Steps vs calories

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JillianLH
JillianLH Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I️ used my fitness pal mostly to track my steps. I’m curious how the Calories are counted. Average about 10k-12k a day and my calories count is never over 120. Does anyone else have this problem or can explain why it doesn’t give me more calories? Walking 5 miles would definitely burn more than 120!

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  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    It depends on your weight, on average walking (slower than 5mph) burns about 30 cals per mile for every 100lbs you weigh. Unless you were very petite you would burn more than 120 cal walking 5 miles but not necessarily a whole lot more (a 200lb person would hit 300 or so)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    JillianLH wrote: »
    Hi! I️ used my fitness pal mostly to track my steps. I’m curious how the Calories are counted. Average about 10k-12k a day and my calories count is never over 120. Does anyone else have this problem or can explain why it doesn’t give me more calories? Walking 5 miles would definitely burn more than 120!

    In addition to what was said above, your activity level, even if sedentary is going to account for steps. What is your activity level set to...your fitbit is only going to give you additional calories if it's in excess of what is already accounted for in your activity level. If memory serves me correctly, even a setting of sedentary accounts for up to 5,000 steps.
  • rachellep103
    rachellep103 Posts: 19 Member
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    For me personally, it takes 22 steps, at 3mph, to burn 1 calorie. You have to get a lot of steps to make a significant calorie deficit. Be sure your step counting device is adjusted to your height & stride length.
  • barryplumber
    barryplumber Posts: 401 Member
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    Check out shapesense.com they have lots of calculaters
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Keep in mind that you are expected to take about 5,000 steps per day, so the calorie burn would be for the steps over and above that.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited November 2017
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    I don't know how the math works out, but my numbers all indicate that more steps are better than no steps, but steps aren't the same as exercise.

    For example...

    Average day: 7000 steps and ~ 2200 cals
    High walking day: 15,000 steps (no exercise, just walking) and ~2400 cals.
    Run day: 15,000 steps including a 5mi run and ~2900 cals.

    To me this makes sense given the comparative efficiency of walking vs running, and is why I don't consider walking exercise (for me).

  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    At what level is your activity level set here on mfp? Depending on what you have it set to, it expects a certain level of activity, and you only get calorie adjustments for anything above and beyond that.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    At what level is your activity level set here on mfp? Depending on what you have it set to, it expects a certain level of activity, and you only get calorie adjustments for anything above and beyond that.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    1 mi burns about 50 Cals for 150 lb person. 1 mi is about 2000-2200 steps, depending on your stride length.

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