Exercise Logging is…Frustrating Topic
SunnyDay
02/27/23
I’ve been with MyNetDiary for 8 days now, and overall it’s going well. But I have to be honest: the exercise logging is driving me nuts. It is the only reason I am considering looking for a different app.
My primary exercise is walking on a treadmill. There aren’t many options for walking programmed into MyNetDiary, whether treadmill or ordinary walking. My fast walking speed is 2.5 mph, and I warm up at 1.5 mph and gradually increase to the 2.5 mph; then afterward, I gradually decrease speed to cool down.
All of the exercise-type walking in MyNetDiary is for 2.8 to 4.0 mph!!! That is not a speed I could ever do because of an ankle issue.
Why don’t I just create a custom exercise in MyNetDiary? Because I’ve determined that my treadmill’s calorie counter is inaccurate; I did this by comparing miles walked on both the treadmill and MyNetDiary. It was an inexpensive treadmill, and it makes it looked like I’ve burned 25% more calories than I have.
And, really, how does anyone know their treadmill is accurate? Treadmills aren’t carefully calibrated instruments like we might find in a science laboratory.
It would be very helpful if MyNetDiary would improve its exercise database and bring it up to the same standard as its food database — which is excellent.
(And that barcode scanner! It scans anything in any orientation, even sideways and diagonally. And so fast! Tonight I scanned a label, turned around 180° to another counter with the scanner still on, and discovered the scanner had scanned a second barcode I hadn’t even wanted, while I was twirling around! Is it fueled by kryptonite or what?)
Yes, I really do love MyNetDiary for its food database and scanner. But the exercise database is embarrassingly poor. In these 8 days I lost 2 lbs. instead of 1 lb., which in a way I am happy about. But it means my exercise hasn’t been counted properly, and I could have had a higher calorie budget. That would have been helpful!
So, please enlarge the exercise database, especially for various walking activities and regular treadmill use. It will help everyone manage their diets better, and be a real feather in MyNetDiary’s cap.
U1194655556
02/28/23
Yes like it doesn’t make sense at all I wish there was more options and way easier
Dietician
02/28/23
replied to SunnyDay
Hi SunnyDay, thanks so much for the feedback. More exercise items for logging would be very helpful and I will share your post with Support. In the meantime, here are some options to make logging less cumbersome.
1. If you use an exercise device (like an activity watch) or even just your phone to count steps (many mobile phones do this now), you can integrate steps in MyNetDiary via Health app. If you use Premium, you can turn on Step Bonus to have the steps converted to exercise calories automatically. Use the Sedentary activity level setting if you do this. I do this and it is one of my favorite features that MyNetDiary offers. If I weight lift, I simply allow the error to go towards underestimating my total calories burned, which is helpful for weight loss and maintenance of weight loss. However, if I swim or bike ride (which burns a fair number of calories), I'll simply log that since it isn't really captured by steps. To learn more about Step Bonus, read this blog post:
https://www.mynetdiary.com/moving-more.html#:~:text=Step%20Bonus%20estimates%20calories%20burned,in%20your%20MyNetDiary%20mobile%20app)
2. When I log an exercise and the options are limited for intensity, I'll choose the lower intensity exercise item to log. Again, I allow the error to go towards underestimating my total calories burned, which is helpful for weight loss and maintenance of weight loss.
3. Another option is to use an activity tracker (like an Apple Watch) and load your calories from that into MyNetDiary via Health app if they do not integrate directly with MyNetDiary. Activity trackers that do integrate directly with MyNetDiary (requires Premium subscription) are:
Fitbit
Withings
Garmin
4. We use a exercise database that was developed for academic exercise studies (Compendium of Physical Activity). Even with limited data, the calories data is based upon testing. But we agree, there needs to be more exercise data for folks using just the exercise database for logging.
More food data vs. exercise data
There are no requirements for exercises, machines, or activities to have calories burn data listed or tested. That means apps and databases must find or develop that data themselves. As you have noticed, even if there is data, it might not be accurate. No one or agency is overseeing calories information.
Food, in the other hand, has lots of data sources. The USDA has massive databases for foods, and food manufacturers often test their own products. This is largely drive by the requirement for food labels. But it is also for nutrition research as well.
Best,
Kathy (Dietitian with MyNetDiary)
AQLTR
02/28/23
I guess the developers could figure out the ratios but 2 people walking together, one weighing 125 pounds and one at 190 pounds will have burned a different amount of calories at the end of their walk. I’m guessing that kind of app sophistication would be paid not free.
Dietician
02/28/23
replied to AQLTR
Hi Maloo, My understanding is consistent with yours - the calories should be different for 2 people doing the same exercise but with different body weights. The heavier person will burn more calories. However, when I just checked walking for 1 minute, it was 3 kcal whether I entered 170 lb or 130 lb. I'll ask Support about this.
Best,
Kathy (Dietitian with MyNetDiary)
Dietician
03/01/23
replied to AQLTR
Hi Maloo, the exercise calories do change based upon our logged body weight for free or Premium subscription members. You have to re-enter the exercise item after updating the body weight. I closed out of my app and went back in and when I re-entered my walking item, the calories burned increased when my weight was higher, and decreased when my weight was lower.
Per Support Team:
The existing exercise record does not change the caloric value after today's weight change (even significant weight change). But, if you re-enter the same exercise, it will "look up" the updated weight value and calculate the new caloric expenditure.
Best,
Kathy (Dietitian with MyNetDiary)
SunnyDay
03/02/23
Hi, Kathy, thanks for your earlier replies. For better or worse, I'm on a strict monetary budget as well as calorie budget. So, fancy tracking devices and Apple watches are out of the question. I'm not counting my steps toward my calorie budget, similar to how you allow the error to go toward underestimating the number of calories burned. However, when I am doing a walking workout on my treadmill, I do want that to increase my calorie budget.
Tonight I was looking at the options in MyNetDiary's database for Walking 2.5 mph and Walking 2.0 mph. How can walking 1 mile at "2.5 mph (4 km/h), level, firm surface" burn 60 calories, but walking the 1 mile at "2.0 mph (3.2 km/h), level, slow pace, firm surface" burn 68 calories? Yes, you read that right: the slower walking speed supposedly burns more calories. Type "walking" into the exercise database, and you will see these options yourself.
So, this database is wonky. How many other inaccuracies are there? Why is there so little choice of walking speeds? Why are the slower speeds counted as burning more calories than the faster speeds?
We seriously need something better, and I am very frustrated.
SunnyDay
03/02/23
Aha, now THIS is useful: https://blog.mypacer.com/how-many-calories-do-you-burn-while-walking/
What this says to me is that better data is out there. MyNetDiary does a marvelous job with food data, ease of recipe input, etc., making itself the go-to app for calorie counting.
But for exercise? It's bad policy for a diet app to encourage users to find data outside of its universe. The more we stick within the app, the more motivated we will be to stick with our diet plan as well.
SunnyDay
03/02/23
And this one, a calculator, is also useful: https://fitnessvolt.com/calories-burned-walking/
SunnyDay
03/02/23
The above tables have 2.5 mph as the slowest speed. Here is one for 2.0 mph! https://dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p4/p40109.pdf
All of them, have only a few weights listed for the person walking, though. Ideal would be one that lists both more weights and more speeds.
Exercise Logging is…Frustrating
