Step counting and Calories

stacylaboucane
stacylaboucane Posts: 3 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello community,

I am wondering if anyone can tell.me why there is such a difference in how calories are calculated with myfitness pal. I have been doing 10ksteps a day for afew years and some times like today myfitness pal says I burned 500 calories walking..and the yesterday I did the same steps and only burned 240 calories ... What's the deal here?

Thanks for any insight :)

SL

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    What's your activity level, and did you do any exercise outside of your step count?
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    I Don't go by the MFP calories for anything. I use my Fitbit that tracks steps and go off the calories on there. I find its pretty accurate
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
    What specifically is telling you that you burned 500 or 240? Do you have an activity tracker (or your phone) counting your steps and is that tracker linked to mfp?
  • stacylaboucane
    stacylaboucane Posts: 3 Member
    Hey there, yes I have a Garmin watch that tracks my day and it syncs with mfp. I been looking at it and I think it has to do with heart rate ..on days I have more calories burned my heart rate is higher.
  • stacylaboucane
    stacylaboucane Posts: 3 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    What's your activity level, and did you do any exercise outside of your step count?

    No this would be a typical work type day where I really only get steps. Thanks for everyones input :)
  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
    stacylaboucane wrote: »
    Hey there, yes I have a Garmin watch that tracks my day and it syncs with mfp. I been looking at it and I think it has to do with heart rate ..on days I have more calories burned my heart rate is higher.

    I’ve heard that heart rate doesn’t equate exactly with calorie loss. I typically do this equation and it’s usually pretty accurate: weight x distance x .33

    Also, if you typically walk a lot during your work day I’d suggest including that in your activity level instead as exercise (if its consistent). I have my activity level down to sedentary because I work from my home and then count every step and workout as exercise because some days I don’t walk much!
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
    I have a fitbit and have it set at sedentary because I work a desk job and let it count my steps and cals for me whether its just walking about or if I get to the gym and do an actual workout. Its always different what it gives me back in mfp. and usually less for workouts than what I would get putting it in as exercise right into mfp. I just assume my fitbit is more accurate and go with that. As long as its giving me some cals back to eat :)

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