How accurate is the iPhone step counter converted to calories on MFP?

Options
lesliezimmer
lesliezimmer Posts: 85 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My iPhone is syncing the steps I'm taking daily to MFP automatically and then MFP gives me an exercise calorie deduction.

Yesterday, for example, I did almost 14,000 steps and MFP gave me 565 extra calories!

This seems excessive and possibly inaccurate. Some of those steps were me casually walking to the train station for work, where I walk quite slow. Some other of those steps were me fast-walking or even jogging for exercise. Some of those steps were me walking fast up this HUGE hill to go to the store to get some food items, which I put in a backpack (weight was about 15 lbs of groceries) and carried on my back down the hill to my house.

It's strange to me that since it doesn't distinguish between running steps, fast walking steps, slow walking steps, walking uphill steps and walking with weight on my back steps, the 565 can't possibly be accurate and maybe I should just unlink it from MFP...

Replies

  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Options
    Phone apps tend to massively overestimate steps.

    My Fitbit does distinguish between activity levels, but the bar is quite low. I get "very active" minutes from things like walking around a mall.

    I would unlink if I were you.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Options
    I have my fitbit synced to mfp. Yesterday I did 13,329 steps, and I got 472 calories. So yours looks pretty much spot on.
  • lesliezimmer
    lesliezimmer Posts: 85 Member
    Options
    Thank you!!

Categories