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Change to Resting Calorie calculation?

Former Member over 9 years ago

So last night, before I went to bed, I checked my calories burned on my Vivofit. It was close to 2500. This morning after I synched to Garmin Connect, my recorded data tells me I burned a total of 2007 calories for the day.

WT? How did I lose 500calories overnight?

When I look on the app, it tells me I only burned 1444 resting calories. Is Garmin trying to tell me that's my BMR? Because it's not.

Up until 2 days ago, I notice that it was a constant number (which is very close to my actual, measured BMR). But the last 2 days, it is sitting in the 1400s.

Has there been a change to the way Resting Calories are calculated?

Can someone please explain this to me?

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

What device and software are you running? From what I've seen it appears to only be the VSHR and Fenix3 running very recent software that have noticed this.

I'm not far from your weight/height but an activity class of 7 and its showing resting cals 1750 daily since the change. Activity class doesn't impact resting calorie calculation, believe it only is used during activites with a HRM connected to calculate calories based on your class.

So for example. Connect tells me I burned 210 calories doing steps/movement outside of the running and walking activities I recorded today. That is still lower than what my previous daily resting calories would be if I added BMR+210 by 140 calories. I was certainly more than "sedentary" today based on activities outside of running/walking.

The watch can't track food thermics and some of the other factors I think are considered in the "sedentary" multiplier of 1.2 or 1.25 that is used to define a sedentary person ontop of BMR so they need to re-evaluate this change. Or at least make it configurable at a user level.

IMO its setting the baseline too low for resting calories.

No, activity class adjusts your BMR in GC. Not technically your BMR, but your TDEE. So activity class = your BMR + your normal daily activities such as walking, brushing your teeth, taking out the trash, etc.

Taken from a recent post on this forum:

Adjusting your activity class also adjust the amount of calories Garmin "thinks" you are burning by setting your basal metabolic rate (BMR changed to TDEE recently -ATLinfidel edit). The higher the class setting, the higher Garmin sets your BMR.

As far as what I'm running, I have the most recent update on GC and 2.20 firmware on my F3HR. GC says my resting calories at activity class 0 is 2062.

I really don't think 1750 is too low honestly. That's exactly what our BMR is at 5'11 and roughly 160 pounds. BMR being a calculation of the absolute baseline of what our body needs to survive, as in if you were sitting in a coma. As long as the watch/app is still compensating for the cals you burn during both activity and every day movement, I'd be happy with it.

In fact, I wish my estimation of 2060 was a little lower, since I like to be on the conservative side.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

No, activity class adjusts your BMR in GC. Not technically your BMR, but your TDEE. So activity class = your BMR + your normal daily activities such as walking, brushing your teeth, taking out the trash, etc.

Taken from a recent post on this forum:

As far as what I'm running, I have the most recent update on GC and 2.20 firmware on my F3HR. GC says my resting calories at activity class 0 is 2062.

I really don't think 1750 is too low honestly. That's exactly what our BMR is at 5'11 and roughly 160 pounds. BMR being a calculation of the absolute baseline of what our body needs to survive, as in if you were sitting in a coma. As long as the watch/app is still compensating for the cals you burn during both activity and every day movement, I'd be happy with it.

In fact, I wish my estimation of 2060 was a little lower, since I like to be on the conservative side.

Where do you see that activity class has to do with BMR or TDEE? Everything I've seen activity class is only considered when you have a heart rate monitor connected. The higher activity class you are in theory the lower amount of calories you burn during exercise because you are in better condition based on your activity class.

It appears the Fenix 3 HR software hasn't been updated yet to reflect these recent changes. For example today on my Non-HR fenix3 I've done just over six thousand steps it's only giving me 67 active calories. so if I don't do any more activities today I'll have only burned just over 1800 calories which is not enough to maintain my weight based on any BMR calculator out there that factors in sedentary activity level.

0 Bjski over 5 years ago

This happened to me also!

0 trux over 5 years ago in reply to Bjski

Bjski said:
This happened to me also!

What exactly? The same thing as in the first post? Something from the last one, or something menioned in the middle of the thread? Did you read the tips in the thread?

Perhaps providing more details, info about your hardware and software, and some screenshots if possible, would help you better to get some advices.

0 Bjski over 5 years ago in reply to trux

Trux, I wasn’t asking for advice. I read the previous thread and got my advice from what happened in his situation. Thanks for caring.