Calorie burn discrepancy

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SkyBriscoe1980
SkyBriscoe1980 Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone else experiencing some major descrepancy? Run 10 miles... mfp only logs 200 calories burned yet my watch say closer to 750. Yes I'm using my Apple Watch app to log excercise.

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  • katiehepp1
    katiehepp1 Posts: 138 Member
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    Yes 100% I've been advised not to trust it too much!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    They're talking about it on this thread

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10480883/steps-calorie-questions#latest
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited November 2016
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    That MFP number is far too low for ten miles - are you sure you have entered the time and speed range correctly? You would have to weigh about 32lbs for it to be correct!


    Plug your weight into this formula to get an alternative estimate....
    Net Running calories Spent = (Body weight in pounds) x (0.63) x (Distance in miles)


  • bunnyluv19
    bunnyluv19 Posts: 103 Member
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    sijomial,what's the formula for net walking calories spent?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    skinnygirl4u wrote: »
    sijomial,what's the formula for net walking calories spent?

    @skinnygirl4u

    Net Walking calories Spent = (Body weight in pounds) x (0.30) x (Distance in miles)
  • bunnyluv19
    bunnyluv19 Posts: 103 Member
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    tyvm :smile:
  • QueenAnne94101
    QueenAnne94101 Posts: 4 Member
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    A trainer at my gym told me that counting daily steps via MFP is double-counting earned exercise calories. Here's why: When you sign up you choose your activity level (not active, moderately active, very active, etc.) which takes into account your basic daily activity - walking around, doing errands, cleaning, what you do for work (as well as extra activity if you have an active job like mail carrier or bike messenger). While you do these basic activities, you are taking steps BUT they have already been accounted for in the basic calorie formula. To count them again is double-dipping. Taking lots of steps is SO good for you and very healthy but, again, most of those have already been accounted for in the original MFP calorie formula. NOW, if after your basic day is done and you go on a specific fitness walk (faster pace, consistent heart rate elevation) or do the treadmill, that is extra and should be counted as an exercise session. By all means keep your goal of 10,000 steps a day - again, such a GREAT, HEALTHY goal - just don't try to credit all of that as exercise calories...count only the ones that are deliberate exercise sessions. I saw a big difference in my weekly loss when I stopped double-crediting myself for basic daily activity and only counted intentional fitness walking/exercise sessions. Hope it helps. Good luck!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    QueenAnne94101 wrote: »
    A trainer at my gym told me that counting daily steps via MFP is double-counting earned exercise calories. Here's why: When you sign up you choose your activity level (not active, moderately active, very active, etc.) which takes into account your basic daily activity - walking around, doing errands, cleaning, what you do for work (as well as extra activity if you have an active job like mail carrier or bike messenger). While you do these basic activities, you are taking steps BUT they have already been accounted for in the basic calorie formula. To count them again is double-dipping. Taking lots of steps is SO good for you and very healthy but, again, most of those have already been accounted for in the original MFP calorie formula. NOW, if after your basic day is done and you go on a specific fitness walk (faster pace, consistent heart rate elevation) or do the treadmill, that is extra and should be counted as an exercise session. By all means keep your goal of 10,000 steps a day - again, such a GREAT, HEALTHY goal - just don't try to credit all of that as exercise calories...count only the ones that are deliberate exercise sessions. I saw a big difference in my weekly loss when I stopped double-crediting myself for basic daily activity and only counted intentional fitness walking/exercise sessions. Hope it helps. Good luck!

    This isn't entirely true. Yes, a certain amount of steps is already accounted for in your activity level. But if you're even more active, you're going to burn more calories than MFP believes.

    I work in retail and have my account set to lightly active (generally about 7000-8000 steps). One day last week I was actually way more active than normal, and my Fitbit recorded 15,000 steps. I burned about 600 calories over what MFP expected, so when it read my Fitbit sync it adjusted accordingly. But that's only the calories above and beyond what MFP says is my maintenance...if I had walked maybe 5000 steps that day, I would have lost calories because I wouldn't have burned enough to reach maintenance.
  • QueenAnne94101
    QueenAnne94101 Posts: 4 Member
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    The problem with step counters is that they count ALL steps (walking from your sofa to the bathroom, walking from your grocery store to your car, any casual steps you take during the day) and steps are not all created equally. The "10,000" step trend if fantastic for health and SOME additional calorie burn but when you are on a treadmill walking for one hour (approx 5000 steps) at a good clip (3.0-3.5 mph), and you only burn about 350 calories, I see a problem with MFP crediting you with 600 calories for your 7000 steps above your stated activity, which tend to be mostly leisurely steps. Again, if the math is working for you and you are losing weight at the rate of your calorie deficits, then maybe you are a fast walker and/or fast metabolizer and you should definitely keep counting the way you do, it's working!! For this of you who are not losing at the rate your calories say you should be, then reconsider counting your steps at face value. It is a known mistake that lots of MFP users make and it has the potential to really throw your exercise calorie credits and, therefore, the rate of weight loss. Again, good luck to all. :)

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