Manual activity syncs with heart rate data

Yes, you stated much more clearly what I was trying to say. When you add a manual activity, I am very unclear as to how it calculates calories burned or anything else that is based on HR because it doesn't integrate the HR from that period to the specified, manually-entered period of activity.

Arceuid said:

we won't have the specific cal burned during this activity

At least it will teach you not to forget starting the Activity, the next time

Denise said:

Yes, you stated much more clearly what I was trying to say. When you add a manual activity, I am very unclear as to how it calculates calories burned or anything else that is based on HR because it doesn't integrate the HR from that period to the specified, manually-entered period of activity.

When you are trying to keep the Calories under control, then you need the daily Calories In and Out, and you get it even without starting any activity at all.

Not helpful if you're using an app like My Fitness Pal that syncs over calories from activities. Regardless, this is a very basic function of other watches like Fitbit. 

8723661 said:

Not helpful if you're using an app like My Fitness Pal that syncs over calories from activities.

AFAIK MFP syncs using the Active Calories, not Activity Calories. Active Calories have nothing to do with Activity Calories. Active Calories are based on the HR, regardless whether you record an activity with the watch or not.

• Active Calories (AC) - energy burned over the RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) for given day [excluding the RMR]
• Activity Calories - both RMR + AC burned during the concerned activity [including the RMR]

8723661 said:

Regardless, this is a very basic function of other watches like Fitbit. 

Certainly, I have no doubts about it, but it is not available in Garmin Connect, and we the users here on the forum cannot help you adding it. We can only help you with workarounds. If you want it implemented, you need to suggest it to Garmin, and hope that it is a highly demanded feature, and hence that it catches their attention: Submitting an Idea to Garmin

I find the heart rate function less accurate if I'm not recording the activity, which negates the MFP bit.

I and many others have been requesting this for many years now. I don't think Garmin makes a habit of using this feedback since I'm updated on multiple threads daily of people wondering why this isn't a function.

8723661 said:

I find the heart rate function less accurate if I'm not recording the activity, which negates the MFP bit.

And that is the exact reason for not implementing the feature you are requesting - when the HR without the Activity recording is not accurate, then why would you want to calculate the Calories for manual entries from it??? Makes no sense. Just log your activities with the watch, and you'll be fine.

Actually, you're probably right on that being the reason they're not implementing it.

To be honest, this hasn't been an issue for me in a very long time, but coming from other fitness watches, this not being a function was a very big turn off. I never had to actually start my watch, I'd just manually add it after and it took a really long time to get used to doing it.

Honestly, it's not worth arguing over. It's a simple thing to program, and a lot of people want it. There is no good reason for Garmin not to implement this. It has its uses if you are trying to compare between workouts in Strava or using other apps as part of your routine. 

I agree. I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that all-day recording measurements are taken less frequently than HR during activity, and would therefore be less accurate for calorie counting