How to Handle iPhone/FitBit Steps When Setting Calorie Goals

jmcdao
jmcdao Posts: 20 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I previously had my calorie goals set to 1800 calories p/day.
Of course, when I input any exercise-- the "Remaining Calories" number goes up to reflect that calorie burn.

I recently synced up my Apple Health steps with My Fitness Pal.
This is awesome-- but for every 5000 steps that I get -- MFP seems to credit about 300 calories of exercise.
This bumps up my "Remaining Calories" number up to a seemingly high number.

To adjust, I have lowered my initial daily calorie goal to 1500.
If I get my typical daily steps (about 5000)-- it pushes my goal up to 1800.
If I do a ton of walking in a given day, it pushes the goal up even further.

Obviously, I don't log any walking/hikes in the exercise section of MFP, since it is now happening automatically.

Has anyone else come up with a strategy for handling this scenario?

Replies

  • PriceK01
    PriceK01 Posts: 834 Member
    We used to be able to tell MFP to ignore exercise calories, but that's a paid feature, now :(
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
    You... eat those calories.

    Best way to "handle" them.
  • jmcdao
    jmcdao Posts: 20 Member
    I feel like MFP is assuming that we will take 'some steps' during a given day, when giving us our initial goal recommendation. My point is that you would be doubling-up for those calories that MFP is assuming that you will burn (that you don't enter).
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
    edited October 2016
    jmcdao wrote: »
    I feel like MFP is assuming that we will take 'some steps' during a given day, when giving us our initial goal recommendation. My point is that you would be doubling-up for those calories that MFP is assuming that you will burn (that you don't enter).

    That's not how it works. It only adds calories for the steps your activity level doesn't take into account.

    My activity level is sedentary. If I stay under 2,000 steps a day, Fitbit + MFP doesn't give me extra calories. When I go over 2,000 steps, it starts adding calories because I'm not sedentary at that point. They adjust via the activity level threshold you have chosen.
  • Katamondango
    Katamondango Posts: 10 Member
    daniip_la wrote: »
    jmcdao wrote: »
    I feel like MFP is assuming that we will take 'some steps' during a given day, when giving us our initial goal recommendation. My point is that you would be doubling-up for those calories that MFP is assuming that you will burn (that you don't enter).

    That's not how it works. It only adds calories for the steps your activity level doesn't take into account.

    My activity level is sedentary. If I stay under 2,000 steps a day, Fitbit + MFP doesn't give me extra calories. When I go over 2,000 steps, it starts adding calories because I'm not sedentary at that point. They adjust via the activity level threshold you have chosen.

    I'm a little puzzled by how MFP calculates this. My current activity level is "lightly active," but I start getting added exercise calories around 5k steps. How does 5k steps not fall within the "lightly active" estimate?
  • Briantime
    Briantime Posts: 175 Member
    From what I have read, an average person takes between 3,000 and 4,000 steps daily so 5,000+ steps per day is above that of the average, lightly active person and then gets credited as additional activity. When you have to find a set of rules that apply across everyone, you have to make some compromises, but I think the basic structure is pretty good.
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