Garmin Step Tracker Question!!

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Kay_L0vee
Kay_L0vee Posts: 14 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a question for anyone who uses a step tracker! I bought a Garmin Vívosmart to track my steps and everything is working great, however, I am very confused on the calories. For walking 2,818 steps it says I have burned 4,765 calories! There is no way that is right! I don't know if there are settings that I need to set differently or what! I have looked online and haven't found any solutions! Any help is appreciated!!

Replies

  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
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    Have you set up your Garmin Connect profile with your height and weight? That's all I got... but if you want friends I'm ashliefisch there.
  • Kay_L0vee
    Kay_L0vee Posts: 14 Member
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    Yeah I have all of that set. I mean I understand that you burn resting calories and active calories, but 4,000 seems a bit ridiculous! I'll add you! :) I only have one other friend lol.
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
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    Is MFP giving you that burn, or Garmin itself? It does seem like something is whack.
  • Kay_L0vee
    Kay_L0vee Posts: 14 Member
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    I have them connected and the negative adjust calories on so it says like 1,600 on MFP, but 4,788 on Garmin.
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
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    Garmin has some forums, you may able to find something there that helps. I can't access them from my work computer though, I tried :smiley:
  • brianjmoran
    brianjmoran Posts: 5 Member
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    I've always taken off the negative calorie adjustment and just rely on the Garmin Connect data. I track food on MFP but everything else transfers over with the Garmin Connect data. I think when you turn off the negative calorie adjustment that will probably fix your problem. You can add me over there (and over here) if you would like, my username is on Garmin Connect is garminBrianjmoran. Hope that helps!!
  • LBgetsfit
    LBgetsfit Posts: 769 Member
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    Yeah that sounds way off. I mean, I've done 15,000 and a 6K run today and my Garmin says I've burned 2,800 cals. Check with the Garmin forum. Maybe try to force a new sync. That might help? Feel free to add me: _bleacher_
  • Kay_L0vee
    Kay_L0vee Posts: 14 Member
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    I'll try all of these suggestions and see if they help! :) thanks!
  • stephanne13
    stephanne13 Posts: 212 Member
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    My problem with my Vivosmart HR is that it tends to overestimate. Today it said I burned 252 on a 30 min walk at 3mph. I typically burn about 100 Cal for 20 min, and also, 3mph is a pretty leisurely stroll. I know I was walking a faster speed..at least 3.3-4mph.
    I did a few hills, so I wonder if that is the reason for the high estimate.
  • SymbolismNZ
    SymbolismNZ Posts: 190 Member
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    Your Vivosmart isn't just calculating what you're burning for that particular exercise, it's also calculating what your body is using throughout the day and uses a combination of your body metrics, your heart rate throughout the day, your movement levels and such.

    Keep in mind while you only burn 100 calories in those 20 minutes of walking, the resulting impact to your metabolism probably adds another 20-30 calories through the day from that exercise. From 12AM till 11:59PM it's a running calculator on all of the above.

    I don't believe it's highly accurate, but then I believe all calorie calculators have massive issues in that sense.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Don't worry about the moment to moment calculation, both Garmin and MVP are forecasting and affecting one another. Worry about what it looks like on a daily basis.

    I'd also suggest switching off the HR functionality to see if that is more realistic. Always on HR is a bit pointless and it does lead to an elevated estimate.
  • Kay_L0vee
    Kay_L0vee Posts: 14 Member
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    After reading some forums the only suggestion I really found was to turn off the HR like you said. I do understand SymbolismNZ what you're saying and I read about all the active va resting calories, but I am just unsure how to go about tracking my calorie intake on MFP when it says I burned 2256 calories when my daily limit is 1700. If that makes sense?
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
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    If your daily burn is 2256 and you eat 1700, that's a 500 calorie deficit, and will be about 1lb loss per week. You can start there, and see how you feel. Tweak accordingly. That's the way I look at these. Yes, MFP and Garmin are great tools that help me gauge what I am doing, but at the end of the day if I'm not hungry I'm not worried about being under goal, and if I'm starving, I don't really care about going over. It evens out in the end.

    I have MFP set to sedentary and don't have negative calories enabled. I use a chest strap heart rate monitor, so it's only monitoring during intentional exercise. If you can't solve the calorie burn from Garmin, you could continue to use it to monitor your steps and not sync it with MFP. When intentionally walking, make note of how many steps. 1000 steps is approximately half a mile. Log in MFP, eat back half the calories it gives you if you're hungry for them.

    Have you tried posting in the Garmin forums? Someone may be able to help you there.

  • Kay_L0vee
    Kay_L0vee Posts: 14 Member
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    Yeah I posted to their forum, but unfortunately no reply yet!
  • KrystalGayle08
    KrystalGayle08 Posts: 33 Member
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    Hey all. I'm looking for Gamin connections I'm KrystalGayle on there add me :)

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