Garmin vivomove and MFP

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xabix2018
xabix2018 Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
Hi. So I have a Garmin Vivomove which I have connected to MFP. Now for the first month I had selected little activity and never tracked an exercise as it would just automatically pick up exercise calories from my steps including running, but would obviously only show as steps for the day. Ive had a play around on the app and changed my activity to lightly active as I do tend so to around 7k-10k steps a day, my goal is set to 7k. This changed my goal calories and seemed to have reduced my exercise calories earned? I also unintentionally recorded my running this morning on my watch so now this has added running into my exercise on MFP and added 226 exercise calories only for the run. I‘Ve done 7k steps but haven’t been awarded any exercise calories for these so far. Now I’m just wondering am I doing this the right way round? Should I change my activity level? Do I need to track my exercises on my watch? Or just let it run by itself? I can usually burn 250-450 when I just let it run by itself without adding exercises, yet today I’ve added the run and I’ve only got 226 as haven’t been credited for my steps. TIA

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  • dmkoenig
    dmkoenig Posts: 299 Member
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    I don't have specific guidance for you and don't own a Vivomove, but I know from using my Garmin triathlon watch I run into the same issue with step counting when running. Myfitnesspal aside, I like to track everything on my Garmin as it's nice to see your exercise and step history on Connect.Garmin.com. For apps like myfitnesspal, I tend to just have it pick up the running steps, knowing I've actually burned more calories giving me a bit more flexibility in reporting calories. In the end, regardless of what all these apps are saying you are putting in the work and your body will gain the benefit.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,072 Member
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    Normally, the adjustment from a device (such as a Garmin) is just the device telling MFP what it thinks you burned, then MFP compares that to what it thought you'd burn (based on the activity level you set), and then MFP creates the adjustment so that you have the same calorie deficit (to get the weight loss rate you asked for in your profile).

    In general, if you increase your activity level on MFP, your calorie adjustment will be smaller (because MFP expected you to burn more calories than it expected at the lower activity level). The end number of calories it gives you to eat should be about the same either way, though.

    Some people like bigger adjustments, some like smaller adjustments - up to you.

    I hope that made sense.
  • xabix2018
    xabix2018 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank you. There both make sense, I think it’s all what you want to see really isn’t as I love to see more exercise calories in MFP as feel better for it. Even though really I’ve still done the work it just doesn’t pick it up the same! I think I’ll change my activity level back down as most of my steps actually come from running anyway!

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