Manually add steps
stuarta99
Posts: 93 Member
So I've just been out for a brisk walk, although it only ended up to be 3 miles but a brisk pace. I don't have my Google Fit tracking steps into MFP because I understood it wasn't correct when you are on the lowest activity levels, but should I be looking at manually adding this in?
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Replies
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What about Google Fit isn't correct at lower activity levels?
MFP is designed for you to log your exercise and add the calories burned to your daily total. You can either use the exercise database to manually log it or you can use a synced device to track it and have it send that information to MFP.3 -
I thought that on the lower activity levels syncing Google Fit in was incorrect because the sedentary level already assumes that you have done 3500 steps? I think I recorded about 6500 steps during the walk0
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I thought that on the lower activity levels syncing Google Fit in was incorrect because the sedentary level already assumes that you have done 3500 steps? I think I recorded about 6500 steps during the walk
I don't use Google Fit, but my understanding is that a synced device will only generate adjustments once you've moved *more* than what is assumed given the activity level that you provided to MFP. But if you've been told specifically that Google Fit doesn't function that way, then I would go with that.2 -
Not been told it specifically, just remember seeing something on here. I've just synced with Fit and it's reporting 6752 steps and 326 extra calories if we think that's about right?0
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I thought that on the lower activity levels syncing Google Fit in was incorrect because the sedentary level already assumes that you have done 3500 steps? I think I recorded about 6500 steps during the walk
A synced device is typically only going to give you an adjustment for activity that is beyond what you have set in MFP. Your activity level in MFP is already going to account for a certain level of movement. An activity level of sedentary in MFP is going to account for about 3,000-5,000 steps, so you would be double dipping if you manually added all of those calories from walking...some of them are already accounted for in your activity level which is why it is usually a good idea to have your device synced in order to avoid double dipping.
This is one of the reasons that I generally just chalked up walking and steps while following MFP's methodology to a bit of a bonus and never really bothered logging it unless I was doing a ton of walking. I figured I wasn't really burning enough additional calories to really be concerned with under fueling...but I was also set to light active for my NEAT, so only logged deliberate, and more intensive exercise.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I thought that on the lower activity levels syncing Google Fit in was incorrect because the sedentary level already assumes that you have done 3500 steps? I think I recorded about 6500 steps during the walk
A synced device is typically only going to give you an adjustment for activity that is beyond what you have set in MFP. Your activity level in MFP is already going to account for a certain level of movement. An activity level of sedentary in MFP is going to account for about 3,000-5,000 steps, so you would be double dipping if you manually added all of those calories from walking...some of them are already accounted for in your activity level which is why it is usually a good idea to have your device synced in order to avoid double dipping.
This is one of the reasons that I generally just chalked up walking and steps while following MFP's methodology to a bit of a bonus and never really bothered logging it unless I was doing a ton of walking. I figured I wasn't really burning enough additional calories to really be concerned with under fueling...but I was also set to light active for my NEAT, so only logged deliberate, and more intensive exercise.
ok that was something like I thought. So what I have done by syncing it now is correct? I've done 6752 which is over the assumed amount so its correctly added 302 calories?0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I thought that on the lower activity levels syncing Google Fit in was incorrect because the sedentary level already assumes that you have done 3500 steps? I think I recorded about 6500 steps during the walk
A synced device is typically only going to give you an adjustment for activity that is beyond what you have set in MFP. Your activity level in MFP is already going to account for a certain level of movement. An activity level of sedentary in MFP is going to account for about 3,000-5,000 steps, so you would be double dipping if you manually added all of those calories from walking...some of them are already accounted for in your activity level which is why it is usually a good idea to have your device synced in order to avoid double dipping.
This is one of the reasons that I generally just chalked up walking and steps while following MFP's methodology to a bit of a bonus and never really bothered logging it unless I was doing a ton of walking. I figured I wasn't really burning enough additional calories to really be concerned with under fueling...but I was also set to light active for my NEAT, so only logged deliberate, and more intensive exercise.
ok that was something like I thought. So what I have done by syncing it now is correct? I've done 6752 which is over the assumed amount so its correctly added 302 calories?
