Struggling to understand Calorie Adjustments with new tracker - math seems wrong

integrations seems to work... mostly for Fitbit.

Apple watch reverse burns
Samsung... you're I think the second or third person mentioning reverse burns.

For Apple @heybales figured out that if you synchronize via Pacer app things are as MFP expects them (TBH, the assumption there is that PACER and APPLE and MFP all use the same base formulas which I am not 100% sure; but close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades).

I would suggest that synchronizing via Pacer for your Samsung MAY achieve the same thing.

Or complain to MFP and samsung for them to fix integration...

Thank you for including the screen shot - I've been asking for those but no one provided one yet to confirm what it appears is happening.
So I'm going to get involved here if you don't mind trying to figure this out.

MFP is expecting a simple figure - total calories burned so far today (TDEE), and time stamp.
Workouts sent over are optional.

Apple sends a figure equal to sedentary, they don't send their calories for activity above sedentary. They do sync over workouts. Big incorrect mess.

Pacer talks to Apple account and either adds them all up, or grabs the figure Apple won't send to MFP, and syncs it to MFP as expected.
MFP can now do correct math.

I've been suspecting Samsung was doing similar screwup of not sending correct info - but there were probably enough screams from people to MFP to integrate with them (although it's always the 3rd party that does the work) that MFP just accepted what they sent during the tests and said good enough.
And now it doesn't work right.

I really wish MFP would just explain to all the people screaming for their device account to be synced, to go scream to the device maker because they can NOT reach into their account and grab figures.
And then during testing hold to what is correct info - stop giving in. Just worse headache later.

Anyway, I'm not sure if you read the watch's 2166 calorie burn at the same time you took the pic - 8:30 pm.
I'm basing the math on you did close enough.

First - that calorie adjustment screen shows it's not a normal sync. That line that says 157 cal @ 8:31 pm usually says the daily calorie burn up to that point in time. So it likely would have said 2166 in case of Fitbit or Garmin or Pacer/Apple.
MFP doesn't send out it's expected calorie burn for the other side to do math and send back results.
MFP receives the TDEE figure and it does the math.
So that 157 figure may be 157 more than Samsung was expecting, that may be 157 above sedentary but not including workouts, like Apple does (but doesn't sync). Not sure, MFP kind of using it correctly though somehow.

If the watch 2166 contained the 342 workout, and it thought you were only 157 above expected, maybe you were especially inactive after the run.
But I'm betting the 157 is like Apple, extra daily non-exercise activity.

Anyway, math is like this, and pretty simple.
rest of day projection = current tracker TDEE to timestamp + MFP expected level for rest of day
Day projection - MFP expected - known workouts = adjustment.

For you it appears MFP expected daily burn 2191. (2533 - 342 workout it knows about and will add back in under food math)
8:31 pm, so 209 of 1440 min of day left. 14.5%

2191 x 14.5% = 318 for rest of day.

Tracker total + MFP rest of day = Day projection (notice this is MFP figure, not Samsung's estimate)

2644 - 2191 - 342 = 111 (so ya, not sure where they got -802)

So what must have been the tracker TDEE sent at time of sync?
2644 proj - 318 MFP calories rest of day = 2326 would have been tracker calories at time of sync MFP adds it's projection to.

You said watch showed 2166.
2326 - 2166 = 160 with rounding differences is your 157 probably.

So I don't think your device was showing the TDEE calorie burn, but perhaps the sedentary, not even including the workout.
Seems like it's doing what Apple does kinda, but at least it appears to be sending a daily burn for all non-exercise activity. Still not the correct figure though.

But MFP is expecting if a tracker is giving a TDEE figure, it's TOTAL including workouts.
Which the 2166 doesn't appear to include the 342 either.

Now - to your point about the math on the shown figures - yeah, that's hosed up and may have corrected by midnight or on last sync.
My guess is that's after receiving the workout, but using prior sync figures.
Because 2644 - 2533 = 111 is pretty clear.

Eating goal would have been base (perhaps 1691) + adj 111 + 342 workout = 2144 say.

Here's how it appears your actual math is going for Samsung, let's pretend this is end of day figures:
tracker 2326 (but doesn't include workouts) - 2191 MFP expected - 342 known workouts = neg 207

base eating 1691 - 207 adj + 342 workout = 1826 new eating goal.

And that is wrong.

Example of what would be correct:
Tracker 2668 - 2191 MFP - 342 workout = 135 adj

base say 1691 + 135 adj + 342 workout = 2168 new eating goal.
giving a 500 cal deficit still


If you can - do the same screen shot of adjustment page for a closed out day where the time stamp is 11:59pm, and mention what the watch says was the total calorie burn for that day.
And notice closely on watch, like I mentioned - it may be showing sedentary burn, daily activity burn above sedentary, and exercise burn - all separately. May have to search for the combined number.
Thanks for help on understanding this. I just like to know. But it's getting hard to keep track of the trackers that do it wrong, there's more now.

I've disconnected my Samsung watch. The adjustments are just nonsense....

Ditto to just using Pacer - Samsung is for sure sending the wrong info.

As to MFP's hopeful claim they are working on it - that is code for asking Samsung to correct what they send - don't hold your breath.


One potential kicker with Pacer.

It's app has the ability like MFP app - to talk directly to phone or watch (if supported) and request the step count, maybe distance for Pacer, and calculate calories burned itself.

And it also has the ability to talk to the account the device is sending info to - and just getting the calorie numbers and workouts.

You want the latter of course if you see an option during setup on Pacer app to talk to account, not just steps from device.


To your latest example because I'm curious what they are sending.
Of course the line with timestamp still isn't what is normally shown, so not sure where that figure came from.
8:55 pm means 185 min to day left, or 12.85%
2191 x 12.85% = 282 for what MFP added to the daily projection.

Which would imply the tracker sent 2180.
Not really close to that 2020, 5 min difference for 160 calories? Not unless running in those 5 min.
So ya, not sure where those numbers are coming from that MFP is working with.

Where are you logging a workout at though - I thought they were syncing from Samsung, but I see 2 on Samsung account and none on MFP?

You made reference earlier to logging your workouts.
Not really needed if the Samsung has it within it's TDEE, which it seems to.

Curious if you went through the MFP Apps section to make this connection?
Is that calorie intake on Samsung from MFP or you manually entering it?

Or did you within the MFP Apps go to settings Step Source and select Samsung device?