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Getting Zero calories burned in Garmin Connect all the time

Former Member over 11 years ago

Hi

I have tried to search for an answer to this but no dice.

As you'll see I'm a complete beginner to all this so this question may be laughable.....please be kind as I'm very much still learning about all this fitness device stuff :)

I have a Garmin Montana 650. This is not a dedicated fitness device but it can record heart rates with an ANT monitor, which I have just purchased. It is now setup and gives me GPX files with the following data (used for power walking)....

speed, distance, avg pace, avg speed, heart rate (current and average), ascent and descent, and more. You can see an example of a recent activity uploaded with it here.....

Please notice that the calories shows as zero.

I have two questions for anyone who can help.....

1 - Is it showing zero because I'm doing something wrong (me), or because the device isn't recording the right data (unsuitable device), or because it just isn't doing what it should (faulty/buggy)

2 - Should GC itself normally calculate calories (from data sent to it in the file upload), or does the calorie value already need to be calculated in the device beforehand (i.e. all that GC dcoes is display what has already been calculated in the device itself).

The Montana does not calculate calories or hold profile data, but GC does hold profile data of course and once the file is uploaded it also has heart rate etc.). I suppose one final question would be, if GC doesn't do the calculation (it relies on the device to do it), and the Montana can't do it either, what's the point of providing heart rate capabilities on the Montana 650 ?

Thanks for any help.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

No one can answer this ?

All I really want to know is.....

For all those of you out there who have a dedicated fitness product from Garmin (fitness watch, cycling unit etc). Does your device work out the calories burned, which you then upload to GC, or does GC itself work them out from more basic data that you upload (distance run and heart beat etc).

If I had one of these I could check for myself but I don't.

Anyone please?

Thanks again.

0 schinder over 11 years ago

The dedicated fitness devices estimate calories, using various methods, based on heart rate. They store their estimate in the files that get uploaded to Garmin Connect, and GC just shows that number. Many other sites/software do their own independent estimation of calories, again based on various formula based on heart rate. I have an Edge 705, and Edge 800, and a Fenix 1 and they all estimate (different) calorie burns.

So maybe the Montana 650 doesn't do that. My VIRB Elite, for example, doesn't, even though it also records ANT+ sensors. You should still be able to get a number from, say, RunKeeper, where you can set up a free account and see if it will give you a calorie estimate from one of your tracks.

0 travis.vitek over 11 years ago

Is it showing zero because I'm doing something wrong (me), or because the device isn't recording the right data (unsuitable device), or because it just isn't doing what it should (faulty/buggy)

It doesn't look like you've done anything wrong. It looks like Garmin Connect just displays the calorie information from the device. I verified this by downloading a tcx of one of my workouts, removing the calories information, and uploading it again. The calorie count of the new activity is zero, so it isn't calculated upon upload.

Should GC itself normally calculate calories (from data sent to it in the file upload), or does the calorie value already need to be calculated in the device beforehand (i.e. all that GC dcoes is display what has already been calculated in the device itself).

I don't think it should, but I suppose it wouldn't be horrible for it to estimate the calorie burn if there is no calorie data in the uploaded activity.

If GC doesn't do the calculation (it relies on the device to do it), and the Montana can't do it either, what's the point of providing heart rate capabilities on the Montana 650 ?

Heart rate data is useful for things other than calorie burn.

My fitness device does both heart rate and calorie count, but I could care less about the latter. Does that mean that the functionality doesn't belong? Most certainly not. Someone will find the information useful.

Travis

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Guys....

Thank you both very much for this info. It answers my questions exactly.

I was finding it frustrating as there's so little info from the official Garmin sources about how GC should or shouldn't be operating. At least that's how it seems to a beginner like me.

And then (off topic I know) GC doesn't even recognise my Montana's GPX files to upload. I have to upload to Training Center, then export as a TCX, then upload that to GC. I've read a lot about some XML files not being 'right' for GC, even though they're from Garmin's own devices and I've tried a few of the fixes on this forum that folks have suggested...

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?77997-Garmin-Connect-refuses-to-accept-any-new-GPX-files-I-try-to-upload

and others but nothing so far has worked for my Montana files. Despair! How can you build a product that doesn't accept files created by your other products? Oh well. I'll start another thread about that problem. Maybe someone will have some more ideas.

Anyway for the calory info.... Now that I know the there is no 'fault' going on (from me or Montana, or GC for that matter). I will just have to find ways other ways of getting the calory feedback I need from my training activities.

Schinder... thanks for the mention of RunKeeper. It sounds like that may be of great help to me. Will check it out.

Once again, I appreciate you both helping me out :)

0 schinder over 11 years ago

I don't know what they intend Garmin Connect to become now, but in the past it was for "fitness devices", which a Montana isn't. Neither is my old 60CSx. GC never accepted tracks from every Garmin device, although, as you found, it's easy to get around.

As for RunKeeper, when I upload a track there, it always initially shows the number of calories that the Garmin device recorded. I don't know if it will automatically calculate its own estimate if that number is zero or missing. But if you "Edit Activity" and then save (I name all of my routes, so I attach the correct name then), it recomputes the calorie burn. There are other sites (MapMyRide, Strava) that I know about and don't use, and probably more that I don't know about at all, so you may want to try them out and see which is easiest for your purposes.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

I don't know what they intend Garmin Connect to become now, but in the past it was for "fitness devices", which a Montana isn't. Neither is my old 60CSx. GC never accepted tracks from every Garmin device, although, as you found, it's easy to get around.

Yes it's not the end of the world in itself at all. But it does raise questions about Garmin when they publish stuff like this...

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/outdoor/handheld/montana-650t/prod75228.html

(look under the 'specs' tab at the very bottom).

These things aren't cheap and paying hundreds of pounds based on 'official' specs that are clearly untrue is somewhat annoying. I get the impression from this forum that this happens quite a lot to Garmin customers. Just an impression.

Still, I'm not going to get stressed about it. I agree that the Montana isn't a proper fitness device. I originally bought it years ago for backpacking (for which I find it excellent), but when I realised it could monitor and log heart rates I recently decided it might help me get fit as well without having to outlay on a whole separate device. Truth is though I'm finding it hard to justify the recent outlay on a heart monitor if there's no 'end result' from that data in terms of losing weight. That was my ultimate goal.

Never mind.

As for RunKeeper, when I upload a track there, it always initially shows the number of calories that the Garmin device recorded. I don't know if it will automatically calculate its own estimate if that number is zero or missing. But if you "Edit Activity" and then save (I name all of my routes, so I attach the correct name then), it recomputes the calorie burn. There are other sites (MapMyRide, Strava) that I know about and don't use, and probably more that I don't know about at all, so you may want to try them out and see which is easiest for your purposes.

Thanks again for your advice on these other systems. I'll check them all out over the next few days and if none of those can tell me how many calories I'm burning for all my hard work, I'll just have to rely on the old fashioned method.....the 'which notch of my belt is comfortable' technique'. That's compatible with everything, doesn't need 'updating' has no bugs, doesn't cost a fortune and won't claim to do things it can't.

You have to see the funny side sometimes.

All the best Schinder and thanks again for your help :)