Negative Calorie Adjustment

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cdumee
cdumee Posts: 7 Member
edited February 2019 in Fitness and Exercise
I am sticking to a roughly 1600 calorie diet and walking for 1-2 miles a day.

I use the Mapmywalk app in coordination with Myfitnesspal.

I have noticed that the Mapmywalk (UnderArmor) negative calorie adjustment will only occur on some days, and not others.

Is there a reason for this?

Thanks!

Edit: Sorry if this isn't the correct forum for this question.

Replies

  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    Negative adjustment happens when your actual activity for the whole day is less than your activity amount selected in mfp.

    Walking 1-2 miles is still "sedentary" by most standards... if that is ALL the walking you did for the day. So if you are set as "moderately active" and you spent 23 hours in bed then got up and walked 2 miles... you'd still receive a negative adjustment.

    My recommendation is set activity level to the lowest option, set your calorie goal around your BMR ... then if you are tracking steps, all of your steps will count for extra calories.

    Are you tracking all of your steps? With a garmin or Fitbit?

    If not... you should have negative adjustments turned off (they are off by default)
  • cdumee
    cdumee Posts: 7 Member
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    Thank you for your reply. That makes total sense.
  • Mbierschbach
    Mbierschbach Posts: 94 Member
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    Don't forget that MFP won't adjust your calories below 1500 too. Even to the point of stupidity.

    I've got my adjusted down to sedentary. It gives me calories back for elliptical training, significant long walks etc. My base calories are set to 1930 and it will get up into the 2300 range with exercise. Here's where it goes off the rails though.

    If I have a 90 minute gym session in the a.m. including 30 minutes of cardio...then I go for a 2 mile walk on lunch it stops giving me exercise calorie adjustment. Looking into it, it's because it doesn't want to give me 600-800 (or whatever) calories back against my 1930 calorie goal. It doesn't even matter that by that point I will have already CONSUMED over 1500 calories. It doesn't take that into account.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    What all do you have synced to mfp? Negative adjustments really only apply to all day trackers (like a Fitbit). Do you have a Fitbit/Garmin/Polar/Apple Watch/misfit/etc synced to mfp? If so, you’ll want to not also sync with mapmywalk.
  • cdumee
    cdumee Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks for the replies. I have only been using my phone and the mapwalk app. I think I'll invest in an all day tracker as suggested. I understand now that turning on the calorie adjustment is for true all day tracking.

  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    ^^ start a thread for which all day tracker is best and watch the storm brew...
  • cdumee
    cdumee Posts: 7 Member
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    I re purposed my wife's discarded Fitbit Charge 2. That should work well enough for what I need.
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    ^^ I've never seen a fitbit last long enough to be discarded...

    *garmin*

    Jk
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Mbierschbach wrote: »
    Don't forget that MFP won't adjust your calories below 1500 too. Even to the point of stupidity.

    I've got my adjusted down to sedentary. It gives me calories back for elliptical training, significant long walks etc. My base calories are set to 1930 and it will get up into the 2300 range with exercise. Here's where it goes off the rails though.

    If I have a 90 minute gym session in the a.m. including 30 minutes of cardio...then I go for a 2 mile walk on lunch it stops giving me exercise calorie adjustment. Looking into it, it's because it doesn't want to give me 600-800 (or whatever) calories back against my 1930 calorie goal. It doesn't even matter that by that point I will have already CONSUMED over 1500 calories. It doesn't take that into account.

    That is a case where upping the base activity level will allow the bigger deficit if increased activity will almost always cover it.

    And then on days it won't - the negative will cover it and you just won't get the full deficit - perhaps that being the best option on days when maybe sick and less active - less deficit.

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