Are my steps being double counted?

JayAC81
JayAC81 Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I am Jay. I have just started using myfitnesspal, and need some clarification. I have used running as my exercise, but my watch also counts my steps and uploads them to the app.

My running gets added go my exercise, but then the steps I take running are also added. Does this mean that the calories I use from running, are then being counted again in my steps?

Does that make any sense?

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,836 Member
    What watch do you have synced to MFP?
    Normally, having a device synced means that you see exercise added to your diary (when you exercise) and you also see a calorie adjustment (when you are more active than your selected activity level).
    Your calorie adjustment in MFP is not based on your step count, it's based on what your tracker says your total calories burned for the day is. (Of course, your tracker takes into account how many steps you take to calculate your calorie burn, but MFP doesn't do anything with your steps count apart from showing the number)

    Fictitious example:

    Your base calorie goal is 2000 calories, based on an activity level 'sedentary' on MFP and weight goal 'maintenance'.
    You run for half an hour and your watch tells MFP that you burned 250 calories during that run, which appears in your diary. Aside from that run, you were also very active, taking 10000steps on top of your run.
    Your tracker estimates your calories burn for the day as 2750 and sends that number to MFP.
    MFP compares those 2750 calories with its own estimate of 2000 (sedentary) +250kcal (run) = 2250.
    The difference is 500 calories, so you get an adjustment of 500 calories on top of the 250kcal run, giving you a calorie goal of 2750kcal.

    (If you have a weight loss goal, MFP subtracts 250 kcal per 0.5lbs of weight loss per week to calculate your daily calorie goal)
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    If you are manually adding the runs separate from what your watch uploads, you probably are double counting.

    Also, I have become aware recently of how much my watch includes hand movements as steps. Recently I broke a finger in my right hand and had surgery to pin it back together. I am using my left hand considerably more than usual. The Garmin is on my left wrist. My watch is including all the extra movement as steps, usually 3+ miles a day. If I was syncing my watch to MFP it would be giving me an additional 300+ calories a day. If you use your hands a lot, take the calories burned with a large grain of salt.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Not sure what type of watch you have, but my Garmin will add exercise, and calories to MFP, but also daily adjustments, which are usually negative on days I exercise.

    If you are set up to allow negative adjustments on MFP, then you are probably not double counting.

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