Explain negative calories adjustment for dummies cause I think it is either playing up or I am thick

judywoody
judywoody Posts: 50 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I used to have my Iphone step counter linked to MFP but it would add more calories to my allowance and I don't think they were realistic. So I researched it and found a few threads saying that I should enable negative calorie adjustments. From what I understand, if you enable it, rather than adding more to your calories allowance it adjusts the calories down to 0 unless you go over your activity level!?! (I have mine set to sedentary and am aiming for 10000 steps a day)

So I read that negative calorie adjustment doesn't work with the Iphone so I downloaded Pacer and it said in my mfp app that negative calories adjustments are disabled (although I thought I had enabled it) and for many days it said in my diary 0 or -1 calories burned -Then I had Pacer also linked to my Iphone stepcounter but because it caused syncing issues I unsynced the Iphone stepcounter from Pacer. Ever since I unsynced, Pacer adds calories to my allowance. I did 13000 steps yesterday and it added 440 calories (that's less than what it added when Iphone was still linked to MFP though). Pacer is still not syncing in real time but I sync manually a few times a day.

So I went to the website to enable negative calories adjustments cause it still said it was disabled. But then I saw, that it was already enabled?? So I disabled, saved and re-enabled it and also restarted the app. But it still already added 50 cals today for 3000 odd steps.

This is really confusing, I know but ever since I linked any step counter to MFP I am just having issues with syncing, added calories etc.

So am I understanding negative calorie adjustments correctly? Or am I doing something wrong here?

I just went back to the app and checked what it logged around the 13/14/15th December and it also added calories but it doesn't look consistent. For example, one day I did around 7000 steps and it added 300 calories or so and on another day I did the same and it says -1.

It just doesn't make sense to me at all.

Replies

  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
    I know with Fitbit it sends you calories based on the goals you have here and what you have eaten. I found mine to be too high so I disconnected it. For example I had my goals set at 1000 deficit in both places and the deficit it gave me was less than 500. I find it best to track activity on one, and calories on another and see for yourself how they compare.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    I have a Fitbit (with HR monitor) linked with negative calorie adjustment enabled. With MFP set at Sedentary with stats of 5'8" and 150 lbs, I start getting positive calorie adjustments at about 2700 steps. At 10,000 steps, my positive adjustment is about 700 Calories. Keep in mind that the intensity level of those steps will factor into the estimate of how many Calories are earned per step.
  • judywoody
    judywoody Posts: 50 Member
    CyberTone wrote: »
    I have a Fitbit (with HR monitor) linked with negative calorie adjustment enabled. With MFP set at Sedentary with stats of 5'8" and 150 lbs, I start getting positive calorie adjustments at about 2700 steps. At 10,000 steps, my positive adjustment is about 700 Calories. Keep in mind that the intensity level of those steps will factor into the estimate of how many Calories are earned per step.

    I don't think Pacer measures my intensity level (I disconnected GPS cause it was draining my battery).

    Yeah I am not sure what MFP consideres sedentary, lightly active and very active when it comes to steps. What worries me more is the inconsistency on different days with the same amount of steps.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    First off, remember that calorie expenditure is an estimate. You can use the tool to help you with that estimate, but it still isn’t exact and may need some tweaking to fit your unique profile. After you set your lifestyle (sedentary, lightly active, etc.), you can just create an exercise for yourself called “moving” and each day log what you think your calorie expenditure was for that day. For example, I don’t log the first 10,000 steps (5 miles), but for each mile over that, I log 100 calories (I’m a 210lb male). You can come up with estimates for yourself. Try it for a few weeks and if you aren’t seeing the results you think you should, tweak it. Make it easy to do and you’ll stick to it.

    Allan Misner
    NASM Certified Personal Trainer (Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist)
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    edited December 2015
    judywoody wrote: »

    Yeah I am not sure what MFP consideres sedentary, lightly active and very active when it comes to steps. What worries me more is the inconsistency on different days with the same amount of steps.

    Sedentary would be <10,000 steps.
    Lightly active would be 10,000 steps.
    And so on.

    Starting out, I’d go conservative and then tweak it later if you’re losing too fast.

    Allan Misner
    NASM Certified Personal Trainer (Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist)

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I would think MFPs descriptions below would translate to roughly sedentary being <4000 steps, lightly active 4000-8000, Active 8000-12000, Very Active 12000+.

    How would you describe your normal daily activities?
    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)
  • judywoody
    judywoody Posts: 50 Member
    AllanMisner wrote: »
    judywoody wrote: »

    Yeah I am not sure what MFP consideres sedentary, lightly active and very active when it comes to steps. What worries me more is the inconsistency on different days with the same amount of steps.

    Sedentary would be <10,000 steps.
    Lightly active would be 10,000 steps.
    And so on.

    Starting out, I’d go conservative and then tweak it later if you’re losing too fast.

    Allan Misner
    NASM Certified Personal Trainer (Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist)

    Is that according to mfp?

    I read on several websites that anything from 7000 is lightly active. I takes me on awful lot of time to get 10000 steps in already..lol
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Don't record exercise. You're better off!

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