Link my Apple Watch ?

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Replies

  • Missymouse75
    Missymouse75 Posts: 15 Member
    Missymouse75 wrote: »
    Hi please could anyone help, I too had linked my apple watch directly to MFP after reading above followed instructions linking Pacer to Apple Health and MFP - all seemed to link fine. However, it looks like MFP is still linking the exercise calories directly from my apple watch not Pacer, how do I unsync my apple watch - it isn't showing in MFP's apps and devices. Hope that makes sense. Thanks :)

    I think I have answered my own question incase anyone else has a similar issue - on the MFP app I went into "More" then "Steps" and changed the device from Apple Watch to Pacer - now my calories have updated.

    Just another question, I have set my Activity to Not very active and Fitness Goals to 3 x 30 mins workouts in my profile - is this correct not to cause any double counting with the Pacer app/Apple watch?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Missymouse75 wrote: »
    Missymouse75 wrote: »
    Hi please could anyone help, I too had linked my apple watch directly to MFP after reading above followed instructions linking Pacer to Apple Health and MFP - all seemed to link fine. However, it looks like MFP is still linking the exercise calories directly from my apple watch not Pacer, how do I unsync my apple watch - it isn't showing in MFP's apps and devices. Hope that makes sense. Thanks :)

    I think I have answered my own question incase anyone else has a similar issue - on the MFP app I went into "More" then "Steps" and changed the device from Apple Watch to Pacer - now my calories have updated.

    Just another question, I have set my Activity to Not very active and Fitness Goals to 3 x 30 mins workouts in my profile - is this correct not to cause any double counting with the Pacer app/Apple watch?

    The fitness goals has no bearing on any math - merely a goal number that shows on your Exercise Diary.

    There is no double-counting no matter what MFP Activity Level you select, that will only effect how big an adjustment you may receive.
    If you have Negative Adjustments enabled in Food diary settings - then even if you are less active than the activity level - a neg adjustment will still correct for that fact.

    But lowest level is best for another reason, you'll quickly see what the average daily eating goal is changed to so you can plan better and not worry about big adjustments if you get them.

    Good job on setting change.
    When accounts aren't linked and you select the step source like it had been - it means MFP is just talking directly to the device to get a step count. Then MFP does it's own very rough math on calories.

    Your setting change means MFP is getting the actual calorie count for the day, and any workouts, via Pacer.

    So you'll see 2 entries on days with a workout - the workout that came from Apple, and the adjustment MFP creates.
  • TheChangingMan
    TheChangingMan Posts: 73 Member
    heybales wrote: »

    The fitness goals has no bearing on any math - merely a goal number that shows on your Exercise Diary.

    There is no double-counting no matter what MFP Activity Level you select, that will only effect how big an adjustment you may receive.
    If you have Negative Adjustments enabled in Food diary settings - then even if you are less active than the activity level - a neg adjustment will still correct for that fact.

    But lowest level is best for another reason, you'll quickly see what the average daily eating goal is changed to so you can plan better and not worry about big adjustments if you get them.

    Good job on setting change.
    When accounts aren't linked and you select the step source like it had been - it means MFP is just talking directly to the device to get a step count. Then MFP does it's own very rough math on calories.

    Your setting change means MFP is getting the actual calorie count for the day, and any workouts, via Pacer.

    So you'll see 2 entries on days with a workout - the workout that came from Apple, and the adjustment MFP creates.

    @heybales - Hey Mike, hope you're well. Can I just check that I've got this right. ....
    • MFP and Pacer are both set to sedentary
    • MFP and Pacer are linked
    • Pacer and Apple Health are linked
    • MFP step count is updated to read Pacer data rather than Apple Watch

    So ....

    When I go for my morning walk I don't record on Apple Watch / Strava or whatever - I just let Pacer handle it with the data it's getting from my Watch. Right?

    And ...

    If I go for a cycle that will be recorded via Strava to MFP?

    Cheers

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Hey ChangingMan - knew the Bike or Strava had to be in there somewhere.

    Apple is going to pick up on that ride too, by HR - or at least it should I'd think. In fact you might want to confirm it's got a workout for same chunk of time.

    So that will get back to MFP too, along with the Strava workout.

    MFP isn't a replace only system like trackers are. Keep adding workouts it's happy to keep adding the calories on to the day. In the case of synced account, it'll assume the incoming TDEE figure has all those workouts in it too - but it won't.

    Is there a way to sync to Apple Health from Strava?

