Steps counter

ashleesaid
ashleesaid Posts: 50 Member
edited November 22 in Fitness and Exercise
why does it take away your calories earned from steps if you've done a workout that day? Why don't both still count? I've read the explanation from MFP but it doesn't make sense to me.

Replies

  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    edited August 2015
    Because otherwise you'd be double logging your exercise.
    If you log Running on MFP as exercise AND you counted the calories from steps you'd be logging your run twice.

    Let's say you went for a run that burns 200 cals
    Let's say that your earned 200 cals based on your steps on your run.
    Lets say MFP logs 200 cals based on what you logged.
    If it accepted both of those then it'd say you burned 400 cals, when really you only burned 200.

    You're logging the same activity twice if you were to log exercise in MFP then also count the steps your device gives you.
  • angella289
    angella289 Posts: 6 Member
    Ok, this is somewhat what I am trying to ask in a post I started titled Pedometer. I just manually enter in the total calories burned for the day from my pedometer. Is it ok if the total calories burned are from a combination of daily activities and exercise?
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    angella289 wrote: »
    Ok, this is somewhat what I am trying to ask in a post I started titled Pedometer. I just manually enter in the total calories burned for the day from my pedometer. Is it ok if the total calories burned are from a combination of daily activities and exercise?

    If you're going to enter the cals burned from the whole day make sure you have your activity level as sedentary. Even then I think it'd be a bit high.
    When you have a fitbit and sync it to MFP they work together to give you your burn above the activity level you have set, so adding all the cals from a pedometer for the day won't take into account the cals MFP already gives you for your activity level.
    Maybe try to set your MFP to sedentary then subtract your BMR from your pedometer cal burn then enter that number as exercise?
  • angella289
    angella289 Posts: 6 Member
    OK, great, I just checked and my MFP is already set to sedentary.
  • ashleesaid
    ashleesaid Posts: 50 Member
    Ok, so that really only applies if you use a pedometer and strap it to yourself (like a Fitbit). I use the pedometer on my phone and then set my phone on a treadmill (I don't strap it to me) when I run. So it does not count my steps while on a treadmill. I should be able to count both. I've disabled the link between MFP and map my run so I can enter everything manually.

    Thanks for explaining it!
  • ashleesaid
    ashleesaid Posts: 50 Member
    MysticRealm wrote: »
    Because otherwise you'd be double logging your exercise.
    If you log Running on MFP as exercise AND you counted the calories from steps you'd be logging your run twice.

    Let's say you went for a run that burns 200 cals
    Let's say that your earned 200 cals based on your steps on your run.
    Lets say MFP logs 200 cals based on what you logged.
    If it accepted both of those then it'd say you burned 400 cals, when really you only burned 200.

    You're logging the same activity twice if you were to log exercise in MFP then also count the steps your device gives you.

    Ok, so that really only applies if you use a pedometer and strap it to yourself (like a Fitbit). I use the pedometer on my phone and then set my phone on a treadmill (I don't strap it to me) when I run. So it does not count my steps while on a treadmill. I should be able to count both. I've disabled the link between MFP and map my run so I can enter everything manually.

    Thanks for explaining it!

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    ashleesaid wrote: »
    why does it take away your calories earned from steps if you've done a workout that day? Why don't both still count? I've read the explanation from MFP but it doesn't make sense to me.

    You only get more calories to eat when you burn more calories than your MFP activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.). Click on the adjustment in your diary to see the math MFP used to calculate it.

    For a longer explanation, read the article in the Help section: http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1084232-what-is-the-calorie-adjustment-in-my-exercise-diary-
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