Burned calories

So I use my Apple Watch to count steps. Should I use the watches to count how many calories burned or use the in app calorie counter? They are so different. My watch will say like 400 but this app will say it’s only 35

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Your best bet is to sync your device to MFP and make adjustments over time. Check the APPS menu above.

    When you signed up for MFP you put in an activity level. That level already includes some steps. What syncing does, is compares your stated activity level to your actual activity and gives you credit for the difference. That way you aren't double counting the steps credited in your activity level.

    You want to give it some time to get a feel for the timing of adjustments.
  • KylaSwier
    KylaSwier Posts: 11 Member
    So, my watch is synced with MFP. The steps are the same but the burned calories are saying different things. My watch is saying I burned 464 yesterday but MFP is saying I only burned less than 30

  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    The Apple Watch sync is a little funky the last I knew because of the way Apple health has workouts/calories recorded minute by minute (and your mfp is actually synced to Apple health) so that gums things up a little sometimes. So there are a few possibilities here.

    Is the 464 the move calories from your Apple Watch? If not-what is that number?

    And what is the 30 on the mfp side? Is that the number on the line from your diary with the step count? Is that the number showing for total exercise calories in your diary? Are there any workout entered?

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited December 2019
    I think you are looking at 2 different values. If I have MFP set to lightly active, that should give me 0 added calories for the first 5,000 steps or so.

    http://www.fitnessforweightloss.com/rate-your-activity-level-based-on-steps-per-day/

    If I'm not wearing a tracker and do a brisk 1 mile walk, I would log that as exercise (in MFP) and get an additional 115 calories. I wouldn't log steps at all; just deliberate exercise.

    But a tracker that is synced should be comparing, not giving you 100% value for every step taken. Is MFP saying you earned additional calories? This is not the same thing as burned xx calories for xx steps.

    I thought this post was interesting: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10766439/apple-watch-vs-mfp-vs-fitbit

  • KylaSwier
    KylaSwier Posts: 11 Member
    Yeah MFP saying I earned calories from the steps, that’s where the 30 calories is coming from- from my watch step counter.
    The 464 is what my Apple Watch says my move circle is at, “kcal”. I’m not sure what that means.
    I guess I’m wondering what this number means and how it is calculated?
  • KylaSwier
    KylaSwier Posts: 11 Member
    Also wondering which one is more accurate and which one I should be using
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    So...your Apple Watch calculates your move calories-and adds them to your non-moving calories and that’s the total calories you burned all day. That’s your TDEE. On the Activity app-it’s the “Total” number that’s right under the pink move chart.

    I’m going to just say that number is 2464 (I don’t know what yours is but I want easy math).

    When you lose weight, you need to eat less than your TDEE.

    How mfp works is that you choose your activity level not including exercise (this is called NEAT-but that’s not important-just know it’s not the same number as your watches “not move” calories). You then log all activity over and above that level as “exercise” (which gets you up to your TDEE) and mfp gives you the additional calories to eat - while still losing at whatever rate you set at the beginning. Magic!

    When you have a linked tracker-the tracker measures all your activity through the day and estimates your total calories burned (TDEE). Your watch/tracker/Apple health will tell mfp how many calories it estimates you actually burned that day.

    Your “steps” adjustment is the difference between what mfp thinks your TDEE was and what your watch/tracker thinks is your TDEE. It has nothing to do with steps. If you want to see The details of the calculation, you can click that entry in your diary (app) or click the i on the website next to the adjustment.

    In your case-if I’m saying your Apple Watch says you burned 2464, mfp assumes you burned 2434. Your adjustment is 30 (your watch recorded 30 calories more movement than mfp expected).

    They are equally “accurate”. The numbers are different because they mean different things. TDEE is what matters and that’s what the calculation is based on (even though you have to go hunt for it).
  • Bari_Tone
    Bari_Tone Posts: 45 Member
    KylaSwier wrote: »
    So I use my Apple Watch to count steps. Should I use the watches to count how many calories burned or use the in app calorie counter? They are so different. My watch will say like 400 but this app will say it’s only 35

    I only record my (Apple Watch 4) Active Calories...not total calories. It is usually close enough to what I used to measure with my HRM that the minor differences don't matter.

    MFP calories are better than nothing, but I trust my Apple Watch more.