Inconsistent "calorie adjustments" from Garmin

You need to tap & hold on the adjustment that MFP creates and see what it received for data to do the math.

Here's an issue I saw a few times on Garmin - but it's when I had the 310XT & Vivo.

I don't recall exactly the sync order that usually caused the issue.

But basically Garmin got the workout and so sent that to MFP along with TDEE that had not actually been increased by the workout yet. It didn't update itself quick enough.

So say the TDEE before the workout sync was 1500, and the workout was 1200 long bike ride, the 1200 & 1500 was sent to MFP before Garmin increased the 1500 to 2700 it should have been minimally.

Well - MFP is assuming rightfully so that if it gets a workout, the TDEE received contains it because of the math it's about to do.

But when it does not you get the opposite effect.

And when mine did that little issue, it took awhile for Garmin to increase the TDEE correctly. I recall bopping between the workout screen that showed the correct TDEE, and the Summary screen that still showed the TDEE without the workout added in.
And of course the details on the MFP Adjustment screen made it plain to see what the issue was.
I had to bounce between those Garmin screens before it finally updated the TDEE to match. And then soon after MFP updated. Well, attempted to - my MFP account was screwed up anyway for other reasons, but the log files showed the update came in.

Say MFP expected daily burn 2000 with 500 cal deficit. Got done with 2 hr bike ride and synced at noon. So 1000 expected rest of day

Say Garmin 1500 + 1000 MFP expected rest of day = 2500 Garmin projected

So Garmin 2500 - 2000 MFP expected - 1200 workout done by midday = neg 700 adjustment

Base eating goal 1500 + 1200 workout - 700 adj = 2000 new eating goal.

But if the Garmin had sent correct 2700 + 1000 = 3700 projected
3700 - 2000 - 1200 = 500 adj
1500 + 1200 + 500 = 3200 eating goal

There's the true 500 deficit from TDEE.

Several other devices do this type of thing purposely and MFP never called them on it - allowed their method to pass just to bring them live and appease the screamers. Apple, Samsung, Mio, several no-name brands.

amyliz1230 wrote: »

it was explained to me that a lot of the workouts tracked on Garmin are based on your heart rate and that's why some calorie adjustments are higher than others, ie yoga vs spin.

I would imagine all of them would be based on beat by beat heart rate and hrv based respiration, since that's how the firstbeat algorithm works. See the white paper at: https://assets.firstbeat.com/firstbeat/uploads/2015/10/white_paper_energy_expenditure_estimation.pdf

Maybe the current version of the algo takes more things into consideration, though.