Garmin Calories Estimate Per Day

My Garmin Vivoactive 3 significantly underestimates my all-day calorie burn (by about the same proportion that MFP and some of the TDEE calculators do). It's off by a few hundred calories.

I have limited evidence for the exercise calorie burn's accuracy, but slightly suspect it underestimates that a bit, as well, comparing it with my Concept 2 rowing machine, which has a reputation for reasonable power estimates, thus reasonable calorie estimates. I use the exercise estimates when I don't have a more believable source. (For weight training, I think MFP's database is likely more believable, though I haven't crossed checked the Garmin enough times to be sure: Since it knows I'm weight training, they could shift from heart rate to METS estimating algorithms or something, but I don't know whether they do.

It's all estimates from any of these fitness tracker/HRM devices: If you're near the mean(s) for whatver research statistics they used in developing their estimation algorithms, and their algorithms are sound, the device will probably give a fairly close estimate. If you're not near the mean(s), or their algorithms are not so hot, it will likely be further from reality.

Either way, experience over time will tell you the answer. So, keep doing the weight vs. calorie intake calculations for a while, and you'll see where you come out.

Grnhouse wrote: »

Are any of them 100% accurate?

No. They all estimate calories. There's no affordable, portable way to measure calorie burn.

For the majority of people, the good-quality ones (Polar, Garmin, etc.) are likely to be close enough to be useful. For those farther off based on experience, there may be some adjustment strategy (like, say subtracting 10% or adding 15%) that comes close, but it will be more fuss to figure that out initially.

I think I could do that (since my Garmin underestimates) but have no reason to do it, so haven't bothered: In a year of weight loss, and nearly 3 of maintenance, during most of which I've been logging on MFP, I have enough data to make a pretty good estimate of my NEAT or TDEE, based on intake and bodyweight changes, and set my calorie intake accordingly. I know some things about myself, like my NEAT is lower in Winter than Summer (more of my sedentary hobbies when it's cold outside, etc.). It works fine. I'm maintaining as expected.

I've only had the Garmin Vivoactive 3 since sometime last Fall, when I had to replace older devices (a HRM and non-HR GPS pace/distance thingie I use for rowing and such). It works great for what I most want and need it for: heart rate for monitoring workouts; pace & distance for rowing; speed and distance for cycling/walking; etc.

I've been using electronics for years now to guide workouts; it was kind of strange to me to come to MFP and find so large a percentage of people kind of laser-focused on the calorie estimates.

asochable wrote: »

Hello!

I do crossfit which is very hard to track in terms of calorie burn, so if this all day reading is a good estimate of what I’m actually burning by living and breathing, then I would like to use it as my guide for my goals.

I do Crossfit 4x week and ended up moving from "Sedentary" (I work a desk job) to "Lightly Active" in MFP for this very reason. I don't add separate exercise anymore at all. It's actually worked great and I'm still losing an average of 1lb/wk which is my goal.