    Or keep an eye on the Apple workout for the ride with it's calorie data not as accurate as Strava - and delete it.
    Keep the Strava.

    Not as automatic all around, but perhaps not that bad.

    When the MFP app Step Source is set to a synced account - it doesn't use the device directly. So in this case set to Pacer means Pacer is getting it from Apple Health already, it'll just pass that figure on.

    Pacer has the ability to do just like the MFP app does - talk directly to phone to get steps, or some devices.
    But that method isn't as nice or as accurate.

    But with Pacer having account linked to Apple - it is getting the data from the watch via Apple's account - not directly. (it was, I tested this awhile back with someone's account, they could have changed but it would be for the worse)

    So your walk should be logged by Apple as just plain old moving more, even if you don't tag it as a workout to view separately. You could do that though.
    Whether the extra calories go to Pacer as a workout or Move calories - it's an increase to TDEE.
    That increase will come to MFP then bigger TDEE.
    If a workout comes too it doesn't matter - MFP deals with it correctly.

    Just want to explain in all that, the point 4 is ultimately getting the data from Apple watch - to Apple Health account - to Pacer app - to MFP.

    Same as your Garmin could be getting the ride data to Garmin Connect - to Strava - to MFP.
    Actually in your case, probably just Strava in there, right?
  • TheChangingMan
    TheChangingMan Posts: 73 Member
    That's great Heybales - all clear.

    There's an app called RunGap that can read from Strava and / or Garmin and right to Apple Health / TrainingPeaks etc
  • Patapop
    Patapop Posts: 3 Member
    Hi everyone,
    I’ve just read through all this, and I feel like however I read it all I don’t get what the problem is.
    I recently synced my Apple Watch to
    MFP... but only for the steps and for workouts. The workout calories are added fine and I hope are relatively accurate.
    Are you saying it’s the steps you take outside of workouts that don’t come across properly?
    So either I need to do the pacer thing,
    Or make sure all the walking I do is on ‘work out’ mode?
    Or am I just misunderstanding it all?

    Thanks a lot x
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Patapop wrote: »
    Hi everyone,
    I’ve just read through all this, and I feel like however I read it all I don’t get what the problem is.
    I recently synced my Apple Watch to
    MFP... but only for the steps and for workouts. The workout calories are added fine and I hope are relatively accurate.
    Are you saying it’s the steps you take outside of workouts that don’t come across properly?
    So either I need to do the pacer thing,
    Or make sure all the walking I do is on ‘work out’ mode?
    Or am I just misunderstanding it all?

    Thanks a lot x

    You are misunderstanding the whole issue.
    This isn't about problems syncing info. It's about Apple syncing the API requested info for MFP to do correct math with.

    Here's the post above about the crux of the matter:

    MFP is expecting from activity trackers (per their API instructions) a time stamped figure called Total Daily Burned.

    Well, Total Daily Burned means exactly what it sounds like, otherwise called TDEE.
    Apple sends to MFP though a figure equal to a sedentary burn rate, includes no Moving or Exercise calories it logs.
    Totally sets MFP for doing wrong math.

    And then proceeds to send workouts though.
    For MFP to not double-count workouts it already knows about that should already be in the TDEE figure - it subtracts them from the synced TDEE figure.
    Except in the case of Apple - they aren't actually there.

    What should happen (with simple play figures):

    tracker account synced 2500 - 2000 MFP expected - 300 workout on MFP = 200 adjustment

    Base eating goal 1500 (500 cal deficit off expected) + 300 workout + 200 adj = 2000 new eating goal (still 500 deficit)


    What happens instead with Apple:

    account synced 2000 sedentary - 2000 MFP expected - 300 workout on MFP = neg 300 adjustment

    Base eating goal 1500 + 300 workout - 300 adj = 1500 eating goal (1000 cal deficit off daily burned)

    So you just did a workout and moved more than sedentary and won a bigger deficit for your effort.
    Totally backwards.
  • Patapop
    Patapop Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you!
    This makes sense now🤦🏼‍♀️
  • Twingrandma81
    Twingrandma81 Posts: 1 Member
    I don’t really understand. All I want to do is sync my Apple Watch to My Fitness Pal. I just cannot seem to do it 😢
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Twingrandma81 wrote: »
    I don’t really understand. All I want to do is sync my Apple Watch to My Fitness Pal. I just cannot seem to do it 😢

    read the other posts - you don't want to unless you just want to have incorrect info.

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