Should I stop accounting calories burnt by walking?

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nehaad88
nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

I have my phone pedometer linked to my account so it automatically pulls that data. I typically walk between 6 and 8k steps a day. The pulled data then shows somewhere around 200-250 calories burnt by walking.

The thing is, I get psychologically primed not to work out much on the days I walk a lot. I have lost some weight by walking alone (2.5 kg in last 40 days, not great I know). Should I just disconnect it and prevent the bias?

TIA

Replies

  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Personal preference. If it's messing with you mentally, then yes, I would recommend not tracking steps.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
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    At that level, I would take the walking steps as gravy. Don't account for them in your calorie planning and take the happy 'extra' gain you'll see in your results over time.

    That walking isn't terribly strenuous so it's not like you'll be in danger of collapsing the minute you run short of fuel. Just know that you do have some 'safety' against your calorie targets in case you do feel like you need to eat something back after a while.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
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    Personally, I only count walking I do as deliberate exercise. The rest is bundled into my activity level.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    if your activity level is set correctly, then you shouldn't be getting credit for steps...so maybe adjust your activity level (remember that MFP doesn't count purposeful exercise, but does daily moving)
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    It's up to you- some people do and some don't. I personally don't now, but I did for a while at the beginning of my weight loss and I lost weight while counting them, so it is up to you. If you aren't losing weight at the rate you wanted, you can readjust how you log/measure calories to find the right "rhythm" for you.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    With my fit bit it counts steps but for serious running or walking I turn on my Runtastic app and the fit bit steps during that time don't count into the calorie burn.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    Personally, I only count walking I do as deliberate exercise. The rest is bundled into my activity level.

    Once (well, more than once if I'm honest) I've gone out for a long bike ride, and had some kind of mechanical problem I couldn't fix. So I had to do the walk of shame with my bike, often miles back to my car, in uncomfortable shoes not intended for walking. These are very much not deliberate or planned exercise, more like emergency transportation. But they burn calories no matter what box I stick them into.
  • Tweaking_Time
    Tweaking_Time Posts: 733 Member
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    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    Personally, I only count walking I do as deliberate exercise. The rest is bundled into my activity level.

    ^^^This^^^

    If you were walking before you were losing weight, then you should not count the same steps you would have done anyway towards exercise calories.

    Personally - I would still track them, but I would also ignore the calories it says you burned.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    Count only walking or other exercise beyond your "normal" activity level.

    For example, I'll count the steps/cals burned on a 3 mile hike around a reservoir but not the steps/cals burned shoppingvor running errands that I normally do day-to-day.
  • nehaad88
    nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
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    Thanks for the advise people. I ll stop the steps calories incorporation in my daily logs
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    It seemed like most were making the good recommendation of it "counting" in the sense of at least confirming you have the correct MFP activity level selected.

    For instance, for that many steps, you are easily Lightly Active.

    Then no adjustments should come across.

    But keep looking - because seasons change (for many anyway) - life changes, activity level may too.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    Personally, I only count walking I do as deliberate exercise. The rest is bundled into my activity level.

    Once (well, more than once if I'm honest) I've gone out for a long bike ride, and had some kind of mechanical problem I couldn't fix. So I had to do the walk of shame with my bike, often miles back to my car, in uncomfortable shoes not intended for walking. These are very much not deliberate or planned exercise, more like emergency transportation. But they burn calories no matter what box I stick them into.

    I'd certainly consider that exercise. It's above and beyond normal activity.
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
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    I think the only risk is if you don't count those then you're creating an even larger deficit. So just as long as you've set your activity level appropriately. I only walk for exercise and count every step and eat almost every delicious calorie back. :p
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    Personally, I only count walking I do as deliberate exercise. The rest is bundled into my activity level.

    Once (well, more than once if I'm honest) I've gone out for a long bike ride, and had some kind of mechanical problem I couldn't fix. So I had to do the walk of shame with my bike, often miles back to my car, in uncomfortable shoes not intended for walking. These are very much not deliberate or planned exercise, more like emergency transportation. But they burn calories no matter what box I stick them into.

    I'd certainly consider that exercise. It's above and beyond normal activity.

    I feel the opposite. I was supposed to bike back to my car; cycling is exercise, when I had a mechanical I had to stop the exercise and walk instead.

    But no matter what I call it, it burned the same number of calories.

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