Why are the Calorie Counts so Different

springlering62
springlering62 Posts: 9,280 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
Hi. Rookie here. Why are the counts of calories burned so different between the MFP and MapMyRide apps? Both are UA apps? MMR will say I’ve burned 700 walking while MFP will show 182? I haven’t been counting calories burned against the 1470 I can eat, btw.

And how come sometimes when I take, for example, a one cup serving of red bell pepper and change it half a serving, it changes to 3000 calories for the half serving? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks for any input.

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    A couple of threads that will be really helpful -

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    MFP is using a publicly available database of exercise entries that many sites use.
    You'll notice for walking for instance it's a range of speeds - and obviously you don't burn the same amount at either end of the range - so it's an avg calculated based on studies.

    MMR is using formula that again is considered good - but it is based on distance and time it sees you do or you enter. So more exact.

    But if the distance is wrong - problems.

    That is a rather massive difference though.
    Did you use the distance it reported to do the math to select the correct MFP entry to use?
    And are you looking at actual MFP entry of a workout, or the adjustment to your eating goal?

    But once straightened out - MFP is attempting to help you learn a life lesson regarding weight control.
    You do more, you eat more.
    You do less, you eat less (that's the kicker for most).

    In a diet a tad less in either case.
    So you actually do want to learn to eat more when you are doing more than the likely Sedentary activity level you selected - which is usually at 4000 steps or less every day of the week. A real bump on a log many find they are not truly at.

    If attempting to use a tool that is new to you - don't assume you know it better to start using it differently.
    At the least it'll be ineffective, at the worst it could hurt you.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    How many miles did you walk? I burn around 57 calories per mile...I'd have to walk 12+ miles to burn 700 calories. Walking is actually pretty easily calculated. 0.31 x body weight x distance.

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,280 Member
    Thanks for the answers, ya’ll. Something seems way off on Map My Ride. Yesterday I did 5.33 miles and it said I burned 784 calories. Today it shows 3.4 miles with 526 burned. That just seems way off. At first it wasn’t transferring that info over to MFP, which showed a way lower figure but today it is syncing the higher figure. I’m trying to stick to a flat 1400 calories (doctor set the figure) and not include anything burned via exercise, but I’m also a little OCD about accuracy, and it pains me to see these suspect numbers, lol.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,280 Member
    I usually do two or three miles a day walking to various volunteer gigs, yoga studio, etc, that I don’t bother to run through MMR, but it shouldn’t be detecting those.
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    How many miles did you walk? I burn around 57 calories per mile...I'd have to walk 12+ miles to burn 700 calories. Walking is actually pretty easily calculated. 0.31 x body weight x distance.

    I never knew that . THank you
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