is enough ux feedback to let the developers know that it doesn't work.

    MFP shouldn't be assuming anything. It should just take the steps you do and give you extra calories for them.

    YES. I just got an iPhone 6 and was really looking forward to being able to ACCURATELY (or more accurately than I could on my 4S) track the calories I burned through walking. I hate how they assume they know what goals are best for you because that's bs. Like apparently according to MFP I should eat 1800 a day or whatever but if I do that, I gain weight. Slowly, admittedly, but surely. That's just how my body works, and if you manually adjust your goals then half the features don't work.

    All I want to know is my total calories burned and my total taken in, and whether burned is more than intake. That's it. They should at least give you the option of have iPhone steps convert into calories, and if you like the whole 'adjustment' thing then fine, have that. It's so bloody confusing.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    edited August 2015
    You realize that activity level is not solely determined by number of steps, right?
  • thepatrickharper
    thepatrickharper Posts: 1 Member
    Ok so I think the issue here is that MFP is all about losing weight. Let's say you put in lightly active and it gives you cal. of 1800 a day to lose weight this number will not change unless you change your activity, what will change is your total calories burned go on the website to MFP iOS calorie adjustment and click the little blue i to see what I mean. At the end of the day when you submit your report is where you will see the biggest difference when I submitted under sedentary it told me I would lose more weight than when I was on lightly active because it take the ios calorie count minus food for that and when set to sedentary I was eating 300 less calories. I don't know if I'm explaining this well but I gave it a shot.

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  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
    Wait, just to check. Say your iPhone says your TDEE is 2500. At lightly active, MFP says 2500, too, with a 2300 goal (so 200 extra). At sedentary, MFP says 2000, with a goal of 1800 (so 200 extra)...? That... sounds off.
  • paulinemcconville
    paulinemcconville Posts: 2 Member
    I have a Jawbone Up. I do a minimum of 10,000 steps per day yet the calorie adjustment varies from -224 (10,102 steps) to + 2,186 (11,225 steps day) on consecutive days with calorie intake of 1,720 and 1,706 respectively and no change in my goal, activity level or anything else. I cannot understand this enormous variation. How can this be right? Come on UnderArmour, something is clearly wrong, please fix it.
  • DaronK89
    DaronK89 Posts: 1 Member
    .. hope this helps.....

    Your metabolic rate is higher if you regularly exercise and lower if you are more sedentary. Workout intensity and intervals also influence your metabolic rate. Your metabolic rate affects the amount of calories you burn each day even if you don't exercise at all on a particular day (e.g. recovery day). Basically, mfp determines the amount of calories you will typically burn based on a combination of factors including age, weight, and lifestyle factors (like regular exercise) that all affect your base metabolic rate. When mfp "adjusts" the calories, it is including these factors into the adjustment. So it is best to truthfully input your typical lifestyle exercise data into your mfp diet/fitness profile so that mfp can more accurately determine your typical baseline metabolic rate and calorie burn and make the best guess "adjustments".
  • lauranne100
    lauranne100 Posts: 1 Member
    Its amazing how few of people on this thread are understanding/answering the initial question. I have the same one as the OP and cannot find an answer.

    I'm understanding the overall question being: "how does MFP calculate exercise adjustments? It seems to vary on a daily basis."

    My situation is that I have my MFP level at "lightly active". On a daily basis, I'll walk about 8,000 steps and it'll give me anywhere from a 150-200 calorie deficit. If I workout and add a 200 calorie burn, it cancels out my steps adjustment. Why is that? Working out and burning 200 calories doesn't negate the good news from walking 8,000 steps.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I don't get any of the answers here, I think OP is right to be confused and I think the answer is MFP is really glitchy

    MFP sets BMR x a guesstimate multiple for activity
    A step counter adjusts activity based on actual level
    Plus you add purposeful exercise on top

    Your activity setting on MFP should affect adjustments from your step counter

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Hey @Cisseismint just saw this http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10143870/mfp-does-not-count-steps-from-iphone#latest

    Known issue
  • Cisseismint
    Cisseismint Posts: 53 Member
    Piss

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