What is the most accurate app for counting calories burned and distance walked?
xproofx
Posts: 43 Member
I use a combination of MapMyWalk and Pedometer on my Android device, but I am very leary of the results they provide. My current weight is 286 pounds and I walked 2.1 miles this afternoon at about 3.2 mph.
MapMyWalk reports my calories burned as 412 and my Pedometer app reports 295.8 calories burned. Both apps have been configured for my current weight.
Regardless, whatever calories burned report I get from an app or exercise equipment at the gym, I always under report it to MFP by 15%.
In addition, I am so concerned about going over my calories that some days I come in 400-700 under because I am not sure I can trust the numbers.
This of course could lead me to not getting enough calories during the day. I don't feel like I'm losing energy, but it still is a concern for me. I've been working at this for 2 months and I've lost 36 pounds and I don't want to lose too much too quickly.
I understand that early on, giving my obese state that the pounds will fall a little quicker but I want to make sure I am doing this right.
That being said, what do you all suggest I change, if anything?
In addition, if someone can point me in the direction of an accurate app for counting my calories burned, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks everyone!
MapMyWalk reports my calories burned as 412 and my Pedometer app reports 295.8 calories burned. Both apps have been configured for my current weight.
Regardless, whatever calories burned report I get from an app or exercise equipment at the gym, I always under report it to MFP by 15%.
In addition, I am so concerned about going over my calories that some days I come in 400-700 under because I am not sure I can trust the numbers.
This of course could lead me to not getting enough calories during the day. I don't feel like I'm losing energy, but it still is a concern for me. I've been working at this for 2 months and I've lost 36 pounds and I don't want to lose too much too quickly.
I understand that early on, giving my obese state that the pounds will fall a little quicker but I want to make sure I am doing this right.
That being said, what do you all suggest I change, if anything?
In addition, if someone can point me in the direction of an accurate app for counting my calories burned, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks everyone!
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Replies
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Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.3
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TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
Does this account for speed?1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
Does this account for speed?
Speed isn't a significant factor until you transition to running. Then after that cusp point is largely not important for most people.0 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
Does this account for speed?
Speed isn't a significant factor until you transition to running. Then after that cusp point is largely not important for most people.
This!0 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
Does this account for speed?
Speed isn't a significant factor until you transition to running. Then after that cusp point is largely not important for most people.
Interestingly, I think I read somewhere once you hit 5 mph, you actually burn more calories walking than running the same speed (if you've never tried it, walking 5mph is incredibly hard...the article said that this is really the realm of competitive speed walkers).0 -
Damn those apps were WAY off then. I'll be sure to leave that feedback in my reviews of them. You would think, with such a simple formula to calculate calories burned, they would incorporate it into their program.1
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The formula is for net calories, the app you are using may be trying to estimate gross calories.
Or they may just be spitting out vanity numbers to encourage people!
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
Does this account for speed?
Speed isn't a significant factor until you transition to running. Then after that cusp point is largely not important for most people.
Interestingly, I think I read somewhere once you hit 5 mph, you actually burn more calories walking than running the same speed (if you've never tried it, walking 5mph is incredibly hard...the article said that this is really the realm of competitive speed walkers).
I was racing on Saturday and a few fellow runners observed that I was walking faster than they were running. Very muddy trails, so it was easier to walk the climbs than run them. Personally I'm comfortable walking about 4-5 mph, but yes that's a reasonable point. For most people there is a tendency to bump up to running, rather than walk uncomfortably fast.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
Source please?
I've been using this - which is significantly different than the formula you use.
https://www.verywell.com/walking-calories-burned-per-minute-3887138
I also use a HRM for tracking cals when walking, which more closely resembles the charts I provided...
(not challenging your formula, just would like to research it and learn)0 -
@bwmalone
Here is the 0.3x BWX miles.
http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning
As pointed out above, it is net calories. Total calories matches with your table (verywell), at least for the entry I tried. Total calories is 0.53* BW* miles. 1 hour at 3 mph (so 3 miles) at 100 pounds give 159 calories by both the formula and the table.3 -
@ssbbg I see what the difference is now... Thanks much!0
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »
I was racing on Saturday and a few fellow runners observed that I was walking faster than they were running. Very muddy trails, so it was easier to walk the climbs than run them. Personally I'm comfortable walking about 4-5 mph, but yes that's a reasonable point. For most people there is a tendency to bump up to running, rather than walk uncomfortably fast.
