Garmin adding daily step count to calorie total - should this be counted?

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charsiufan
charsiufan Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

When I first set up my Garmin Fenix 3, it would pass the workout data to Strava which would pass the calories to MFP which seemed to work fine.

I am no longer using Strava so I have set my MFP to get the workout / exercise data directly from Garmin. However, not only does it add the calories burnt during a workout to MFP, but its also adding some calories from the daily step count. So even if I have a very sedentary day and only take 5,000 steps it will still add in a calorie adjustment of hundred or so calories into MFP.

Is this correct? Surely the target calorie in MFP takes account of basic exercise? In short, by changing from using Strava to connecting directly from my Fenix to MFP, I'm getting a calorie target 10-30% higher per day. Doesn't seem right?

Replies

  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
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    I sort of have a similar issue, but the not same. I have a Garmin Forerunner. I've been doing Couch 2 5K. Now that I'm on a longer run, I start my Garmin when the run starts and stop it at the end (25 minutes now). The Garmin Connect app logs this a running activity and calculates calories. But it's also logging steps. I somehow feel like I'm getting two activities logged but I'm not sure.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    CMNVA wrote: »
    I sort of have a similar issue, but the not same. I have a Garmin Forerunner. I've been doing Couch 2 5K. Now that I'm on a longer run, I start my Garmin when the run starts and stop it at the end (25 minutes now). The Garmin Connect app logs this a running activity and calculates calories. But it's also logging steps. I somehow feel like I'm getting two activities logged but I'm not sure.

    GC reconciles the two, as does MFP.
  • charsiufan
    charsiufan Posts: 12 Member
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    But I get two entries under 'Exercise' in MFP.

    1. Activity xxxx - 500 calories
    2. 5,000 steps today - 150 calories

    Doesn't seem to be correct to raise the daily calorie target based on walking a short distance as part of your daily routine?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited October 2017
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    You get two entries. One for your workouts and one for the steps adjustment in MFP. Depending on your activity that day, the adjustment can be minus or positive if you have 'turn on negative adjustments' in your settings.

    Garmin is not sending extra calories over, it has an algorithm it uses and will send over extra calories that are over your normal activity level setup. Garmin's activity level is different than MFP's, I have mine set to 0.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    charsiufan wrote: »
    But I get two entries under 'Exercise' in MFP.

    1. Activity xxxx - 500 calories
    2. 5,000 steps today - 150 calories

    Doesn't seem to be correct to raise the daily calorie target based on walking a short distance as part of your daily routine?

    It gave you a small amount of calories for a short walk.

    You have to put more gas in your car whether you drove it to work or to the park. Same thing here. Moving your body weight over distance burns calories no matter the purpose.
  • charsiufan
    charsiufan Posts: 12 Member
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    ok, that is just an example, the numbers were made up. But since I stopped using Strava (only recorded activities came through to MFP) and have Garmin Connect directly update MFP I'm getting an additional 300+ or so calories for my daily target. The ONLY thing that has changed is I'm not using Strava. That change in approach shouldn't allow a 20-30%+ higher calorie target IMHO.

    Also, to my original point, surely the MFP calorie target assumes moderate movement and isn't based on simply lying down all day. Or maybe it is?
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    charsiufan wrote: »
    surely the MFP calorie target assumes moderate movement and isn't based on simply lying down all day. Or maybe it is?

    Depends how you have your activity level set, I leave mine at sedentary as I have a step tracker enabled on my Forerunner.

    I do think that the always on HR leads to an overestimate for background level activity.
  • marikadj
    marikadj Posts: 11 Member
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    If you go to your Apps/Steps setting on MFP you can turn off the step count feature from your Garmin.
  • tbucking
    tbucking Posts: 1 Member
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    For some reason this just started happening to me as well with one huge exception: it adds the step calories burned but my running/biking calories are not showing up. They appear in GC but don't "transfer" over to MFP. Any suggestions are appreciated! This just started happening the last 2 days.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited October 2017
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    charsiufan wrote: »
    ok, that is just an example, the numbers were made up. But since I stopped using Strava (only recorded activities came through to MFP) and have Garmin Connect directly update MFP I'm getting an additional 300+ or so calories for my daily target. The ONLY thing that has changed is I'm not using Strava. That change in approach shouldn't allow a 20-30%+ higher calorie target IMHO.

    Also, to my original point, surely the MFP calorie target assumes moderate movement and isn't based on simply lying down all day. Or maybe it is?

    As far as Strava goes, unless there is a known issue I don't really know. May want to look in MFP Technical Support.

    Currently Garmin is NOT sending over exercise/activities as separate.. its combined and is just steps. This has been going on since Oct 19. Its being investigated.

    On your second question, MFP is NEAT Method. It give you BMR+TEF+NEAT. Your EAT (exercise) is added to this.

    So basic movement is included in your NEAT, if this makes sense.
  • tess5036
    tess5036 Posts: 942 Member
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    I use a fitbit, but this may help as I have a similar thing. My fitbit syncs my steps. I have MFP set to sedentary. I have noticed that it starts to add extra calories only after I have done 3000 steps. I think maybe s sentry is classed as 3000 or less steps and it only adds on after that. I know that by about 5,800 steps I have 150 ish calories added.
  • charsiufan
    charsiufan Posts: 12 Member
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    marikadj wrote: »
    If you go to your Apps/Steps setting on MFP you can turn off the step count feature from your Garmin.

    Fixed it. Thank you!

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