I can only say that it is making an adjustment as intended...I can't say whether that number is actually correct which is an issue with any device. Many devices also provide that number as a theoretical adjustment based on projected activity for the rest of the day given where you currently stand. I don't know much about Google Fit, but many devices will sync throughout the day and adjust according to activity and projected activity from that point. So you might go workout or go for a run or walk or whatever and you get some number when the device syncs...but that number may later be downgraded if you then just sit around watching NetFlix the rest of the day.
I think for most people this is something you have to play with a bit and learn how an overall average day looks by the end of the day. In other words, you're likely to need more data points to see what is really going on.3 -
I wonder if that varies from app to app..
When I was at home all month, I had myself set to sedentary, I made about 100 steps or so just getting up to eat and pee and it would add extra calories to my calorie goal.. only like 3 or 4 but it definitely wasn't assuming any steps lol
This was using the pacer app btw..
I dunno how accurate that app is tho.. and I dunno if it syncs with mfp correctly0 -
I've enabled it back in and will monitor it to see what it adds over the next few days0
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Ok so today Google Fit is recording 3002 steps and added an extra 191 calories0
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To me, that doesn't sound like it's taking your activity level into account. Sedentary assumes 3,000-5,000 steps a day. If you've only done 3,002 steps, I wouldn't have expected it to give you any extra calories at all.
I did a fairly brisk walk yesterday for 37 mins. The distance covered was probably about 2 miles, which is approx 2,000 steps, and for that I got 120 calories. I'm almost certainly shorter and weigh less than you, but 191 calories is what I'd expect to get for 3,000 steps (3 miles) at a speed of somewhere between 3 and 3.5mph.
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I'm now at 246 for 3216 steps. My profile is set to 'Not very active' and the step adjustment is showing 'negative adjustments'0
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Hmmm something wrong in the calculations here. MFP and Fit recording 2 different levels. Having a quick search online it does seems this is a common issue with Google over exaggerating but would be good to find some way so that if I do walk 20000 steps one day, I can record this easy. Either that I turn it off and just accept any long walks as extra exercise which I'm not eating back. I've just set MFP to sync with my Fitbit app now but then I think those steps are probably counted the same via Fit. I also have Pace as well which I think should work with MFP
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Both Fitbit and Pacer seem to connect WELL with MFP. Both will give you an INDEPENDENT estimate of your Total Calories spent. MFP will "assume" that you are connecting them because they offer more granular information than your pre-selected activity setting during guided setup and your final numbers for caloric expenditure for the day will reflect what the apps transmit to MFP.
While Fitbit has been pretty darn consistent and reliable for myself over several years of validation (an error ranging from -0.5% to 5% of TDEE over any 60 day time period when comparing weight change expected because of recorded caloric balance to actual weight trend changes); Google Fit seems to under-estimate my total calories by more than 20%... clearly I am NOT about to believe Google Fit estimates, though in the opposite direction than the one you indicate.
Pacer was producing a slight under-estimate when I used to have it connected before getting a Fitbit. Certainly usable for me.
I would NOT connect multiple sources. This can only lead to confusion in my mind, and I doubt the MFP app will do much better!
Please note that Fitbit assumes 1.0x BMR for every minute that it detects no activity. If your phone is the only thing detecting your activities take into consideration that your total activity may be under-reported. Normal sitting spends more than 1.0x BMR.0 -
Well swapped to pacer, done a massive 423 steps today. Pacer shows 16 calories and nothing added to MFP. Will be doing bit of work outside tomorrow and will try and force some more steps to see what happens0
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I would expect no adjustment (if anything I would expect a negative adjustment) from MFP based on a Pacer input that reflects a total of less than 500 steps in a day.
