MyFitnessPal vs. Map My Walk?

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monkeygirl08
monkeygirl08 Posts: 2,109 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Quick question for all the people who walk. I downloaded the app 'map my walk' & went for a walk. I completed 2.5 miles in an hour. On here, it says I only burned 299 calories for that time, but Map my walk says I burned 409 calories. Which would you consider to be true? They both calculate my weight so not sure which one to go with, although I've always went with MyFitnessPal just because it's the site I've always used but it's 100 calorie difference. Advice is appreciated!

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  • monkeygirl08
    monkeygirl08 Posts: 2,109 Member
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    Also, please feel free to add me. Could always use more friends!
  • tequila5000
    tequila5000 Posts: 128 Member
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    I would rather err on the side of caution, so I would use the smaller number 299.
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,449 Member
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    Could it be burnt 409 but that is only 299 above your base rate . So 299 extra calories for the walk but 409 total walk and general being alive. I would only eat back 299
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    My experience with Map My Fitness is that they overestimate calorie burn significantly. I don't use their calorie estimates, I just use them because I like their charts. I use Garmin for calorie estimates.
  • monkeygirl08
    monkeygirl08 Posts: 2,109 Member
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    Thanks for your advice you guys! MyFitnessPal it is.
  • jwm806
    jwm806 Posts: 2 Member
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    I rely on MyFitnessPal's calorie estimates too. More realistic to me.
  • BWA468
    BWA468 Posts: 101 Member
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    I have just compared the 2 of them also. Map my walk says 363 calories burned and My Fitness Pal says 253. Mostly everyone on here says that the calories burned on mfp are over estimated so that means I should only eat back 125 calories at the most? Is it even worth tracking a 38 min walk at an average?? pace?
  • shandy82165
    shandy82165 Posts: 184 Member
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    I take my Map my Walk data (minutes and miles) and convert this to mph, then use the following website to calculate the net calories burned (net, not gross). http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited May 2017
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    MFP database items that have an actual intensity, like walking 2.5 mph - and that's exactly what you did - are going to be good estimates - no need to take % off, certainly not 50%.

    Things like Spin Bike, Rowing, no good without intensity to compare your workout to.

    Weight Lifting is good though, if that is 5-15 reps, 2-5 sets, and rests of 2-4 min.
    Circuit training if rests up to 1 min, which means reps usually over 15, not usually done with sets.

    But the database that has intensity still needs accuracy.
    If you like walked and eventually got up to 4mph, but only covered 3 miles in 60 min, then obviously you don't log 4mph, but 3.

    MFP database uses same formula as site listed above - but MFP is ranges of course - while it says 3mph, it'l really a range from the available lower pace to the available higher pace, between those values. So if pace is between - round down.

    Was MMW using incline included?
    Was your route hilly?
    That could easily make up the difference since MFP entries assume level.

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