Most accurate way of tracking calories burned?

seannymurrs · July 2015

I’m trying to figure out the best and most accurate way of calculating the amount of calories I am burning daily, and therefore also how many I should be eating. I’m a bit of a gadget fiend so have quite a few different ways in which to do this. I’m hoping that if I list everything I have that the geniuses here will be able to point me in the right direction. As far as daily activity trackers go I have a Jawbone UP2 and an Apple Watch. I wear both almost all the time (unless charging), and both track my daily steps. I’m also an avid runner (5+ miles a day) and I wear a Garmin GPS watch to record my runs.

From what I understand I could really use either the Apple Watch or the Jawbone to track steps and give bonus calories based on those steps. Is the integration with both devices the same in that regards? The Apple watch doesn’t really integrate at all with any other devices/apps, however the Jawbone app does allow me to import my Garmin data via Strava. The only problem is the Jawbone app drastically over estimates my caloric burn for these activities. This makes me nervous.

One of the ways I’ve been considering was to set my activity level in MFP as sedentary, then have it track my steps via the Apple Watch. As far as I’m aware any bonus calories given via the watch would be from number of steps taken alone. Then I could manually add my daily runs, using the calorie estimates that the Garmin app gives me (I’ve found those to be the most accurate since it utilizes my heart rate). My only concern with this method is if it would double count some calories if I wore my Apple watch while I was running since MFP would be giving bonus calories based on steps, but some of those steps would be during a run which I’d be adding manually. If that’s the case should I just take the watch off when I run?

I’m probably overthinking this, I just really want to figure out the most accurate way of doing things. Would love some input/advice.

missomgitsica · July 2015

If those gadgets don't have heart rate monitors on them and are tracking your heart rate, they're pretty much useless for tracking calories burned. I say invest in a heart rate monitor for more accurate tracking.

erickirb · July 2015

The HRM would end up double counting maintenance calories (even at sedentary there is some cals built in for some activity), this same setting would also account for some of the steps. And on another note, HRMs are not as accurate as you may think. HRMs us HR as a proxy for intensity and oxygen uptake, so it is not perfectly correlated but is a good estimate for steady state cardio, provided you have an HRM that you can change the Max HR and VO2 Max inputs in the calculation.

In other words, there is no perfect device. You can do trial and error using any method, just stick with it long enough 4-6 weeks, to see if you are losing what you would expect to lose based on the weekly deficit. If no, make an adjustment and try again.

chivalryder · July 2015

That sounds like the biggest possible waste of money and time I could possibly do with regards to trying to lose weight.

Why not try this instead:

Log your food accurately.

Set a goal weight to lose.

Weigh yourself every day so you can review your trends.

After a month, if you're not losing fast enough, eat less. If you're losing too fast, eat more.

It's not rocket science and all those expensive gadgets do are make estimates.

Everything you eat, even if you weigh and track every gram, is just an estimate.

Every day, even if you do the exact same thing to the second, will result in a different calorie burn.

We're not highly sophisticated robotic equipment where you can predict and program the exact movements and come out with the exact same response every single time. We're organic and biological organisms. We're in a constant state of change. Nothing you will ever do will come out as a precise measurement. It's all just a guess.

You know, unless you like to waste your money and time on unnecessary frills. Personally, I'd save my money and invest it in something. At least, someday, it would be useful for something practical, like retirement or financial freedom.

2snakeswoman · July 2015

Admittedly, I am not a fan of gadgets, and I find it much easier to stick to a calorie target that never moves. Therefore I set my calorie goal for lightly active, losing 1 pound per week, and got a goal of 1640. I do log my food, but I don't log exercise. It's so much easier this way (for me), and so far I'm averaging more than 1 pound per week loss.

Woodspoon · July 2015

Personally I use just one app and put everything I do into that and use the info from that so you get the constant from one thing.
Example: I use Runkeeper for road running but the local gym machines aren't hooked into that they have their own app, so I use their app and take a photo on my phone just to be sure and put all that into Runkeeper when I get home, so you only get one lot of software doing the calculations, even if it's out it's going to be out on everything consistently for the same amount.
Makes sense to me like that anyway, lol

brandiuntz · July 2015

Honestly, the problem with all of it is that it's all formulas based on estimates. Heart rate monitors are also not good for calorie estimates unless you're doing steady-state cardio (your Garmin during a run). Heart rate is not directly related to calorie burn. If your Garmin uses VO2 max, it has a better chance at being accurate.

Figuring out your real TDEE is about starting with an estimate, then tweaking your intake until you find the number that works for you (you maintain your weight, or lose at the expected rate).

So, you can use the Watch and/or Jawbone to see what it averages over the course of a week. Start there and adjust up or down. I think the devices give you a good base to start with, but none of them are going to be spot on.

Personally, I wouldn't set your activity level to sedimentary, since you're not. I don't sync any device with MFP, so someone else can talk about what kind of adjustments the devices make to calorie goals, but it still seems like how much of your exercise calories you eat back will take some "personal" adjustment.

rushfive · July 2015

Sounds like the last paragraph is the way to go. Also I agree you should take the watch off while running to be sure not to double count.
I am also curious about my daily burn.... maintenance calories.

I just use a fitbit charge hr... but my only exercise is walk/jog. I tested it out in June to see if I stayed the same weight and I did. So I feel comfortable with its ESTIMATE calorie burn.

Good Luck.

Stoshew71 · July 2015

Also, it appears that your body adapts as your journey to weight loss continues.

"Rather, the body is an organic whole, and has many reactions to changes in calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, metabolism, exercise, and hormones.

When you’re dieting, almost all these interrelated events conspire to lower your daily metabolic rate through a process known as “metabolic adaptation.” As a result, a daily deficit of 500 calories produces slightly less effect on each subsequent day. The difference isn’t big at first, but grows substantially with longer periods of time, producing just 50 percent of the expected weight loss over 12 months."

http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/biggest-weight-loss-myth-revealed?cid=social49552546&adbid=10152926213341987&adbpl=fb&adbpr=9815486986

SueInAz · July 2015

I have both a Garmin 220 for my runs and a Fitbit One that I wear all day long. When I run, I'm wearing both the Garmin and the Fitbit (because I'm competing against friends and family for daily/weekly steps and the Garmin won't give my Fitbit steps). Both devices are synced to MFP. The Garmin sends my run data to MFP and gives me extra calories. The Fitbit then sees that entry and usually subtracts some of those calories because I have it set to allow negative calorie adjustments. I then use the calorie goal in MFP every day. All in all, it seems to be working pretty well.

Most accurate way of tracking calories burned?

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