If everything is set to the same height, weight, age, timezone, I would not expect MFP sedentary to be exceeded with less than 3K steps1 -
Ok so I just went out for a walk having only done 2500 steps but when I got to the park I decided to start the couch to 5k thingy. Somehow I completed it which I'm massively pleased with and Pacer showing 7303 steps and a level of 'Active' instead of 'Sendentary'.
However nothing has come across to MFP apart from Google Fit with 9 cal for 1 min of jogging. Was hoping I might have gained some calories although guessing this is more accurate. Not sure if I should have manually added anything or started it as a 'Run' in pacer.
Picture from Pacer
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Ok this morning I hooked up Strava for my 2nd C25K run. Recorded 1.55m at 12:11 /mi and it's pulled in 172 calories if that sounds correct0
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You are connecting a lot of things on and and not necessarily giving them time to settle.
Pacer at 7200 steps or so could well be rising to the level of active. Was it connected for a full day to MFP? Was it the only connection?
Pacer will act as a TDEE estimator. Synchronization to MFP will be fully accurate at midnight. Strava is probably sending over single exercises to MFP so I presume it can coexist well with it.
I have no idea what google fit does. mine is certainly NOT connected to MFP as I don't see how it would add anything other than confusion to the integration between Fitbit and MFP that tends to work well enough for me!
I would suggest maybe connecting one device at a time and seeing how the connection is working after a couple of days before going on to add more?
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I've removed Google Fit as I didn't trust it and did have Pacer connected all day. The 7200 steps I did with that included my first C25K run but I guess because of the slow pace it didn't recognise as I run and therefore add anything in because I was still under a limit.
Pacer has been connected since and yesterday stayed in sedentary as I only did 806.
For my run this morning I thought I would hook up Strava which has added 19 mins jogging and 172 calories. Pacer is still connected and shows 4500 'Lightly active' but not added anything.0 -
What is your activity setting on mfp?
have you double-checked that your time zones weight height and date of birth are correct and the same in both apps
Have you gone on both ends both fitness Pal and the other app and removed connections you no longer want to use. Then locate your login name and password for each app. Logout of everything. And then login into each and every app once more.
If MFP is set at the lowest activity level then I would expect you to get some positive adjustment when pacer starts exceeding 3500 Calories.
Are you moving around the house without your phone at times? How is your weight level change as seen by a weight trend app comparing to your expected weight change based on the calories in and out you've been logging?
Please realize that steps are standing in for general activity level. And since it's hard to move around without taking a step they usually are a good proxy.
But do note that I mfp includes at the lowest activity setting a good 3000 steps. And that the margin of error, or band around that if you will, is not 50 but probably closer to 1000 or 1500 steps.
So for every day you're outperforming the 3/3500 level, are you also compensations for the days you don't get to the 3k level?
If your weight level is changing as you want (assuming what you want is both reasonable and appropriate for you) this may not be an issue.
Anyway. Do remember that your don't have to be an athlete to be more active.!
I will give you an example. Trackers often encourage people to get off their desk and walk around for 3 to 5 minutes every hour. Basically 250 steps. If you do that every hour you're awake, you will hit at least 4,000 steps a day. Add an extra 15 minutes to two of these hours and you're at a legit lightly active, pushing towards active!
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Ok so I've double checked MFP and I'm set to 'not very active'. Pacer is now showing 7118 steps/266 calories and 'active' but nothing has synced, to be honest had forgot about it. The only thing that has synced is from Strava this morning at 172 for my light jog.
So sounds like Pacer isn't doing its job correctly. It does look like it's pulling information in. The 182 it's showing is 173 from Strava as mentioned then a random 9 that came in from Fit before I disconnected it.
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Doh facepalm moment. So although it was connected in MFP, it might help if I go into 'steps' and pick pacer as the source for steps.
It's amazing how once you do that and sync I then get 7118 steps and 267 calories come across lol.
