Pedometer App

donjtomasco
donjtomasco Posts: 790 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My FitBit broke so I downloaded a pedometer app. I picked Editors Choice, now doubt a good one. It was way off. Downloaded my second one and tested it today. It said I walked 88 minutes but walked 75, it had the distance correct (close enough) to 3.5 miles, then said I burned 1,050 calories. LOL! I bet that is a very popular app, since you can consume more than you thought you could, you burn almost 3x the calories you thought you would, except you probably add over a pound a week if you walk every day and try and eat every possible calorie you can.

So....beware of apps. I am 0 for 2.

Replies

  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited August 2021
    I've used a pedometer app just called "Pedometer" for years.

    It's always on and seem very accurate because it matches the data that I get from Map My Walk and Map My Hike.

    It's published by ITO Technologies
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,139 Member
    Pacer app is an example of an app where integration works correctly with MFP. Fitbit app can be downloaded and used without a device and can integrate with mfp with or without one. Mobile track can then also uses for GPS for a manually triggered walk

    Don't forget that most apps report gross calories not net calories.

    This means that your calories for being alive are displayed as burnedm

    Don't forget that MFP assigns more than the calories that you required just to be alive to every minute of the day based on the activity level you select.

    This means that you should deduct anywhere from 1.25 * BMR calories per minute of activity and up to one point eight times BMR calories per minute of activity out of your gross to determine your mfp net.

    A met 3.0 activity such as a moderate walk would end up with net calories in the 60% (MFP set to sedentary) to 40% of the gross calories (MFP set to very active).

    Generally it is easier to just let correctly working integrations work.

    And only to correct for your personal "drift" by comparing expected vs actual results over time
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,053 Member
    When I lost my FitBit I went back to the Omron "dumb" pedometer I'd received from the VA.

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZWIJR2/

    I also use MapMyFitness, but I don't have it synced to MFP, and unsynched, the calories are enormous, probably because my "being alive" calories are also included. Presumably, I'd have less calories if I synced. However, I just enter the time manually.

    The distances I get from the pedometer and MapMyFitness are pretty close UNLESS I lose GPS on my phone due to being in the woods too far away from a signal. Not an issue for the "dumb" pedometer :lol:

    I attribute the difference to the Omron using strides, which are shorter on hills, which would make MapMyFitness more accurate, as long as it stays connected.

    I was just looking at Apple Health on my phone and noticed that it was tracking steps and stairs despite me never having turned this on. I don't wear my phone so the steps count was wildly inaccurate. Will have to test it against MapMyFitness while on a walk one day.

    My favorite feature of MapMyFitness is the map, which has been enormously helpful when exploring the woods (except for when I lose GPS.) As a former Girl Scout, GPS feels like cheating, lol.

    It just occurred to me that I haven't been anywhere remote since I got a new iphone - this phone might be better at retaining GPS.

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