Daily steps...add as exercise or no?

tarrad2
tarrad2 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have an activity tracker that does not link with MFP. The app that links with my tracker tells me the calories burned including miles walked for the day. Should I add this as a cardio exercise under “leisurely walking” and manually change time and calories burnt as it is on my activity tracker app or not track daily steps at all? Thanks in advance for the feedback. :)

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Your MFP calorie goal already includes the daily walking you do as part of everyday life (it's included in your activity level). I wouldn't log all those calories because you run the risk of double-dipping.
  • tarrad2
    tarrad2 Posts: 8 Member
    I do not have my steps being tracked using the app at all because I do not have my phone on me at all times, but my smart watch is with me at all times. That’s why I was wondering if I need to manually add the steps for the calorie adjustment on MFP.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    When you set up your MFP profile, you selected an activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.). That is intended to incorporate your daily activity not including deliberate exercise. If the steps aren't from deliberate exercise, then I would just recommend setting your activity level appropriately and don't enter your steps as exercise. Otherwise, as janejellyroll stated, you run the risk of entering exercise that is actually duplicative to the activity level MFP has already incorporated into your calorie goal.
  • tarrad2
    tarrad2 Posts: 8 Member
    Ok. thanks for the replies :)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Maybe.

    Are your goal(s) being hit as planned more or less?

    If you are trying to lose/gain/maintain your body weight and your weight is/isn't moving too slow/fast for a couple weeks, then I might adjust accordingly.

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    tarrad2 wrote: »
    I do not have my steps being tracked using the app at all because I do not have my phone on me at all times, but my smart watch is with me at all times. That’s why I was wondering if I need to manually add the steps for the calorie adjustment on MFP.

    But you still chose an activity level when setting up your account. Even the lowest activity level is including an estimate of *some* steps.
  • cowgirlslikeus86
    cowgirlslikeus86 Posts: 597 Member
    edited January 2019
    I just recently put my activity level as sedentary in the settings and let my steps roll over into MFP from my IOS device. Also, I think MFP programming has some sort of smart programming because I have seen in the past when I had it set to moderately active that it would actually doc me exercise calories in my diary at the end of the day if I wasn't active enough.
  • tarrad2
    tarrad2 Posts: 8 Member
    I set my level as active. I get somewhere between 10,000-15,000 steps per day and my job keeps me very active throughout periods of the day, in addition to adding my old workout routine of aerobic/walk workouts again.

    The problem I was having since I cannot keep my iOS phone on me while working steps were obviously missing on this app and my watch app does not sync with this app. So I decided not to worry about the overal daily steps and focus on keeping under daily calorie counts and staying active as I am.

    My main goal is 35 pounds down and maintain a healthy ❤️.

    Thank you again everyone.

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