Now the question is for something like C25K, should I just leave it with Pacer and allow it to count the additional steps I make in the run and sync or use Strava to sync in. So the 7118 steps would include my 1.5m run but obviously not recognise the intensity. I've received 266 calories from Pacer and then 172 Strava, guess a double dip happening here.0 -
Think of it as two sides of a ledger (assuming that things DO work as EXPECTED, which as you're discovering is not always the case).
On one hand you have:
--what you TOLD MFP your activity setting for your everyday life is going to be (in your case the lowest level, i.e. sedentary)
--what you TOLD MFP you DID in addition to the base activity setting for your everyday life (in your case an exercise that you logged to MFP via STRAVA for 172 calories plus 9 odd calories from google fit)
These are all added up together and form the "calories that have been logged directly in MFP". Notice that I am not using the term "to this point of time in the day". Because your base MFP activity (base daily living) calories extend according to MFP in an equal increment from midnight to midnight (1440 minutes).
This is hand A
On the other hand you have:
--the steps that PACER counted
--the conversion that PACER does between the steps it has detected and the activity level it believes you have achieved
--the TOTAL CALORIES that PACER thinks you've spent to this point of time in the day
This is hand B
When you synchronize PACER and MFP assuming this is setup correctly, which we do not know for sure is happening as of yet....
AT MIDNIGHT, MFP will create an adjustment so that Hand A becomes equal to Hand B -- because presumably you have connected MFP to something more granular and updated than "I am deciding during setup what my daily activity is going to be THIS from now to the end of time".
BEFORE midnight, you have partial information and a bit of a mishmash. MFP sync at 17:00 will go somewhere along the lines off:
"exercise" adjustment = [(Hand B to 17:00) + (Hand A from 17:00 to 23:59) ] - [(Hand A from 00:00 to 23:59)]
which will decrease as you approach midnight if you don't continue to be more active than MFP expects you're going to be per your original daily activity settings.
Now.
While all this is very interesting... honestly. And truly. You are dealing with 2-300 Calories given the activity levels we are discussing.
Of course this is not nothing. But it is a heck of a lot LESS than the imprecision that incomplete, or incorrect (entries for example), or non scale based food logging will generate!
You really should look for a weight trend app or web site (check out Libra, Happy Scale, trendweight using a free fitbit account, or weighgrapher or others). And compare your expected vs actual weight loss over time.
Given your TDEE hovering between sedentary and high lightly active it would be fairly safe to assume that your maintenance is NOT MORE than around 2500 Cal, which means that I would be extremely hesitant to be aiming for a loss of more than 1lb a week (effective deficit of 500 Cal = 20% @ the 2500 Cal mark, so already quite aggressive)
As for Pacer, I am not 100% sure that setting it as a "step source" is the correct / only way it should be connected.
May I suggest that you also login to the web based version of your MFP account and, if it is not already clicked, click on "connect" on the page you get when you go to:
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/280
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Ok thank you for the reply. So my goal is set to 1lb loss at 1500 although it's still the same at 2lb and rises to 1650 if I change to 0.5lb, while my maintenance is 1900.
I've just installed Libra so will try that as well, guessing I just add my weight in there as I weigh alongside MFP.
Still confused unfortunately as to whether a clear-cut yes track run and steps separately or just one. Runs will be minimal at the moment as I build up the C25K. I want to dig my bike out and I guess that can be tracked separately with Strava because it's not steps as such.
I know it's all minimal numbers because I don't really have much weight to lose.0 -
You're hitting the 1500 floor.
Go for the 400 deficit, or even 250 IF you're extremely accurate with your calories in and use a food scale and database entries you personally double check with the USDA or other national databases.
Walking and running are well understood. The runs are sub one hour. Pace is seen equally by pacer and Strava. Strava only adds some terrain info.
Assuming pacer is, eventually, connected correctly to mfp, i would simplify and only go with one integration.
Your calories in (and unpredictable interactions with multiple connections) are more likely to introduce errors!
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