4 mph seems to be my limit for a sustainable walking pace. Once I hit 5 I generally begin to run without thinking about it. The walking motion at that speed feels so awkward and difficult.0 -
@xproofx
Net calories = the extra calories you burned from the walking.
Gross calories = all the calories you burned in that time period, every function your body is performing 24x7 plus the walking calories.
You could express it as 1 MET + exercise calories.
It's often quite difficult to discover what algorithms a particular app uses.
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I use Simply Walking. It accounts for speed but not incline.0
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TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
This, and nothing else.
Speed has fairly little to do with it. There seems to be some research that suggests there is a very minor influence, but not much. Hey, think back to school physics: if you push a big box over 2 miles the energy needed is higher than over 1 mile. Speed has no influence on that.0 -
Once you get past 4mph, there's a bump, once you get past 5mph walking burns as many or more calories than running.
http://www.runnersworld.com/peak-performance/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn
But, as above, walking at that pace isn't comfortable for most people.0 -
The various MapMyxxxx apps tend to overestimate calories for reasons that aren't entirely clear. Belonging to a family of apps is largely irrelevant to whether an app plays well with others.
Personally, and I know others have the same experience, Garmin does the best job of estimating calories for distance over time.0 -
I use my Polar HR to get my calories and distance, I use the iOS version of Polar Beat and set it to GPS Walk mode and it does it all for you, it's probably the most accurate, because it knows my age, gender, weight & is monitoring my heart rate - I love it0
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@xproofx
Net calories = the extra calories you burned from the walking.
Gross calories = all the calories you burned in that time period, every function your body is performing 24x7 plus the walking calories.
You could express it as 1 MET + exercise calories.
It's often quite difficult to discover what algorithms a particular app uses.
Thanks. Makes perfect sense!1 -
Fitness_and_FODMAP wrote: »I use my Polar HR to get my calories and distance, I use the iOS version of Polar Beat and set it to GPS Walk mode and it does it all for you, it's probably the most accurate, because it knows my age, gender, weight & is monitoring my heart rate - I love it
It's probably ignoring your HR as at walking level intensities HR isn't related to calorie expenditure0 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
Does this account for speed?
Speed isn't a significant factor until you transition to running. Then after that cusp point is largely not important for most people.
Interestingly, I think I read somewhere once you hit 5 mph, you actually burn more calories walking than running the same speed (if you've never tried it, walking 5mph is incredibly hard...the article said that this is really the realm of competitive speed walkers).
I recently read of a racewalker who "walked" a marathon faster than most people run one!0 -
My FitBit Charge HR combined with MapMyWalk0
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BettyM1017 wrote: »MeanderingMammal wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles.
Does this account for speed?
Speed isn't a significant factor until you transition to running. Then after that cusp point is largely not important for most people.
Interestingly, I think I read somewhere once you hit 5 mph, you actually burn more calories walking than running the same speed (if you've never tried it, walking 5mph is incredibly hard...the article said that this is really the realm of competitive speed walkers).
I recently read of a racewalker who "walked" a marathon faster than most people run one!
World class race walkers walk 50km worth of 6:00 miles... That will qualify you for Boston0 -
36lbs in 2 months is fantastic. We all want it to be more, but it doesn't work that way. Don't go too low with your calories, you will still lose.0
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Ive been struggling with this for a while.. i have been using the formular above as ive found that neither Mapmywalk or pedometer are accuracte its much too high.. even when you assume it is calucluating gross calories and subtracting them !! using map my walk for the distance although its sometimes not accurate so i think im going to swap to pedometer app.0
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I liked the old "100 calories for every mile walked" much better. The new formula might be more accurate, but it's a ton more demotivating. I guess I'll have to learn to walk at 5mph or faster.
The Apple Watch also way overestimates walks...it's net activity results are much more in line with 100 cals/mile for me - about 75% higher than it should be. The watch is oddly accurate for running through - almost exactly in line with my body weight X 0.63 per mile.0 -
I've found MapMyWalk tends to give me a high estimate on calories burned, but a very accurate distance measurement. However, I don't link it directly to MFP. Instead, I take the speed and time and use the MFP calculator (on the "Exercise" page) to enter my walks. The MFP calculator shows a much smaller calorie burn than the MMW app.0
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